The doping control van is hard to miss. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
The Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC) has made a request to the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) that cortisol levels also be monitored during the Tour de France this year.
Teams signing on to the MPCC charter agree not to field riders while they hold a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for cortisone and they agree to undergo four voluntary tests for cortisol levels throughout the season. At present, BMC, Cannondale, Euskaltel Euskadi, Movistar, Omega Pharma-Quick-Step, RadioShack Leopard, Saxo-Tinkoff and Sky are all non-signatories to the MPCC.
According to L'Equipe, the letter sent to French Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron, says that: "It would make sense that the 22 teams are controlled in the same way and medically monitored externally."
The AFLD will be carrying out additional testing at this year's Tour after an agreement was reached with the UCI allowing whereabouts information on riders and biological passport data to be shared so that the AFLD can perform random tests.
Cortisone is permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency if an athlete carries a TUE.
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