Tom Dumoulin quits MPCC, calling organisation 'hypocritical'
The Dutchman quit over decisions regarding this year's Paris-Nice as well as the use of ketones
Tom Dumoulin has quit the Movement For Credible Cycling (MPCC), his reasons being the organisation's decisions regarding this year's Paris-Nice as well as his use of ketones with his Jumbo-Visma team.
The Dutchman has labelled the situation surrounding Paris-Nice a "farce" and that the MPCC should have said the event shouldn't have gone ahead in light of the developing coronavirus pandemic.
He also says the MPCC calling ketone use dangerous is "a very hypocritical attitude", with these two factors making him hand in his membership.
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"I really like the MPCC's philosophy. They pursue a cleaner sport and do not consider the current doping rules strict enough, especially in the field of cortisone use," Dumoulin told Wielerflits. "I can earn income there. They have stricter rules than the official ones. Sunweb were a member of the MPCC and I was personally a member as well."
"But I thought it was a farce around Paris-Nice," the 29-year-old adds. "In my opinion, that race should not have started. Then there was already the corona outbreak, also in France. There were really serious problems. Then the MPCC said nothing about that. Their motivation is that they are there for public health, but driving from Paris-Nice - which was the number one health risk at the time - was totally fine."
Jumbo-Visma left the MPCC in 2015 after the Dutch outfit said George Bennett was wrongly kept out of the Giro d'Italia due to a low cortisol value, stating MPCC procedure was not 100 per cent watertight.
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Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.
I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.