Dumoulin quits MPCC: ‘Paris-Nice was a farce’
Dutchman quits anti-doping group in objection to this year's coronavirus-blighted Paris-Nice and movement's objection to ketones.
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Tom Dumoulin has quit the MPCC, an advocacy group promoting credible cycling.
The Dutchman, who was one of the highest profile riders backing the group (Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible), canceled his personal membership in objection to the body’s handling of this spring’s Paris-Nice and the union’s stance on ketones.
“I thought it was a farce around Paris-Nice,” Dumoulin said, referring to the continuation of the race while Europe began its slide into the depths of the coronavirus crisis this March. The race kicked off as normal before going behind closed doors for several days, and then finally made the call to cancel the final stage into Nice.
“In my opinion, that race should not have happened,” Dumoulin told Wielerflits. “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 racing Paris-Nice – which was the number one health risk at the time – was totally fine.”
The Jumbo-Visma captain’s second rationale behind quitting the body concerned his team’s use of ketone esters, a supplement that can provide an alternative energy source during intense exercise.
“And then they came up with the story that the use of ketones is very dangerous,” Dumoulin said Sunday. “I thought that was a very hypocritical attitude of the MPCC. Our team uses ketones, so it’s a bit hypocritical for me to be a member of the MPCC. Those two things together moved me to unsubscribe.”
Dumoulin was one of several top names to voice concern last month about a downturn in anti-doping protocol through the spring coronavirus shutdown. When speaking to Wielerflits this weekend, he cited the MPCC’s pursuit of a clean sport and creation of guidelines beyond those of the UCI as one of his original attractions to the movement.
The group is backed by both individuals and teams, with several WorldTour outfits listed as members, including Dumoulin’s former squad, Sunweb.