The Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC) has confirmed that it asked the Bardiani-CSF team not to enter a rider into the Giro d’Italia, after it informed them that one of its riders had an ‘abnormally low’ cortisol level. The Bardiani-CSF team has been summoned to an 8 June meeting with the MPCC to explain its action.

‘MPCC expressly points out that on Friday 9 May [the Giro d’Italia runs from 9 May until 31 May], the movement was informed by team Bardiani-CSF that one of its riders showed an abnormally low cortisol level’, read an MPCC statement. ‘As of this Friday prior to the start of the Giro d’Italia, MPCC has formally requested to the team Bardiani-CSF – through its President – not to enter this rider into the race and to prescribe eight days off-race as from the date the sample was taken by the UCI, in accordance with Article 9 of MPCC regulations and its annex. MPCC considered that the explanations provided by the team Bardiani-CSF were not sufficient to keep the rider in the race and immediately invited the team manager to attend the board of directors scheduled on 8 June in Lyon, in order to provide further explanation and allow the board to review this case.’

Article 9 of the MPCC Internal Regulations reads: ‘In case of unusually low cortisol levels, competition will resume after an additional eight-day rest minimum, and back-to-normal cortisol levels’. Cortisol is a steroid hormone, in the glucocorticoid class of hormones, and is produced naturally through the adrenal gland. It is understood that low cortisol levels can affect the body’s ability to recover from exercise or injury. Bardiani-CSF has yet to issue a statement on the matter.