Tag Archives: mechanical doping

News

Cycling’s Soiled Reputation Buried at Cyclocross World’s in Belgium

“Where there’s money to be gained, there’ll be the odd dickhead who cheats but cycling is miles ahead of other sports when it comes to testing” – Mark Cavendish

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Yes I’ve said “mechanical doping” is in a different moral category to normal doping that it was very unlikely.

Yes, I’ve said it would be extremely hard to get away with that no one would be dumb enough to do it.

Someone did it. At Cyclocross World’s in Zolder Belgium no less. Jeez.  Sky News:

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A concealed motor has been discovered during the examination of a bike used by a Belgian cyclist at the world cyclo-cross championships.

The bike was seized by cycling authorities after Femke Van den Driessche, 19, was forced to pull out of the women’s under-23 race due to a mechanical problem.

“It’s absolutely clear that there was technological fraud. There was a concealed motor. I don’t think there are any secrets about that,” said International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson.

http://news.sky.com/story/1633189/hidden-motor-found-in-cyclists-race-bike

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Cycling.tips has more on the story:

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Meanwhile Van den Driessche’s father has, predictably, insisted upon her innocence.

“It’s not Femke’s bike,” he claimed to De Staandard. “The bike was in the pit but it is [belonging to] someone from her entourage, who sometimes trains with her. But it was never the intention that it would be raced.

“Femke has absolutely not used that bike during the race. We are strongly affected by the events. Femke is totally upside down about it.

“We also do not know what ‘technical fraud’ means. But if the intention was to cheat, you would ride that bike, wouldn’t you?

“Femke has been European and Belgian Champion. Why would you do in the world championships?”

His words will likely be viewed with some scepticism, as her brother is currently serving a ban for EPO.

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/01/more-details-emerge-about-motorized-doping-at-cyclo-cross-worlds/

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The story, of course, was picked up around by media around the world, as cycling’s sordid reputation plunges lower.

You might be surprised to learn that the minimum sentence for technological cheating is a pathetic 6 months. Yes, you can cheat, get a slap on the wrist and keep racing the same season. How it can be anything less than a lifetime ban is beyond me. And, criminal charges should be brought for fraud.

In a recent development in the story, the Italian manufacturer of Van Den Driessche’s bike, Wilier Triestina, plans to sue her for the damage she’s done to their reputation.

Good.

“Wilier Triestina says it will sue the Belgian cyclist who used a motor on her bike at the cyclo-cross world championships in the latest scandal to rock the sport.

Managing director Andrea Gastaldello said he was ‘stunned’ by the news that Femke Van den Driessche competed in the under-23 race over the weekend with a concealed motor in her Wilier Triestina bike.

‘Our company will take legal action against the athlete and against any (person) responsible for this very serious matter to safeguard the reputation and image of the company,’ the executive wrote in a statement.”

http://espn.go.com/olympics/cycling/story/_/id/14689297/femke-van-den-driessche-caught-using-motor-sued-bike-manufacturer

BTW, Britain’s Evie Richards won the race… but no one seems to care about that right now.

News

The Improbable Threat of Mechanical Doping in Cycling

I think so-called “mechanical doping” is very different to traditional chemical doping. And the difference is such that it makes mechanical doping far less likely than normal doping.

Traditional Doping: It’s All About the Rider

Doping actually changes a rider’s physiology and transforms him into a stronger and faster rider. He can get on any bike and take on anyone and kick ass. His human performance is elevated, even if it is ultimately thanks to some alien substances in his body.

It’s virtually indistinguishable from the rider being naturally strong and a highly trained elite athlete.

Mechanical Doping: It’s All About the Bike

Mechanical doping transforms the bike. It does nothing for the rider, and with the right mechanics he could even be a complete wimp. He just needs to know where the switch is turn.

So while these forms of doping are both cheating, there’s a big philosophical and psychological difference.

There’s some degree of honor and in the rider being stronger, there’s none what so ever in your bike having a motor.

Mechanical doping is just flat out cheating with no upside for the rider apart from a stolen win. I can see an elite athlete  being tempted to dope, I can’t see such an athlete sticking a motor on his bike.

There’s also the problem of conspiracy. A doper can dope privately and independently of the team. That’s highly unlikely in the case of mechanical doping, the mechanics at the least would have to be in on it.

And what if you have a mechanical for real and the team car can’t get to you in time? Your bike is going to be suspiciously heavy to anyone that touches it.

Recent Mechanical Doping Conspiracy Theories

There’s been a few, of course Cancellara’s Roubaix win was a big one, but there have been many more… Google “mechanical doping”.

At the time of this writing,  “mechanical doping” conspiracy theories erupted after a Movistar mechanic “hides” broken bike in team car…

These fans must be bored and a little dense. There’s a simple and obvious answer. Sigh.