Pro-cycling thread

If they did motor dope, and got away with it

Perhaps their motors were in the rear rim? This was the 2016 Giro, when the UCI introduced scans. "Approximately 2,000 took place at the first Grand Tour of the year, the Giro d’Italia (each rider had their bikes tested on average four times during the three-week event). The tests were carried out using the UCI’s magnetic resistance scanning method which detected a case of technological fraud at the 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships." https://www.uci.org/pressrelease/the-uci-management-committee-adopts-strengthened-code-of-ethics-approves/20HIFgvVN6gjMErdqZGjwe

The following year three TV stations got together to investigate. They said the scans could not detect the latest dodge: "The joint investigation by France 2, ARD, and Il Corriere della Sera tested the effectiveness of the UCI's current process for detecting hidden motors, using an iPad adapted with magnets that the governing body says detects changes in magnetic flux density which would indicate the presence of a motor. Travelling to the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, the report found that although this test was effective at detect older motors hidden in the seat tube of bikes, it could not detect what was described as the "latest generation" of hidden motors. This latest motor technology uses electromagnets hidden in the rear wheel, reportedly costing €20,000 per wheel, and could not be detected by the UCI iPad, with the only positives being given by the metallic spokes and cassette." https://archive.ph/s57Hh

The UCI dodged the question: "It is clear that the people using our device in Sunday’s Stade 2 report had had no training. We have, immediately following the report, offered to meet with them to demonstrate how to use our scanners effectively.” https://road.cc/content/news/228768-uci-tests-cant-detect-some-hidden-motors-claims-report

It's the same story as PEDs: the boffins are always developing a new method and it takes a year or two for the testing procedure to catch up. Maybe the UCI needs to do x-rays of complete bikes. But that would be slow and expensive. In the meantime perhaps we could have a video analysis widget to autodetect acceleration when seated.