Feb 012016
 

Here’s a new one:

UCI confirms motorised doping uncovered at cyclo-cross World Championships

I’ve heard of using “performance enhancing drugs” in bicycle races before, but not actual motors. And if I had, I don’t think I’ve heard of it referred to as “doping.”

Sadly the article does not provide  design of the motorized bike. The motor, and presumably batteries or fuel tank or whatever it uses, are hidden within the frame (which would not seem to provide a whole lot of volume for such things), and it’s unclear just how a hidden motor provides power to the wheel. In order to be of use to a racer the motor would have to provide a fair bit of power and at least some meaningful duration; if this was done with a system that can be safely hidden within a racing bicycles frame it must be a technological marvel.

Entertainingly, the racer caught using the motorized bikes claims: “I didn’t know anything about it. I don’t know how that bike got there. I was surprised to see that bike standing there. It’s not my bike. There’s been a mistake.”

Yeah.

 Posted by at 1:05 pm