I've expressed my scepticism before on this subject, scepticism I still hold, plus, the UCI where using thermal cameras at the TdeF this year. It's all a bit, the secret life of Mechanical Mitty, to me but you can all point and laugh when I'm proved wrong.
Mechanical doping
- Thread starter themosquitoking
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
CBS 60 Minutes making a program on mechanical doping.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cbs...es-mechanical-doping-in-professional-cycling/
It seems it will feature Istvan Varjas who does seem to have the air of a perpetual motion machine salesman.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cbs...es-mechanical-doping-in-professional-cycling/
It seems it will feature Istvan Varjas who does seem to have the air of a perpetual motion machine salesman.
OP
OP
themosquitoking
Guru
- Location
- Spain
Yeah, i thought that too. Seems weird that the police need the UCI to investigate before they can.
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
Maybe they listened to Cookson's "nothing to see, move along" and thought there was nothing to see, despite that being a phrase used when there is most definitely something to see...
I believe that the lack of credible evidence points to guilt these days.
Foghat
Freight-train-groove-rider
Well, due to my heavy cycle-commuting workload, I decided to implement my own mechanical doping programme, which so far has been a tremendous success.
And now, having experienced how electric-assist can deliver power to one's riding, and how it can facilitate almost effortless and smooth powerful accelerations, I'm even more convinced than I was already that Cancellara's ridiculous acceleration in the 2010 Paris-Roubaix was done with the benefit of mechanical power assistance; that's exactly how I zoom/glide up hills with ease on the commute now.
Of course, Cancellara didn't need a 100-mile range at commuting speeds, just a compact motor and battery to give the short kick at the optimum time to make his key attack stick - so no need for the 4kg battery and heavy, bulky engineering of the Giant Road E+. And on the flat course of Paris-Roubaix, there wouldn't have been too much penalty to carrying maybe 2kg extra for a motor/battery.
Verdict: Guilty!!
And now, having experienced how electric-assist can deliver power to one's riding, and how it can facilitate almost effortless and smooth powerful accelerations, I'm even more convinced than I was already that Cancellara's ridiculous acceleration in the 2010 Paris-Roubaix was done with the benefit of mechanical power assistance; that's exactly how I zoom/glide up hills with ease on the commute now.
Of course, Cancellara didn't need a 100-mile range at commuting speeds, just a compact motor and battery to give the short kick at the optimum time to make his key attack stick - so no need for the 4kg battery and heavy, bulky engineering of the Giant Road E+. And on the flat course of Paris-Roubaix, there wouldn't have been too much penalty to carrying maybe 2kg extra for a motor/battery.
Verdict: Guilty!!
oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
And the judge says, "who are you trying to kid with unrelated evidential allegations? Have you never heard of interval training designed to provide just such a kick at important moments?". Good try but no cigar.....
Foghat
Freight-train-groove-rider
Well if you still have faith in Cancellara's 2010 attacks in Roubaix and Flanders, you must be viewing from a very naïve and/or uncritical perspective.
I used to have a lot of time and respect for him, but that evaporated with those two comically effortless yet ridiculously devastating attacks. I know plenty about interval training, thanks - done loads of it. And I know that it doesn't confer such out-of-character short-lived (i.e. two races only) supreme demolition capability. You'll note that Cancellara never exhibited that same capability before or after those two races; yes, he could ride away from others in convincing fashion, but never in such an effortlessly smooth and gliding but simultaneously ultra-effective way. And in those two attacks, he rides like he's on rails despite putting out enormous wattage, in a style that is highly reminiscent of riding with the smoothing consistent (throughout the pedal stroke) input of an assisting motor - which was the reason for posting an update of my 2010 critique, now made with the benefit of knowing exactly how such motors affect pedalling and riding style; and if you examine those attacks from a more analytical viewpoint, you'll see his style (not to mention the outcomes) there reeks of the effects of motor-assist, especially when you compare with his usual style and body/bike movements while attacking.
As I wrote in 2010: that acceleration, and similarly the one in Flanders, is just unnatural. No rider is strong enough to make such incredible progress over other riders already going that fast without getting out of the saddle and sprinting - he is that fast. The other riders weren't exactly dawdling, as you can see they were already moving away from the rest of their group who did seem to have let up slightly. Not only does he rocket away without getting out of the saddle, there is literally NO perceivable increase in effort from him - not even a slight extra crouch or tightened grip on the bars or adjustment of pedalling action or extra tensing of leg muscles; it is utterly effortless compared to what he is already doing AND he turns it on instantaneously AND he's able to turn round to see the reaction in the middle of doing this incredible acceleration.
Moreover, the fact these attacks coincided with all sorts of bizarre hand-lever-bar hi-jinks (again, not seen before or after, as far as I know) is also nicely (in)convenient.
If you can find evidence of him replicating the gliding-on-rails manner and high-wattage smooth-but-devastating effortlessness of those 2010 Roubaix and Flanders attacks, let's see it.
I used to have a lot of time and respect for him, but that evaporated with those two comically effortless yet ridiculously devastating attacks. I know plenty about interval training, thanks - done loads of it. And I know that it doesn't confer such out-of-character short-lived (i.e. two races only) supreme demolition capability. You'll note that Cancellara never exhibited that same capability before or after those two races; yes, he could ride away from others in convincing fashion, but never in such an effortlessly smooth and gliding but simultaneously ultra-effective way. And in those two attacks, he rides like he's on rails despite putting out enormous wattage, in a style that is highly reminiscent of riding with the smoothing consistent (throughout the pedal stroke) input of an assisting motor - which was the reason for posting an update of my 2010 critique, now made with the benefit of knowing exactly how such motors affect pedalling and riding style; and if you examine those attacks from a more analytical viewpoint, you'll see his style (not to mention the outcomes) there reeks of the effects of motor-assist, especially when you compare with his usual style and body/bike movements while attacking.
As I wrote in 2010: that acceleration, and similarly the one in Flanders, is just unnatural. No rider is strong enough to make such incredible progress over other riders already going that fast without getting out of the saddle and sprinting - he is that fast. The other riders weren't exactly dawdling, as you can see they were already moving away from the rest of their group who did seem to have let up slightly. Not only does he rocket away without getting out of the saddle, there is literally NO perceivable increase in effort from him - not even a slight extra crouch or tightened grip on the bars or adjustment of pedalling action or extra tensing of leg muscles; it is utterly effortless compared to what he is already doing AND he turns it on instantaneously AND he's able to turn round to see the reaction in the middle of doing this incredible acceleration.
Moreover, the fact these attacks coincided with all sorts of bizarre hand-lever-bar hi-jinks (again, not seen before or after, as far as I know) is also nicely (in)convenient.
If you can find evidence of him replicating the gliding-on-rails manner and high-wattage smooth-but-devastating effortlessness of those 2010 Roubaix and Flanders attacks, let's see it.
Last edited:
OP
OP
themosquitoking
Guru
- Location
- Spain