Mechanical doping

[raleighnut]

If you're already competitive naturally with the top 5, the battery won't need to last long to give you the tiny edge required to get you to the front.

Snag is then when the battery is flat you've got the 'drag' of the motor, unless you then swap back to an 'undoped' bike of course. Maybe the answer would be if all competitors were limited to 1 bike for the whole competition (even 'tour' riders) yeah sure they could change components (wheels, cranks, mechs ,even handlebars etc) but 1 frame for the entire event, break that and you're out.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Snag is then when the battery is flat you've got the 'drag' of the motor

It wouldn't be an issue if the motor drive went through a sprag clutch. It would simply free wheel when pedaling without the motor running.

Then it could be saved even better for short boosts every so often.

 

[Crackle]

Have you seen this. Motors down the tube are a bit artisan, apparently

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ele...echanical-doping-claims-gazzetta-dello-sport/

This is apparently being used a lot in Grand Fondo's, FFS.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

She is saying the bike belonged to a training partner and was in her pit area at the time.

I can't remember where I saw it but she's said she sold the bike to a friend, so it was hers originally, and that this friend had gone round the course with her EPO brother earlier and left the bike against the team bus and the mechanics took it and cleaned it and I've had 23 birthdays already this year.

EDIT: oh yes, it was http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fem...ing-motor-at-cyclo-cross-world-championships/

 

[Bobby Mhor]

“A motor hidden in the seat tube is old stuff, almost artisan. It’s been overtaken, it’s a poor man’s doping,” Ghisalberti writes. “The new frontier is far more technologically advanced and ten times as expensive. It’s in the rear wheel: it costs 200,000 Euros, and there’s a waiting list of six months. The first type uses a motor to turn the cranks; the second is electromagnetic.”

Taken from above article, is even more astonishing..
a six month waiting list and folk willing to spend that sort of money...

 

[palinurus]

I posted this elsewhere a while ago, but people may find it interesting. A guy road-testing a concealed, or at least non-obvious, leccy motor up box hill

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8c89e112-...cles_share/share_link_article_email/editorial

I'm not suggesting the bike in this incident was like that (with a whacking great bidon battery) but it's an example of the kind of thing that's on the market.

Something like a Vivax-assist motor with a smaller battery pack could fit entirely within the seat tube.

 

[winjim]

“A motor hidden in the seat tube is old stuff, almost artisan. It’s been overtaken, it’s a poor man’s doping,” Ghisalberti writes. “The new frontier is far more technologically advanced and ten times as expensive. It’s in the rear wheel: it costs 200,000 Euros, and there’s a waiting list of six months. The first type uses a motor to turn the cranks; the second is electromagnetic.”

Taken from above article, is even more astonishing..
a six month waiting list and folk willing to spend that sort of money...

I suspect a bit of bluff and bluster going on here.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I suspect a bit of bluff and bluster going on here.

Indeed. "The first type uses a motor to turn the cranks; the second is electromagnetic" Ah yes, "electromagnetic". Very sciency, and entirely different from how a motor works.

 

[Crackle]

I think a larger pinch of salt is required. However, the point about power on the biological passport remains valid.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

My brother is a doper and my Dad says I'm innocent?

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Indeed. "The first type uses a motor to turn the cranks; the second is electromagnetic" Ah yes, "electromagnetic". Very sciency, and entirely different from how a motor works.

However, one shouldn't just dismiss the underlying story because of poor journalism or writing. Remember, most people here dismissed mechanical doping full stop when it was first suggested and now we have proof.

 

[Dave Davenport]

If a motor was ever found in the pro peloton it would surely be the end for the team.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It certainly should be.

There wouldn't really be much of an excuse, given the close attention paid to the building and set-up of bikes by team mechanics. Other than that, I guess we will have to start being as suspicious of riders who have their own non-team provided mechanic as we learned to be of those who had their own non-team provided doctor.

 

[winjim]

However, one shouldn't just dismiss the underlying story because of poor journalism or writing. Remember, most people here dismissed mechanical doping full stop when it was first suggested and now we have proof.

I wonder what happens when you have a mechanical and your €200k wheel is swapped out by neutral service?

 

[winjim]

Wilier none too pleased at their bike being all over the news in this context.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/bike-...rld-championships-cyclocross-2016-1?r=US&IR=T