Author Topic: Motorised bike at worlds  (Read 6566 times)

ElyDave

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Motorised bike at worlds
« on: 31 January, 2016, 07:08:11 am »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/35452791

Cyclocross, U23.  Apparently a bike has been detained to assist with enquiries.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #1 on: 31 January, 2016, 10:47:50 am »
Belgian TV interviews the suspect. She nor her father knows how that bike got there. As apparently it is not theirs. But a friends' .

Her brother meanwhile has a ban after having been caught with EPO. But that was probably needed for the dog, if Belgian doping folklore is anything to go by.

David Martin

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #2 on: 31 January, 2016, 02:16:17 pm »
If it was in the pits for her or she rode it in the race then it is available to ride. If not, then it wasn't in the race. Nothing illegal about having an electric bike, just illegal to race it.
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Rhys W

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #3 on: 31 January, 2016, 04:38:35 pm »
Well, they've finally found one!

The one thing I find slightly odd is that it was found in a 'cross race. I would have expected something that gives a relatively small boost in power to be better suited to an event involving longer, smoother pedalling rather than short high intensity bursts.

Kim

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #4 on: 31 January, 2016, 05:39:03 pm »
Electric motors are rather good at short high-intensity bursts.

Front hub motors give two-wheel drive, which would be a significant advantage in cyclocross conditions, but I doubt you'd be able to conceal one of those.  I assume the offending item is at the bottom bracket.

Feanor

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #5 on: 31 January, 2016, 05:44:10 pm »
There's a picture doing the rounds:

http://road.cc/content/tech-news/177135-breaking-suspected-hidden-engine-bike-2016-cyclocross-world-champs

Not sure if that's real or an artist's impression of how it might look.

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #6 on: 31 January, 2016, 07:42:48 pm »
The picture in the road.cc article is a Vivax-assist. It's not clear if that's the device that was found at the U23 Cyclo-cross World Championships, but if it wasn't then presumably it was something similar.

Electrical assist obviously has important legitimate uses. In my club there are riders who are getting too old to make it up the hills, and a little bit of assistance to make up for that so that we can all go to the café together is great. But it looks to me as though cheaters must be an important group of customers, because Vivax-assist sell an "invisible performance package":

Quote
With the vivax assist “Invisible Performance Package” you can invisibly transform your racing bike into an e-racing cycle. The battery, which used to be tucked away into the saddle bag, for e-racing cycle is available as a bottle battery and fits into the overall visual impression of the racing bike. The start button, which used to be connected by means of a cable, is now changed to a wireless one. Integrated on the handlebars of the bike it is virtually invisible and protected against dirt. And you can even position it anywhere you like.

None of this seems at all necessary for legitimate users like my veteran club-mates, so I suspect that most of the people who are going to be paying the €499 for the “Invisible Performance Package” are thinking about cheating.

ElyDave

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #7 on: 31 January, 2016, 08:58:05 pm »
Or just unnecessarily vain perhaps, not wanting to admit they're getting on a bit?
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Torslanda

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #8 on: 31 January, 2016, 09:04:09 pm »
Or just unnecessarily vain perhaps, not wanting to admit they're getting on a bit?

In the under 23 race?
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Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #9 on: 01 February, 2016, 12:27:26 am »
Or just unnecessarily vain perhaps, not wanting to admit they're getting on a bit?

In the under 23 race?
Gareth's veteran club-mates, or riders like them.
I'd expect that's what the main Vivax market is; well off older riders who have been riding top end bikes (Colnago rather than Cervelo, I'd expect), and find they are starting to need a bit of assistance to keep up, but don't want to admit it.

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #10 on: 01 February, 2016, 02:39:53 pm »
If it was in the pits for her or she rode it in the race then it is available to ride. If not, then it wasn't in the race. Nothing illegal about having an electric bike, just illegal to race it.

CX racing might be different but I was under the impression elite bikes used by pro riders are scrutineered by officials prior to racing and require a sticker attached to ensure they have been scrutineered.

If a random bike belonging to a friend (which happened to be the same size, saddle position, stem length etc) was hanging around in the pits area it isn't eligible for use so shouldn't have been ridden without a scrutineering sticker AFAIK.

Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #11 on: 01 February, 2016, 11:18:20 pm »
Cheating through hidden electric motors ought to be better for the sport than doping. Doping is bad in ways that go beyond the integrity of the competition: it damages the health of riders, or in some cases kills them; the illegality results in the corruption of doctors and pharmacists; the tests are time-consuming, unreliable, and intrusive. Whereas electric motors are safe, legal, and hard to dispute when you're caught.

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #12 on: 03 February, 2016, 11:09:36 pm »
Her brother meanwhile has a ban after having been caught with EPO.
Said brother and dad have been nicked for parrot rustling too, so he may end up serving the rest of his EPO ban in prison.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #13 on: 04 February, 2016, 08:24:54 am »
I bet they feel sick as, er,
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Pingu

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #14 on: 04 February, 2016, 09:02:09 am »
Are they going to do bird?



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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #15 on: 14 March, 2016, 09:14:46 pm »
The charge will not be contested and she is retiring from cyclo-cross:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/03/news/no-defense-in-first-motorized-cheating-case_398497

Morat

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #16 on: 27 March, 2016, 04:34:23 pm »
So, for all the tears and the denials... she was cheating.
A lifetime ban seems fair to me.
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Biggsy

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #17 on: 27 March, 2016, 04:50:32 pm »
She hasn't admitted to cheating, just accepts there's no defence because the bike wasn't allowed even if used by someone else or not at all.
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Vince

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #18 on: 27 April, 2016, 06:46:58 am »
Six year ban and £14000 fine
Seems harsh compared to the 2 year bans given to drug cheats.
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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #19 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:25:18 am »
I am surprised that there has been no sanction on the team or any of its staff. This is not something that a rider could do without help from and/or knowledge by the team.
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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #20 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:47:29 am »
Six year ban and £14000 fine
Seems harsh compared to the 2 year bans given to drug cheats.

Its easier for authorities to deal with, the physical evidence.  No weaselling out of it by claiming natural blood levels, legitimate suppliments or burgers.

I agree, it seems harsh in comparison. I'd increase the dopers sanctions.

IJL

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #21 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:59:10 am »
Quote
I am surprised that there has been no sanction on the team or any of its staff. This is not something that a rider could do without help from and/or knowledge by the team.

it does seem a little strange and as yet I don't think the rules have been changed to take action against the teams.  Doping is generally deniable and the team can say they didn't know.  This is different and has got to involve the wider team, the mechanics at the very least.  They should all face censure

Tim Hall

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #22 on: 29 April, 2016, 01:36:50 pm »
While doing a bit of reading about Femke van den Driessche, I stumbled upon this: http://dopedbikes.com/
Is it for real? Or a spoof?  Looks real enough to me.

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Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #23 on: 29 April, 2016, 01:59:21 pm »
While doing a bit of reading about Femke van den Driessche, I stumbled upon this: http://dopedbikes.com/
Is it for real? Or a spoof?  Looks real enough to me.

"Use your power to win road races. Give yourself a boost on climbs or add the power when you are about to attack or sprint."

Also claims "Our elite motor systems have already been used in many professional cycle races."

Domain first registered 1st Feb this year; some inconsistencies (740g in one place, 720g in another); some spelling/grammar errors (it's not its; battery back not pack); looks like it was written by a non-native speaker, albeit with excellent English.

My money's on it being a piss-take by (probably) an Italian (especially given the claim it's (c) FirenzeLabs).

Re: Motorised bike at worlds
« Reply #24 on: 15 August, 2016, 08:47:00 pm »
Aldi launches camera to check for concealed motors in bikes.