has competitive cycling stooped to a new low? motor bike
Posted: 01 Feb 2016 16:58
All are probably familiar with cheating in pro ranks by way of doping. Indeed there have recently been several disclosures of amateur riders competing in domestic Time Trial competitions testing positive for banned substances including :-
1. 2016 winner of National 12 hour Time Trial title Rob Townsend. Having tested positive for a banned substance at an open time trial event pleaded not guilty by way of having had his drink bottle "spiked" by a rival following a long running feud (more details at http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... 418&page=1 ). As a result banned for 4 years from competitive cycling.
2. A junior time trial champion, Gabriel Evans 18, who was caught on hidden camera injecting EPO at a training camp, subsequently admitting to the offence (claimed caught 1st time he tried to dope, refused to disclose where drugs came from). Facing a ban from competitive cycling.
3. British Masters Champion Andy Hastings who tested positive for steroids at National Team TT championship. Claimed a borrowed syringe was contaminated, banned from competitive cycling for 4 years.
Well if you thought the sport of cycling couldn't stoop any lower the UCI have now found the first instance of mechanical fraud in competition (that's cheating by way of a motor to assist cycling effort). At the under 23 world cyclo cross championship 19 year old event favorite Femke Van den Driessche had a bike in her pits with a motor to assist cranks, more details at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... dal-209635 . Motorised assistance has been hinted at for a number of years in the pro ranks & checks have recently been introduced at pro events The system employed would appear to be an enhanced & better hidden version of this
http://www.vivax-assist.com/global/pdf/ ... t_2015.pdf
The rider claims that it was a bike she had previously owned but sold to a friend that had since been modified & mistakenly been taken to her pits. Frankly I believe that about as much as I believe the excuses trotted out in above 3 examples of drugs cheating. Depressingly this rider was a member of the Belgian national team.
1. 2016 winner of National 12 hour Time Trial title Rob Townsend. Having tested positive for a banned substance at an open time trial event pleaded not guilty by way of having had his drink bottle "spiked" by a rival following a long running feud (more details at http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... 418&page=1 ). As a result banned for 4 years from competitive cycling.
2. A junior time trial champion, Gabriel Evans 18, who was caught on hidden camera injecting EPO at a training camp, subsequently admitting to the offence (claimed caught 1st time he tried to dope, refused to disclose where drugs came from). Facing a ban from competitive cycling.
3. British Masters Champion Andy Hastings who tested positive for steroids at National Team TT championship. Claimed a borrowed syringe was contaminated, banned from competitive cycling for 4 years.
Well if you thought the sport of cycling couldn't stoop any lower the UCI have now found the first instance of mechanical fraud in competition (that's cheating by way of a motor to assist cycling effort). At the under 23 world cyclo cross championship 19 year old event favorite Femke Van den Driessche had a bike in her pits with a motor to assist cranks, more details at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... dal-209635 . Motorised assistance has been hinted at for a number of years in the pro ranks & checks have recently been introduced at pro events The system employed would appear to be an enhanced & better hidden version of this
http://www.vivax-assist.com/global/pdf/ ... t_2015.pdf
The rider claims that it was a bike she had previously owned but sold to a friend that had since been modified & mistakenly been taken to her pits. Frankly I believe that about as much as I believe the excuses trotted out in above 3 examples of drugs cheating. Depressingly this rider was a member of the Belgian national team.