Ha, just watched both clips again and the Italian motor video. Hard to believe both accelerations, but then, I struggle to believe Mathieu van der Poel’s dominance also.

But then, I figure cheating exists, it adds an extra dimension of drama, so I take things at face value and enjoy the controversy after! 😁

I don’t think Cancellera had a motor. I’ve been watching live cycling for a long time, it wasn’t any more impressive than what I’ve seen from most of the Belgians and Dutch over the years. One of my favourite riders, Phillips Gilbert has done similar, even Froome in the Giro in 2018, actually thinking about it, at some point in a race lots of similar events occur. (Even Andy Schleck has done it, and Indurain destroyed the field in the 90s in similar fashion.
I’m not saying he was clean, I just don’t think he had a motor. I’ve seen a lot of those videos (from the makers of the motors) and I’m not convinced.
I also don’t think it would have been possible to have a motor and the team not be aware. I could well be wrong, but be interested to understand the team dynamics of how he could have gotten away with having a motor.
A really good watch is Lantern Rouge looking at Bjarne Riis “mutant climbing”, that wasn’t massively uncommon back in those days.