And so it begins…? "mechanical doping" first?

davosauresex obviously has the biggest most bad ass swinging ballsack of the thread so far

The point I was making is that using a motor of any size isn’t genuinely improving your times for pedalling a bicycle up a hill. Thanks for the props though, appreciated.

They seem to have changed them since adding the e-bike category, hence “before they had that”, though this is in the help section (and easily findable)
https://strava.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/216919507-Uploading-E-bike-motor-assisted-or-non-conventional-bike-data-to-Strava-Guidelines

The whole point is that it’s not just another bike, it’s a completely different type of equipment – it has to be a different activity type to remove it from leaderboards

Thanks aracer, that may be useful.

Just to be clear, I borrowed the e-bike with the intention of doing a write-up for grit.cx (If they want to run it – its slightly away from their normal remit.).

I used Strava to work out how much quicker the e-bike is than my normal bikes. I’m not overly worried about people thinking that I’ve cheated, for all sorts of reasons. However, I’m happy to use the e-bike setting now that I’ve got the info I wanted.

The relevance to this thread? Well, I basically halved my time up a decent hill, with no extra effort and took those KoMs, on a 25kg+ beast. If I was to get a small motor into my own bike for racing, I’d be unlikely to win, but certainly I’d improve my results considerably. If I was a leading rider, then those few percent would make a difference. This was very obvious even on a hefty machine like the Giant. And a very obvious conclusion!

davosaurusrex – Member

E-bike astonishing uphill? Try doing it on a GSXR1000 or similar and see how astonished you are and how many KOMs you get then. Same thing really.

And just to answer this piece of hyperbole… 🙂

I’m sure you know that an e-bike is power assisted, so I had to put effort in to make the bike go. Considerably different from a motorbike. I’m probably a club-level fitness cyclist, if you know what I mean. I could make it go pretty quickly, as could the guys I ride with. My wife, a non-cyclist, could probably maintain enough effort to keep up with me for a couple of hours. That’s probably where e-bikes will find a market, not with enthusiastic cyclists.

Of course I see that but once you employ any sort of powered assistance then the results become meaningless in relation to your best time to ride a bicycle up a given hill. I see the point you’re making but when you say you halved your time up a decent hill and took those KOMs, in reality, you didn’t.

I see this thread has moved on.

Meanwhile, back in The Netherlands..

well if she was running strava at the time it’s much more serious…

From here…

The European Cycling Union (UEC) has said that mechanical doping “threatens the very lifeblood of our sport”

Also David Walsh saying it could be the end of pro cycling (here[/url]).

Is it really that big a deal given that it is now, in the pro ranks anyway, a relatively straightforward thing to detect. At least compared to doping, with the ease of concealment, the expense and complexity of the testing, the subjective nature of the biological passport. Doesn’t seem anywhere near as big a problem or threat to the sport. Seems like much hyperbole.

and took those KOMs, in reality, you didn’t

And when we start considering a digital leaderboard based on poor quality data as reality, we truly are in a sad state of affairs!

Interestingly, I didnt think Jon got as many KOMs as might have been expected, from what i can remeber at last

From the article in mrblobby’s post:
“Last week UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) president, Brian Cookson, confirmed the bike the 19-year-old Belgian was riding, when she pulled out of the race with mechanical problems, was later found to contain a concealed motor”

So it wasn’t a bike in the pits? it was the actual bike being used? I wasnt aware of that.

Ferrals, It was eluded at the time, I think some folk were more bothered about Cookie’s attire than the fact Motors were being used? From what i have been lead to believe, A bike in the pits “Snow Mine” But the one she was on also had a motor fitted, “A Button” Presumeably for engaging / disengaging the Motor was concealed under the seat?

I’ve seen that Cookson “quote” mentioned once before http://road.cc/content/news/177183-mechanical-doping-cyclocross-worlds-confirmed – from where it seems to have been lifted word for word. I checked when I read that article and couldn’t find any confirmation that’s what he actually said, let alone that it was the bike she was riding, so for now I think it’s still an unconfirmed rumour. Unless anybody has the transcript of the press conference?

Does seem to be some confusion about whether it was the bike she was actually riding. I can’t see any quote attributable to Cookson that backs up the statement in that article. Most reports state it was on a bike in the pits that was checked after the race had completed its first lap.

I can’t see any quote attributable to Cookson that backs up the statement in that article

No, i must have mis-clicked and somehow got from the BR one to the road.cc one

Even if the bike was in the pits and unridden it’s the same has having loads of performance enhancing drugs in her luggage syringed up and ready to go.

Once again, cross/miss reporting and lack of clarity by Cooky/UCI.

You would have thought by now they could definitively confirm either one way or the other if it was the bike she was on Or the bike in the pits..

Blind
Leading
The Rule Benders.

🙄

Once again, cross/miss reporting and lack of clarity by Cooky/UCI.

To be fair on them, I can understand the caution in releasing any information to the media beyond the briefest of high level statements. Probably all being done on advice from their legal team. And that this is a case they’d not watch to botch. Managing the media is probably a secondary concern.

I think they were actually clear in what they said. There just wasn’t the detail that the media and public would like to know.

Bikebuoy = username for Fat Pat 🙂

May only be a six month ban according to this from cxmagazine

I don’t quite understand, thought as it was world champs it would be uci’s remit

I think it’s uninformed people talking about something they don’t really know much about – and getting confused by it being described as “mechanical doping”, hence the mention of the anti-doping regulations, WADA etc. Doping offences are devolved to national federations of the rider involved, hence if she had been caught for that it would be the Flemish federation deciding the case. But it’s not – it’s something completely different under UCI regulations – I’m assuming the Flemish anti-doping regulations don’t comment on wheel size or bike weight either.

So when do we get blood pics of this motor?

You’ll never get them from the UCI, don’t hold your breath you’ll die.

The UCI have history in withholding information, nothings changed since Fat McQuid left other than a Corduroy Jacket and a beard.

They have passed the investigation to a third party to cough investigate, but the evidence we’ll never see.

UCI isn’t a transparent organisation, by design nor employees.

potential lifetime ban?

Cyclingweekly story[/url]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/lifetime-ban-and-e50000-fine-for-belgian-motor-doping-rider-215482

Not sure how these things work, you get a life ban so you’ll never race again. Why would you pay the €50,000 fine imposed by the sporting body. Thats not enforceable by the courts is it ??
P.s
Personally I don’t think she’ll get a life ban.

50k for an 19 y/o kid?! That’s in no way proportional. Levying that against the team I could understand but I strongly suspect a college student couldn’t engineer this so who was behind it? It’s not like you can just buy this stuff is it?

(If you can could anyone point me in the right direction, I could do with a bit of help on the climbs) 🙂

I blame the parents…

Actually in this instance, I really do

Bike dope rider’s “brother and father caught stealing parrots on CCTV”

Speeder, The alleged 50K is prob an attempt to flush out a rat, she knows the device was there so there’s prob a good chance that she knows how it got there, Here’s 50K and a lifetime ban, “OR” squeeel and we can look at reducing the cost and the term.

I’m of the opinion she will see sense and not result to Budgie Smuggling once busted and cough, if she takes the Fine and a bigger ban then maybe just maybe she didn’t know it was there or she is protecting some one close, I think we will see a more lenient term once the truth starts to unfold, hopefully,

(If you can could anyone point me in the right direction, I could do with a bit of help on the climbs)

Here you go, a bit spendy and probably not reverb stealth compatable:

http://www.vivax-assist.com/en/produkte/vivax-assist-4-0/vivax-assist_4-0.html

I’d rather spend 2 grand on a new bike or a holiday but it does look well done.

It is 2kg though! surely that’s the easy way to tell if someone’s using one of these things, simply weigh the bike. 2kg is a lot to hide.

2 kilos isn’t a lot to hide really. You can buy bikes that are knocking on 2 kilos under the weight limit. And seeing as ~90% of pro bikes are over the weight limit (some by a fair chunk) you’ve got a bit of margin to play with.

Looks like defence has dropped its case…

http://road.cc/content/news/182531-femke-van-den-driessche-drops-defence-mechanical-doping-case

All feels a bit unsatisfactory.

Mmm. Bit odd. Presumably they’ll still go to the hearing.

I assume not – I think the cost of defending it was too much and she decided it was easier just to give up racing, particularly after the media storm

If anyone is to blame it’ll be sponsors leaning on the athletes, money talks. Use this bike they said, it’ll be fun they said.

Wonder what the situation will be with any fine and ban levied if she quits the sport?

No admission of guilt as such, just that she can’t afford to defend the case.

Saves having to set a precedent in the punishment and saves having to make some difficult decisions in how to handle this type of thing too so I guess it is win win for both sides (assuming she is guilty of course)

Well, well.

She’ll still be found guilty, the UCI will continue in her absence and hand down a very large ban and fine too, after all they can’t be seen not too now can they.
The sting hasn’t come out of the tail of the UCI, they will make a point of it, set precedence and smile sweetly and concerned at the camera afterwards.

As for Femke’ I wish her all the very best, that she does indeed lead a life of serenity and hope its not in solitude.

Wonder what the situation will be with any fine and ban levied if she quits the sport?

I never understood how the concept of a lifetime ban AND a fine was going to work anyway.
I mean if you have a lifetime ban, why would you bother staying associated with the UCI? If you’re not associated why would you bother paying a fine?

Of course saying you ‘quit the sport’ isn’t legally binding.
I’m guessing that you need the sport to recipocrate…