Former pro racer turned bike maker made some interesting observations in the article linked to below. In summary, feasible, would be hard to spot but a huge risk for anyone trying to cheat: if caught they’d be dead in the water. I imagine if anyone has tried to do it already they’d be wary of trying again, at least for now…

Boardman Warned The UCI Of Risks Of Bike Doping | Cyclingnews.com

“There is not a shred of doubt that the technology exists to cheat in this way and that a rider could get a definite return from such cheating. With little buttons controlling the gears these days I suspect it would also be pretty simple to disguise,” Boardman said.

Former pro racer turned bike maker made some interesting observations in the article linked to below. In summary, feasible, would be hard to spot but a huge risk for anyone trying to cheat: if caught they’d be dead in the water. I imagine if anyone has tried to do it already they’d be wary of trying again, at least for now…

Boardman Warned The UCI Of Risks Of Bike Doping | Cyclingnews.com

“There is not a shred of doubt that the technology exists to cheat in this way and that a rider could get a definite return from such cheating. With little buttons controlling the gears these days I suspect it would also be pretty simple to disguise,” Boardman said.

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; procycling is just a game played out for our entertainment, why take it all so seriously? Ahh, but there’s money and prestige involved. Of course we are also bound by ethics to be fair, just and honest in all our dealings with both ourselves and our fellow human beings. By cheating we are effectively pushing ahead in the queue or bullying for gain. It’s clearly, utterly wrong. And very human.

Now I do believe Cancellara is innocent of this alleged “doping bike” cheat but I have no way to prove it. It’s just a trust, a belief in the system. Why would someone of his stature have to cheat, and why would they risk all? Of course that argument doesn’t stand up either, if it did then we wouldn’t have seen prominent riders subverting medicine and pharmaceutics in order to cheat.

So we are just back to trust and faith.  

Team Saxo Bank Rejects Insinuations Of Mechanical Doping | Cyclingnews.com

Team Saxo Bank has issued a strongly worded statement denying that Fabian Cancellara or any rider in Bjarne Riis’ team has ever used any form of ‘mechanical doping’ and has dismissed a popular video circulating on the internet that investigates the use of an electric engine as ‘a work of fiction, disguised as documentary.’

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; procycling is just a game played out for our entertainment, why take it all so seriously? Ahh, but there’s money and prestige involved. Of course we are also bound by ethics to be fair, just and honest in all our dealings with both ourselves and our fellow human beings. By cheating we are effectively pushing ahead in the queue or bullying for gain. It’s clearly, utterly wrong. And very human.

Now I do believe Cancellara is innocent of this alleged “doping bike” cheat but I have no way to prove it. It’s just a trust, a belief in the system. Why would someone of his stature have to cheat, and why would they risk all? Of course that argument doesn’t stand up either, if it did then we wouldn’t have seen prominent riders subverting medicine and pharmaceutics in order to cheat.

So we are just back to trust and faith.  

Team Saxo Bank Rejects Insinuations Of Mechanical Doping | Cyclingnews.com

Team Saxo Bank has issued a strongly worded statement denying that Fabian Cancellara or any rider in Bjarne Riis’ team has ever used any form of ‘mechanical doping’ and has dismissed a popular video circulating on the internet that investigates the use of an electric engine as ‘a work of fiction, disguised as documentary.’

It would be a huge risk for someone of Cancellara’s stature to so obviously cheat like this but the issue is gaining prominence, deservedly or not. (I believe Cancellara myself, at least at this stage!) In short, an electric motor and battery is hidden in the seat tube and supplies drive to the crank axle on demand. It is certainly feasible but doubts remain over the actual torque applied and how long the battery would last. It’s one thing to demonstrate the principle on a bike on a bike stand, another to actually demonstrate its effectiveness on the road. It would also be somewhat embarrassing if the motor whined loudly, failed to declutch or simply failed to switch off when requested. However it remains technically “do-able” in the very broadest sense.

Lefevere Takes Mechanical Doping Seriously | Cyclingnews.com

Most attention has been paid to Saxo Bank’s Fabian Cancellara, whose impressive showings of strength saw him ride away alone in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix this spring. The Swiss rider laughed the story off. “I’ve already heard that. Rest assured, my achievements are the result of hard work.”

Patrick Lefevere, Quick Step team manager, took the possibility of “bike doping” seriously, but was careful to point out, “I don’t accuse anyone.”

Unlike Cassani’s comments he hadn’t brushed it off so lightly. “Laugh? No, I do not laugh about it. It’s too serious to laugh. That movie made me suspicious.”

“For a long time I also belonged to the non-believers, now I begin to doubt gradually,” he said “Watch out. For me, everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. I do not participate in gossip, and I try not to be paranoid but now that I have seem the movie of Cassani, I see why the UCI is examining the matter thoroughly.”

“It would be worse than doping,” Lefevere said. “Even pure theft.”

It would be a huge risk for someone of Cancellara’s stature to so obviously cheat like this but the issue is gaining prominence, deservedly or not. (I believe Cancellara myself, at least at this stage!) In short, an electric motor and battery is hidden in the seat tube and supplies drive to the crank axle on demand. It is certainly feasible but doubts remain over the actual torque applied and how long the battery would last. It’s one thing to demonstrate the principle on a bike on a bike stand, another to actually demonstrate its effectiveness on the road. It would also be somewhat embarrassing if the motor whined loudly, failed to declutch or simply failed to switch off when requested. However it remains technically “do-able” in the very broadest sense.

Lefevere Takes Mechanical Doping Seriously | Cyclingnews.com

Most attention has been paid to Saxo Bank’s Fabian Cancellara, whose impressive showings of strength saw him ride away alone in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix this spring. The Swiss rider laughed the story off. “I’ve already heard that. Rest assured, my achievements are the result of hard work.”

Patrick Lefevere, Quick Step team manager, took the possibility of “bike doping” seriously, but was careful to point out, “I don’t accuse anyone.”

Unlike Cassani’s comments he hadn’t brushed it off so lightly. “Laugh? No, I do not laugh about it. It’s too serious to laugh. That movie made me suspicious.”

“For a long time I also belonged to the non-believers, now I begin to doubt gradually,” he said “Watch out. For me, everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. I do not participate in gossip, and I try not to be paranoid but now that I have seem the movie of Cassani, I see why the UCI is examining the matter thoroughly.”

“It would be worse than doping,” Lefevere said. “Even pure theft.”