5 ms·
Seems trivial to detect now though. It's no problem to just tear down the bikes of the first X finishers to look for mechanical aids. Detecting doping reliabl
by randlet 11y ago
Seems trivial to detect now though. It's no problem to just tear down the bikes of the first X finishers to look for mechanical aids. Detecting doping reliably is much trickier.
edit: I think most high level bikes use carbon fibre frames? You could probably just use x-ray or ultrasound imaging to look for anything suspicious in the frame.
- cyberferret 11y agoPerhaps implement something similar to the parc ferme rules in F1? Where the winning cars and impounded after the race for detailed inspection and measurements by the stewards to ensure that they comply with the thousands of regulations? Drivers have been disqualified in the past for a spoiler or brake caliper measurement that are millimetres out, and I remember Daniel Ricciardo was stripped of his podium here in Australia a couple of years back when his fuel flow regulator was found to have a flow rate that was a few mils out.
- randlet 11y agoYeah this is quite common in most high level forms of motorsport I think. There is often a pre-race inspection for all entries and then the top 3 finishers are gone over with a fine tooth comb.
- thom_nic 11y agoI think at this point the UCI do always inspect the winner's bike after each stage. Here's a scenario where a rider could avoid most scrutiny and get away with it.... Say a rider doesn't finish in the top 5 for any early stages but stays near the top of the pack time-wise. Meanwhile they are conserving energy e.g. through use of a motor during mountain stages. Then at the end, stop using the motor and have fresh legs because you haven't been working as hard as everyone else, and experience a miraculous rise in the standings in the last couple stages and clinch the GC win? Although if you take the '15 TDF as an example, I think it was Froome was right up top of the standings for a huge chunk of the race. So no doubt his bike was inspected many time. Generally that's how it plays out, there's rarely a dark horse that shows up right at the end.
- crispyambulance 11y agoYes. Also keep in mind that stage races are very much a team effort. The winner can derive great benefit from teammates having motors while he himself stays "clean".
- thom_nic 11y agoYou're right, very good point.
- jdietrich 11y agoParc ferme is practical when you have 20 racers at a purpose-built track, but a logistical nightmare when you have 200 racers going between rural villages. The UCI already impounds bicycles for testing after races, in the same ways as anti-doping controls are applied.
- Cyph0n 11y agoWhat the hell? That's amazing stuff. I never knew they inspected the cars that thoroughly!
- benjiweber 11y agoIt's quite common to switch bike with one from a support car during a stage (Due to mechanical faults or otherwise). This could make it tougher.
- stouset 11y agoThere's no reason the team car has to retrieve bikes swapped out.
- wobbleblob 11y agoNo reason except it being a $15,000 bike, personalized and tuned? Or over $50,000 if it's fitted with one of these engines, apparently. They're not going to trust someone else to pick it up, even if it's a completely honest bike.
- sorenjan 11y agoI don't speak french, but in the video in the article they show several cyclists changing bikes for no apparent reason. I'm guessing that the film makers theory is that they're switching bikes to pass inspection after finishing the race, that's at least the suspicion I get when watching it. I think switching bikes during the race should be banned. Fixing a flat tire, a malfunctioning chain or similar can be allowed, but if your bike breaks beyond repair that should be the end of the race. Ask your manufacturer for better quality next time.
- freehunter 11y agoThere are reasons someone might switch bikes seemingly for no reason. This bike is geared for this section of the course, that bike is geared for the next section, etc. Chain is getting loose, and instead of taking two minutes to switch chains, they take 30 seconds to switch bikes. Maybe the tires are a different compound. It could be cheating, but it could be a variety of other reasons as well. I do agree with "if the bike breaks, you're done". Most racing is done this way, with a limited amount of things you're allowed to fix before you have to call it a day. I don't watch Formula racing but I used to watch NASCAR and they're allowed a backup car if they trash theirs during practice or qualifying, but not on race day.
- rhinoceraptor 11y agoYou wouldn't look at the finishers on a stage. Those guys are the sprinters and prima donnas, they shine in the very last little bit of the race. Cycling is a team sport, and the other riders on the team are tasked with taking the sprinter to the sprint by riding in the wind for them.
- jdietrich 11y agoBikes are regularly inspected to check for mechanical doping and to ensure compliance with the regulations. The rules governing racing bicycles are remarkably complex and strict. Riders have been disqualified from races just for having their saddle at the wrong angle. Testers now have access to video endoscope equipment to inspect the inside of frame tubes and some kind of magnetometer device. Commissaires have the right to completely dismantle suspect bikes. Road racing bikes use carbon fibre for nearly all structural components, so ultrasound or x-ray would be perfectly viable.
- noja 11y agoWhat percentage of the bikes actually are inspected?
- crawdog 11y agoHarder when pro riders may change their bike mid-stage...
- cshenton 11y agoThis came to mind for me as well. Can any engineers comment on whether current xray technology could do this without breaking the bike?