Did you hear about the micro motors used to cheat in the Tour De France?
Istvan Varjas, a Hungarian engineer, developed bicycle motors, and sold his 1st in 1998 for 2 million dollars/Euros and had to remain silent for 10 years.
Suspicions of motors hidden in the bike frames began when it was noticed in 2010, that riders were going fast up hills while sitting down.
A dozen riders were suspected of cheating in 2012 with motors
Theres a video floating around of a rider that crashed a few years ago , and the back tire keeps spinning at high speed because he didnt turn off the motor, I think thats how they finally got caught.
This has been going on for some time. One way to catch the cheaters is to use infrared binoculars, where the heat of an engine & battery will be visible.
Theres a video floating around of a rider that crashed a few years ago , and the back tire keeps spinning at high speed because he didnt turn off the motor,
ReplyDeleteI think thats how they finally got caught.
OH WOW! BUSTED! I hadn't heard of that!
DeleteHere's another instance https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/2/10892588/pro-cyclist-caught-motor-bike
ReplyDeletethank you!
DeleteAs Smokey Yunick said, “There are two types of racers- cheaters and losers.”
ReplyDeleteMechanical doping has also occurred in cyclo-cross as well:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.businessinsider.com/bike-investigated-technological-fraud-cycling-world-championships-cyclocross-2016-1
thanks! Concrete added a link a couple days ago to this same cyclists story from a different news outlet
DeleteThis has been going on for some time. One way to catch the cheaters is to use infrared binoculars, where the heat of an engine & battery will be visible.
ReplyDeletebrilliant! Quick and easy way to see a cheat in progress!
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