FranceTV Sport Reports That The UCI’s Motor Detectors Don’t Work

I’ve covered mechanical doping in the past, but this video from FranceTV Sport throws some new fuel on the fire. Turns out the UCI’s motor detectors don’t work.

That’s not entirely surprising, considering the detectors consist of the iPad’s magnet connected to an app from the App Store.  The App is apparently notorious for producing  false positives that inspectors dismiss when encountered.  When you’ve got tons of false positives and a lot of bikes to test (198 riders x 2-3 bikes a piece) you aren’t inclined to look too closely when you don’t trust the equipment or software you’re using.

Also of interest in the clip is the closeup look  at a motorized wheel.  Such wheels can produce a game changing 60 watts on top of what the rider is already putting out.

Oh, and don’t miss this tasty little nugget:

https://youtu.be/_UNHibTi1wA