Ann M.
Well-Known Member
As a former road racer, I appreciate the benefits that my BionX kit provide me now but it would never have occurred to me to cheat at a race. The very clever downtube motor & lithium battery system, like a Gruber/Vivax Assist have been around for several years, a 3.9 lb system according to the Vivax website.
There is an excellent article published in Treehugger with links to the original Cycling Weekly post that you folks should read.
With all of the thousands of miles riding and training, my bike became an extension of my body; I knew the feel of the flex of the cranks climbing a hill and my balance over the frame. So I cringe to think this woman rider couldn't tell the difference in the feel of that bike vs. 'her' bike. Same for the mechanic. Even if she didn't know that the kit was on the bike, that 3.9 lbs (or less) would've been noticeable to the most novice bike racer.
Sadly, this rider had to be in the top of her field to make it to an International championship race with superior conditioning to handle the challenges of cyclocross racing. It's not likely that a tiny 250 watt motor would really make this person that much better of a racer; maybe shave off a few critical seconds to win. This is the real unfortunate story about doping or cheating in the cycling world; any of these riders would be world class without the cheat, maybe just a few seconds slower. And I am disappointed that this time it is a woman athlete.
There is an excellent article published in Treehugger with links to the original Cycling Weekly post that you folks should read.
With all of the thousands of miles riding and training, my bike became an extension of my body; I knew the feel of the flex of the cranks climbing a hill and my balance over the frame. So I cringe to think this woman rider couldn't tell the difference in the feel of that bike vs. 'her' bike. Same for the mechanic. Even if she didn't know that the kit was on the bike, that 3.9 lbs (or less) would've been noticeable to the most novice bike racer.
Sadly, this rider had to be in the top of her field to make it to an International championship race with superior conditioning to handle the challenges of cyclocross racing. It's not likely that a tiny 250 watt motor would really make this person that much better of a racer; maybe shave off a few critical seconds to win. This is the real unfortunate story about doping or cheating in the cycling world; any of these riders would be world class without the cheat, maybe just a few seconds slower. And I am disappointed that this time it is a woman athlete.
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