Paris Uses X-Rays To Detect Cheating Cyclists

As the Paris Olympics approach, there is increasing concern over both conventional doping and a newer form of cheating known as “motor doping,” where hidden electric motors are installed in bicycles to give riders an unfair advantage. A recent incident at the Routes de l’Oise cycling competition, where a French official chased a van suspected of carrying evidence of motor doping, highlights the seriousness of this issue.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s governing body, has been working to combat motor doping since it first came to light in 2016, when a motor was found in Femke Van den Driessche’s bike at the Cyclocross World Championships. This detection led to a six-year ban for the rider and underscored the need for more sophisticated detection methods.

Initially, the UCI used infrared cameras, which proved ineffective, leading to the adoption of magnetometric tablets and X-ray imaging. The latter, introduced in 2018, provides definitive proof of hidden motors without dismantling bikes and has been deployed at major events like the Tour de France.

Under UCI President David Lappartient, efforts to combat motor doping have intensified, including a whistleblower reward system and the appointment of Nicholas Raudenski as the motor-doping czar. Despite these measures, experts like Jean-Christophe Péraud believe that the problem persists and advocate for the development of real-time monitoring systems to ensure fair competition.

The UCI is collaborating with France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to develop high-resolution magnetometers that could detect hidden motors in real-time, aiming to eliminate motor doping from the sport.