The UCI has said that it may investigate allegations of mechanical doping made against former professional cyclist Fabian Cancellara in a new book by another retired rider, Phil Gaimon.
> Ex-pro cyclist Phil Gaimon claims Fabian Cancellara used hidden motor
In his book Gaimon, who like Cancellara retired last year, raises particular suspicions over the Swiss rider’s 2008 victory at Milan-San Remo.
In the past, Cancellara also found himself accused of using an illegal hidden motor during his 2010 victories at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
A spokesman for the UCI told BBC Sport: "We are not ruling out the possibility of investigating, especially if new information is made available.”
World time trial champion on four occasions, Cancellara’s impressive palmares include three victories apiece at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
The 36-year-old, who is keeping himself busy with public engagements – last week he was in London for the Rouleur Classic, then hosted the Laureus Sports Awards in Monaco and next week will lead a ride at a corporate event in Las Vegas – has not responded to Gaimon’s allegations, although he has vehemently denied similar claims in the past.
In his book, Draft Animals, Gaimon wrote: “I dismissed it [the rumour Cancellara had illegal assistance] until I heard his former teammates talk about certain events where Cancellara had his own mechanic, his bike was kept separate from everyone else's, and he rode away from a ‘who's who’ of dopers.
“When you watch the footage, his accelerations don't look natural at all, like he's having trouble staying on the top of the pedals.
“That fucker probably did have a motor,” he added.
Born in Scotland, Simon moved to London aged seven and now lives in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds with his miniature schnauzer, Elodie. He fell in love with cycling one Saturday morning in 1994 while living in Italy when Milan-San Remo went past his front door. A daily cycle commuter in London back before riding to work started to boom, he's been news editor at road.cc since 2009. Handily for work, he speaks French and Italian. He doesn't get to ride his Colnago as often as he'd like, and freely admits he's much more adept at cooking than fettling with bikes.