Reaction to the news that a concealed motor was found during examination of Femke Van den Driessche’s bike, during the Cyclocross World Championships, was swift and varied on social media over the weekend. Here’s a roundup of the responses.
Mechanical doping: All you need to know about concealed motors
BOOM! There it is. Saturday Jan 30th 2016. First motor discovered in a bike. It's all over folks.
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) January 31, 2016
what an absolute fuckwit! #bikedoping
— James Spragg (@spragg247) January 30, 2016
I guess we'll have to be really careful now before we say someone is "motoring" in a race…
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) January 30, 2016
The good news: #motordoping is much easier to detect than drugs. Frame makers of pro teams have to be pushed for designs that prevent motors
— Uli Fluhme (@ulif) January 31, 2016
Don't buy "mechanical doping has crossed a line" argument.
Drug doping crosses it too, especially when young athletes are pressured to dope.
— Stephen Moon (@StephenMSiS) February 1, 2016
The girl with the motor in her bike didn't win…
Does that mean that "big dreams and hard work" are more powerful than engineering?
— Louise (@Swift__Girl) January 31, 2016
Hope everybody remembers this is a 19 years old girl. Basically just a kid. Go easy. Clearly, she didn't do this on her own. Just saying…
— Mikkel Condé v2.0 (@mrconde) January 30, 2016
Oh, Pro-cycling. Couldnt you just let athletics be the baddies for while longer? #motordoping
— The Ride Journal (@TheRideJournal) February 1, 2016
"Help, I can't stop my bike!" pic.twitter.com/3EsY2IlidM
— Bike Snob NYC (@bikesnobnyc) January 30, 2016
The good news: #motordoping is much easier to detect than drugs. Frame makers of pro teams have to be pushed for designs that prevent motors
— Uli Fluhme (@ulif) January 31, 2016
Burn all pro cycling to the ground and start again. #MechanicalDoping
If we did it in 98 we'd have a decent sport by now.
— David Mclean (@DavidMcleanCycl) January 30, 2016
Bike with motors. It exists. Femke Van Den Driessche has the dubious honor to be the first one caught with it. Ever. #CXzolder
— José Been (@TourDeJose) January 30, 2016
Photo of the motor they found in the bike. photo by https://t.co/nDmxgp29Xy pic.twitter.com/caWceZAmCh
— Cyclocross Magazine (@cyclocross) January 30, 2016
So, I'm riding along, this white van pulls up, winds down the window, bloke leans out, 'Oi, you got a motor in that push bike!"
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) January 31, 2016
Moto-doping story sad (if proved). But can't say I'm all that surprised. Tech exists.Question is how many others out there (ab)using?
— Tom Cary (@tomcary_tel) January 31, 2016
Despite aftertaste left by #motordoping &disrespectful fans, this was 1fantastic weekend of racing, thanks #bikes! Now shape up, humanity!
— Van Dessel Cycles (@Van_Dessel) January 31, 2016
Remember: Van D. is the first who was CAUGHT, not the first to use it. #motordoping
— Uli Fluhme (@ulif) January 30, 2016
new UCI rule: transparent bikes #motordoping
— The Broom Wagon (@broomwagonblog) January 30, 2016
The first motorized doping case eclipses Fabian Cancellara's Mallorca win. Oh life…
— Mihai Cazacu (@faustocoppi60) January 30, 2016
Tech fraud. Bike doping. Call it what you like it's gone beyond tragic.
— Guy Andrews (@thecoureur) January 31, 2016
#mechanicaldoping on your bike is like pic.twitter.com/ZhQCywA6Tt
— Vaughn Cooper (@vscooper) February 1, 2016
Here we go, transparent seat tubes all round at this year's TDF #mechanicaldoping #wasonlyamatteroftime
— Richard Gorman (@richardgorman) January 31, 2016
Everyone rightly horrified about a motorised bike. But worth remembering that, at current state of technology, doping is more effective.
— Michael Hutchinson (@Doctor_Hutch) January 31, 2016
When you stop pedaling and your bike doesn’t. #mechanicaldoping #ecx
— Richard Pirro (@iracemtb) January 30, 2016
@lancearmstrong @Swift__Girl @UnaPearson pic.twitter.com/f6ldgr6Gg3
— CF (@CFee123) January 30, 2016
