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Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Cycling's war on hidden motors at Tour de France goes undercover
Cycling authorities are not only policing against doping in the peloton, but also against 'mechanical doping'. The International Cycling Union (UCI) has intensified its fight against mechanical doping, employing intelligence-driven methods to combat increasingly sophisticated alleged cheating in professional cycling. Once, inspectors relied on random X-rays and magnetic scans to catch offenders. Now, the UCI is borrowing tactics from law enforcement – building confidential sources, mapping risk profiles and monitoring bike changes in real time – to stay ahead in what officials call a technological arms race. Mechanical doping – riders using concealed motors – first gained attention in 2010 and led to the six-year ban of Belgium's Femke Van den Driessche after a Bluetooth-controlled motor was discovered in her seat tube at a cyclo-cross event. Since then, the UCI has expanded its detection arsenal, now employing daily checks of up to 60 bikes during the Tour de France. All bikes have passed the checks since the Tour started in Lille on 5 July. 'We have the ability… to go further with our examinations, whether that's a partial dismantlement of the bike to look into certain components, act upon suspicions, act upon information that we have,' Nick Raudenski, the UCI head of the Fight Against Technological Fraud, told Reuters on Wednesday. Raudenski, a former criminal investigator with the US Department of Homeland Security, took over in May 2024 and immediately pushed for a new approach. 'Bike controls, it's something that I've always equated anytime that I've done speeches or done training. It's like throwing your hook out in the middle of a lake trying to catch fish,' he said. 'If you don't have a strategy, if you're not informed about how to catch fish, what time of day, what kind of fish, where you can catch fish.' Think like a fraudster Part of that strategy is to think like the cheats. 'My idea is to put myself in the shoes of a fraudster. How would I do this and how would I get away with it? And that's part of my background as a criminal investigator – to try to think about not what we know, but what we don't know,' he said. The challenge is relentless innovation. 'It's a bit of a technological arms race. Components are getting lighter, smaller. Easier to conceal, which is harder to detect,' Raudenski said. 'And so, trying to stay ahead of what's potentially possible is always a challenge.' For Raudenski, the mission is clear: keep fans believing in the sport. 'People still need to believe, at least from the technological fraud side, that they're not climbing a stage like yesterday, and people just immediately think, 'oh, well, they must be on a motor',' he said. 'Knowing that our processes are in place, that we're conducting the controls that we're doing, that there is that insurance that the enforcement controls that we have in place, that doesn't happen at this level.' Reuters/DM
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
War on hidden motors goes undercover
BOLLENE, France - The International Cycling Union (UCI) has intensified its fight against mechanical doping, employing intelligence-driven methods to combat increasingly sophisticated alleged cheating in professional cycling. Once, inspectors relied on random X-rays and magnetic scans to catch offenders. Now, the UCI is borrowing tactics from law enforcement – building confidential sources, mapping risk profiles and monitoring bike changes in real time – to stay ahead in what officials call a technological arms race. Mechanical doping – riders using concealed motors – first gained attention in 2010 and led to the six-year ban of Belgium's Femke Van Den Driessche after a bluetooth-controlled motor was discovered in her seat tube at a cyclo-cross event. Since then, the UCI has expanded its detection arsenal, now employing daily checks of up to 60 bikes during the Tour de France. All bikes have passed the checks since the Tour started in Lille on July 5. "We have the ability... to go further with our examinations, whether that's a partial dismantlement of the bike to look into certain components, act upon suspicions, act upon information that we have," Nick Raudenski, the UCI Head of the Fight Against Technological Fraud, told Reuters on Wednesday. Raudenski, a former criminal investigator with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, took over in May last year and immediately pushed for a new approach. "Bike controls, it's something that I've always equated anytime that I've done speeches or done training, it's like throwing your hook out in the middle of a lake trying to catch fish," he said. "If you don't have a strategy, if you're not informed about how to catch fish, what time of day, what kind of fish, where you can catch fish." THINK LIKE A FRAUDSTER Part of that strategy is to think like the cheats. "My idea is to put myself in the shoes of a fraudster. How would I do this and how would I get away with it? And that's part of my background as a criminal investigator, to try to think about not what we know, but what we don't know," he said. The challenge is relentless innovation. "It's a bit of a technological arms race. Components are getting lighter, smaller. Easier to conceal, which is harder to detect," Raudenski said. "And so, trying to stay ahead of what's potentially possible is always a challenge." For Raudenski, the mission is clear: keep fans believing in the sport. "People still need to believe, at least from the technological fraud side, that they're not climbing a stage like yesterday, and people just immediately think, 'oh, well, they must be on a motor'," he said. "Knowing that our processes are in place, that we're conducting the controls that we're doing, that there is that insurance that the enforcement controls that we have in place, that doesn't happen at this level." REUTERS
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Transgender cyclist wins discrimination case against International Cycling Union in Belgium
A court in Belgium has ruled in favour of a transgender cyclist who sued the International Cycling Union (UCI) after it refused her a licence to participate in women's events, according to a judgment issued on Tuesday. The discrimination case, settled this month by the Brussels civil court, dates back to 2023, when the cyclist was notified that her licence had been revoked and she was barred from women's competitions based on new UCI regulations. At the time, the international cycling body questioned the supposed advantage conferred on transgender women in competitions by having reached puberty as a boy. In July 2023, it imposed a requirement that transgender athletes, in order to compete in the women's category, must be able to prove that they began their transitioning before puberty or before the age of 12. This is in addition to the existing requirement to display low testosterone levels. ALSO READ | Sports tribunal, athlete centricity among key features in Sports Governance Bill to be tabled in Parliament The plaintiff, born a boy in 1974, transitioned in her early forties and argued that the measure leading to her exclusion constituted discrimination. In an order dated July 10, the court ruled in her favour, saying her action against the UCI was admissible and well-founded. This chapter of the UCI medical regulations on eligibility rules for transgender athletes establishes 'discrimination prohibited' by Belgian law, pursuant to a December 2008 decree on gender equality, the court ruled. Consequently, these rules are declared null and void, and the UCI no longer has any justification for refusing the plaintiff's participation in women's cycling competitions, the court ruled, according to a copy of the order released to the media. Belgium's Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, which was a civil party in the case, said the order was 'directly enforceable' and sets a precedent in the country. The Belgian cycling federation told AFP it had began discussions with the UCI about how to apply the rules in the future. Related Topics International Cycling Union
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Transgender cyclist wins exclusion case in Belgium
A court in Belgium has ruled in favour of a transgender cyclist who sued the International Cycling Union after it refused her a licence to participate in women's events, according to a judgment issued Tuesday. Transgender cyclist wins exclusion case in Belgium The discrimination case, settled this month by the Brussels civil court, dates back to 2023, when the cyclist was notified that her licence had been revoked and she was barred from women's competitions based on new UCI regulations. At the time, the international cycling body questioned the supposed advantage conferred on transgender women in competitions by having reached puberty as a boy. In July 2023, it imposed a requirement that transgender athletes, in order to compete in the women's category, must be able to prove that they began their transitioning before puberty or before the age of 12. This is in addition to the existing requirement to display low testosterone levels. The plaintiff, born a boy in 1974, transitioned in her early forties and argued that the measure leading to her exclusion constituted discrimination. In an order dated July 10, the court ruled in her favour, saying her action against the UCI was admissible and well-founded. This chapter of the UCI medical regulations on eligibility rules for transgender athletes establishes "discrimination prohibited" by Belgian law, pursuant to a December 2008 decree on gender equality, the court ruled. Consequently, these rules are declared null and void, and the UCI no longer has any justification for refusing the plaintiff's participation in women's cycling competitions, the court ruled, according to a copy of the order released to the media. Belgium's Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, which was a civil party in the case, said the order was "directly enforceable" and sets a precedent in the country. The Belgian cycling federation told AFP it had began discussions with the UCI about how to apply the rules in the future. mad/gj/lp This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Qatar Tribune
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Philipsen doesn't blame Coquard for heavy crash at Tour de France
Toulouse: Belgian sprint star Jasper Philipsen said he doesn't blame Bryan Coquard for his heavy crash at the Tour de France. 'It was just a racing incident,' he said during an online news conference on Tuesday. 'I know what it's like to be criticized and labelled the 'bad guy.' In this case, Coquard was singled out, but there was really nothing he could've done differently.' During the third stage, Philipsen crashed at 61 kilometres per hour in an intermediate sprint when he collided with Frenchman Coquard. He suffered a displaced collarbone fracture and at least one broken rib. The 10-time Tour stage winner, who claimed victory on the opening stage in Lille, had briefly worn the yellow jersey but now faces a long road to recovery. 'Given the circumstances, things are moving in the right direction. My wounds have healed, and that shows the body was in top condition - it bounces back faster,' he said. 'Winning the first stage definitely softens the blow - and no one can take the win or that yellow jersey away from me. But I had big ambitions and was in great shape. That's the brutal side of this sport, but it's part of the deal.' The jury of the International Cycling Union (UCI) penalized Coquard for the crash. (DPA)
