European and Belgian U23 champion Femke Van den Driessche has been linked to a bike that now appears contained a motor, in what would be the first bike doping case in world cycling.
In a development that, without exaggeration, has the potential to significantly damage top flight cycling all over the world, the Belgian media is reporting a motor was found in the bike seized at the World Cyclocross Championships.
The UCI earlier on Saturday said a routine check of bikes being used in the U23 women’s race in Belgium had revealed one bike had been taken away on suspicion of “technological fraud”.
The international media immediately began reporting the case could be the first of bike doping – where on-bike motors could be concealed from sight and could give riders a boost of power during key sections of races.
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However, it was unclear from the UCI’s statement whether the suspicion was bike doping in the form of such a motor or another suspected infringement.
But now the Belgian media is carrying reports the suspicious bike did in fact contain a motor.
The rider linked to the bike is Femke Van den Driessche of the Belgian national team.
She is the European U23 champion but suffered mechanical problems at the start of the world title race before falling back and again being plagued with further problems on the penultimate lap.
She withdrew from the race as she was about to begin the final 3km circuit.
Respected Belgian media outlet Sporza has made the running on the story and also apparently witnessed the bike being checked when the problems arose.
Femke Van den Driessche of the Belgian national team abandoning the Worlds at the start of the last lap, with the bomb having already gone off in the pits.
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“Our auditors made checks at the start and during the race in the pits and they established mechanical fraud,” UCI coordinator Peter Van den Abeele told Sporza.
And the news organisation’s journalist Martin Vangramberen has outlined what he says took place.
His account suggests that new checks introduced by the UCI using hand held electronic tablets flagged the bike as suspicious.
“After one lap the UCI checked Femke’s bike in the pits with some kind of tablet. The bike was immediately sealed and taken away,” he said.
“When the saddle of the tube was removed there were electrical cables coming from the tube,” he continued.
“When they wanted to remove the crankshaft, something that is normally easy, it was not possible because the crankshaft was stuck. The motor was in there.”
He said he saw the director of the Belgian federation in tears.
The rider’s father said his daughter had won not only the Belgian title but also the European crown and said it made no sense that she would use bike doping for the Worlds.
He denied any wrongdoing on the part of his daughter and said the bike in question was not her's and was never intended to be used in Saturday’s race at the Worlds.
Bike manufacturer Wilier Triestina supplies bikes to the rider via its sponsorship of her trade team Kleur op Maat and its chief executive, Andrea Gastaldello, issued a statement on the controversy.
"We are literally stunned, as the main technical partner, it seems only right to distance (ourselves) from this gesture very much in contrast with the basic values of our company, and with the principles behind every sporting competition.
"(It is) really unacceptable that in these hours the picture of our bikes is doing the rounds of international media because of this unfortunate fact.
"We work daily to bring to the world the quality of our products and knowing that a Wilier Triestina bike is meanly tampered saddens us very much.
"Our society reserves to take legal action against the athlete and (anyone) responsible for this very serious matter, in order to safeguard the good name and image of the company which is marked by professionalism and seriousness in 110 years of history."
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