Have a look at the 'CBS 60 Minutes' investigation on bike motors for yourself and see what you think.
Having been rumoured for a long time to contain new allegations about the use of motors in the Tour de France, the CBS 60 Minutes programme has been broadcast.
It contains footage showing how bikes can be enhanced by motors hidden inside frames, magnets hidden in the rims of wheels and also suggests small motors could be hidden in wheel hubs.
The report depends much on the contributions of Hungarian Istvan 'Stefano' Varjas, who is said to be the inventor of hidden motors.
He demonstrated how bike enhancement could be done and while he said he had never sold them directly to pro teams, if somebody else bought them from him and passed them on it was “not my problem”.
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It is also alleged that in 1998 he was offered $2 million to supply the motors to a client and to not supply them to anybody else or speak about them publicly for 10 years.
According to 60 Minutes, the Hungarian also told French investigators that before the 2015 Tour he sold bikes with hidden motors and had delivered to a lock-up on the French Riveria.
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Again, it is alleged he did not deal directly with any teams or riders but that the person he did deal with was a middle man.
The piece suggests the offer of $2 million in 1998 coincided with Lance Armstrong’s rise. And it also suggests Team Sky’s TT bikes were heavier than everyone else’s when weighed at the Tour de France in 2015.
Greg Lemond is quoted as saying the weight difference should have set off alarm bells.
However, Team Sky told the programme the bikes may have been heavier than other teams' because of a different approach to aerodynamics.
The team also said it had never used any devices hidden in wheels or frames and Armstrong also denied using a motor.
There is no direct evidence presented by the programme to support the connecting of Armstrong or Team Sky to the allegation that hidden motors and magnet systems were being used.
However, the programme clearly reflects a level of concern that this form of cheating may be taking place somewhere in the peloton.
Have a look at the piece yourself and see what you think. You can see the show by following this link and going onto the CBS site.
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