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Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

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Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#181

Post by mikestew »

davidw wrote: post #176
mikestew wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's that do to the guys who are competing clean? And just who would be on that short list? Like the commenter to whom you reply, I too used to be into cycling. Paid for streaming all the races. Used to race myself, and was a race official. But one after another got popped. I used to say that if Jens Voigt ever tested positive, I'd quit watching the sport, because I thought him to be the epitome of the hard-working…

I'd bet good money that Taylor Phinney competes clean. Also: Jens Voigt retired a few years ago.

I'd bet good money that Taylor Phinney competes clean.

There was a time I'd bet good money that a number of riders competed clean. I no longer hold that opinion. Not to disparage Mr. Phinney; if I had to bet, I'd put money on him. Seems like a stand-up guy, tech inspected his bike once, really nice and down-to-earth. But I'd still only bet money I could afford to lose.

Also: Jens Voigt retired a few years ago.

Shows how long it's been since I've paid attention. :-)

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#182

Post by exDM69 »

zyxley wrote: post #93
alistairSH wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends how you define "casual". I tend to think of casual cyclists as avid cyclists who don't race. Anybody who isn't avid is just a guy/gal on a bike. By that definition, casual cyclists spend ridiculous amounts of money on cycling kit. $2000 for a set of carbon fiber wheels. $1000 for a power meter. Trek has a custom line of bikes (Project One) that retail in the $7000-$15000 range (US).

By my thoughts, somebody who's spent more than $1000 or so on bike and gear, maximum, isn't a "casual" cyclist. If they're buying individual parts that cost more than an entire road bike that would be recommended by a store clerk to some guy walking in off the street, they're well beyond "casual".

That isn't too much to spend on a bike. My bike is more than that and isn't special in any way, just a good regular bike. And I just use it to ride to work, this isn't anything I'm enthusiastic about.

Add the bags/panniers, lights, pump, clothing and other accessories on top.

I get about 100 miles a week, 8-9 months a year so it justifies the investment.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#183

Post by kamaal »

methehack wrote: post #145
methehack wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While they're at it, they should make better humans.

My point here is that I have always found it so completely unfathomable that someone would spend so much time on an activity -- any activity -- and then cheat. Cheating is about looking better, not being better. At the same time, it robs others, equally devoted, of a fair basis of comparison. That it ever happens is amazing to me; yet, it happens all the time at the highest levels of competition. And it happens in ac…

>>My point here is that I have always found it so completely unfathomable that someone would spend so much time on an activity -- any activity -- and then cheat. Cheating is about looking better, not being better. At the same time, it robs others, equally devoted, of a fair basis of comparison.

I remember as a 17 year old guy in my pre university college examination in India. There was this guy sitting behind me in the exam- he was a classmate, though he routinely bunked lectures and rarely showed up for lectures. Right before the exam he came to me with his dad and the requested if I could only help him pass the exams by letting him read from my answer sheets, I would do them a big favor. Of course I refused.

But they had bribed the supervisor in the exam hall and I had enough of the guys frequent disturbance asking me to allow him read.

Finally I had to give in, he copied enough to pass. Most of us boys who worked hard made it to engineering. We are now in jobs. From another friend who was close to him, I later learned he joined a science course, BSc(Physics, Math, Chemistry) which I learned he dropped out in the very first year and did exactly get into a regular job. You don't get too far doing this cheating stuff.

The worst part of cheating, is we cheat ourselves. I have a rule, it's to never lie. We lie to the world, lie to ourselves about our work, about ourselves. It makes us feel comfortable for a while but it destroys us on the longer run.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#184

Post by celticninja »

alistairSH wrote: post #74
celticninja wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but casual cyclists will not pay €2499 for the pleasure of doing so

It depends how you define "casual". I tend to think of casual cyclists as avid cyclists who don't race. Anybody who isn't avid is just a guy/gal on a bike. By that definition, casual cyclists spend ridiculous amounts of money on cycling kit. $2000 for a set of carbon fiber wheels. $1000 for a power meter. Trek has a custom line of bikes (Project One) that retail in the $7000-$15000 range (US).

I guess I consider myself casual, I cycle to commute and for fun but I don't spend $2k on wheels.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#185

Post by celticninja »

Coding_Cat wrote: post #113
celticninja wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but casual cyclists will not pay €2499 for the pleasure of doing so

2499 is a pretty reasonable price for an electric bike though.

I imagine that you could get more efficient ie more power at lower cost, for your money if you were looking for something that did not need to be hidden away.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#186

Post by celticninja »

chinathrow wrote: post #47
celticninja wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but casual cyclists will not pay €2499 for the pleasure of doing so

Of course they do - imagine ladies training with men only. Imagine folks at the age of 70 still wanting to ride with their sons etc.

In those situations you don't need it to be hidden therefore you could get a bigger and better battery for the same price.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#187

Post by VeejayRampay »

jokamoto wrote: post #15
VeejayRampay wrote: post #3

What about Ryder Hesjedal's bike spinning on itself a few years back? Are we addressing that as well? It feels like the UCI is only going after easy pickings to prove a point and not doing its best to actually to fight mechanical cheating in fear of yet another scandal.

That's already been demonstrated to be a side effect of a still-spinning rear wheel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak7xP8eghog It should also be noted that "incident" occurred on a fast downhill section while Hesjedal wasn't pedaling so even if there were a motor it is exceedingly unlikely it would still be engaged at the time of the crash. With a plausible physical explanation and no way to go back in time to chec…

Except it's not plausible. Come on.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#188

Post by heartbreak »

davidw wrote: post #168
waynecochran wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get it -- you like cycling -- I do to. I think the races are so grueling that it was the first sport to find methods to endure the inhumane distances and terrain. But if you really like cycling you got to come to grips with how dirty the profession is -- real change won't happen until the organizers pull their heads out of the sand. Take a look at the leaderboards at the Tour de France -- these are just those that…

I like cycling, and I like clean cycling, and it does not do any good to smear the whole sport with "dirty!". What's that do to the guys who are competing clean? It pisses all over their efforts is what it does. It's not fair, and it does not help. Soccer is certainly not as hard as cycling ( https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/55/b5/51/55b551bfa... ) , but with that much money involved, being relatively fresh…

Neymar gains a competitive advantage working over the referee's opinion of the severity of a foul by feigning injury there (I can't believe I'm defending him), but the cyclist would not gain any advantage by laying on the pavement moaning.

Also, Neymar literally broke his back in that occurrence, which is evident mere frames after that still.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#189

Post by DanBC »

Nano2rad wrote: post #164
giarc wrote: post #88

>She also said that this bike was taken by accident by her helpers to the pit area. >She claimed that he had put a motor in unbeknownst to her What is with athletes and never admitting their mistakes. You were caught, I would have much more respect for someone if they just came out and said "Yes, I did it, I take full responsibility." Instead they come up with these ridiculous excuses that do nothing but continue to…

What is the proof what she said is wrong?

The hidden bluetooth button that she pressed to actvate the motor.

Re: Hidden motors in cycling: Van den Dreissche banned for 6 years, titles stripped

#190

Post by dghughes »

adimitrov wrote: post #144
dghughes wrote: post #142

I've seen videos of this it's got to be one of the lowest things in a sport you could do. But I had to laugh out loud when I saw a video bikes crashing yet the back wheel was still spinning.

> But I had to laugh out loud when I saw a video bikes crashing yet the back wheel was still spinning. Was that the old chestnut with Hesjedal's crash? Com on, that's just nonsense. The wheel was spinning after the crash from inertia — that is not only plausible, it's entirely expected, and the case in major crashes all the time. There's absolutely no reason to believe that this was caused by a motor. Besides most of…

I don't know who it was I'm not into cycling or its famous athletes I saw a few crashes on an Italian investigative TV show with French subtitles. I don't read or speak either language so I have no idea who they were talking about.
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