International Cycling Union confirms motor found on Belgian cyclist’s bike

Richards’ win has been overshadowed by the biggest story in cycling so far in 2016 – the news that a bike apparently belonging to pre-race favourite Femke van den Driessche of Belgium was discovered by UCI scrutineers to have a hidden motor.

Cycling’s governing body is investigating a case of suspected “technological fraud” after checks on a bike at the cyclo-cross world championships in Belgium, the UCI said in a statement on Saturday.

Belgian media outlet Sporza reported that the Belgian federation had confirmed that the detained bike belonged to Femke Van den Driessche.

However, it isn’t the first time eyebrows have been raised over suspicions of “mechanical doping” – the term used for bikes found to have a hidden motor inside the wheels or frame that serves as an illegal aid to the rider.

Van den Driessche’s name did not feature in the official results on the UCI website on Saturday evening.

Technological fraud carries a minimum six-month suspension and a fine of between 20,000 (£13,700) to 200,000 Swiss francs. “A mechanic, thinking it was my bike, cleaned it and prepared it for my race”.

In the Women’s Elite race, British champion Nikki Harris was one of five riders who fought it out for the rainbow jersey and held the lead on the third of the four laps before fading to finish fifth, with the race won by Thalita De Jong of the Netherlands.

“To all the people who want to cheat, yesterday we sent a clear message: we will catch you and we will punish you because our technology to detect such fraud seems to work”. It’s as bad as drug doping if not worse. Whether this means that there is widespread use of this form of cheating remains to be seen. A test is already in place for catching motorised doping cheats and it has been used in all major races, including the Tour de France a year ago.