“Technological Doping” at Cyclo-Cross Worlds…

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Just recently 19-year-old’s Femke Van den Driessche’s bike was found to have a motor inside of it at Cyclo-Cross World Championships. The Belgian rider won the under 23 race but claimed the bike belonged to a friend. Although the UCI is still investigating the case, she now faces at least a six-month ban and 20,000 Swiss franc fine.

Femke Van den Driessche

The above photo illustrates a battery driven device that was likely found in the young racer’s seat tube.
A recent press release from from the UCI read as follows, “The International Cycling Union confirms that pursuant to the UCI’s Regulations on technological fraud a bike has been detained for further investigation following checks at the Women’s Under 23 race of the 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. This does not concern any of the riders on the podium. Further details will be shared in due course.”

The UCI’s full technological fraud article (12.1.013) states the following:

“Technological fraud is an infringement to article 1.3.010. Technological fraud is materialised by:

The presence, within or on the margins of a cycling competition, of a bicycle that does not comply with the provisions of article 1.3.010. The use by a rider, within or on the margins of a cycling competition, of a bicycle that does not comply with the provisions of article 1.3.010. All teams must ensure that all their bicycles are in compliance with the provisions of article 1.3.010. Any presence of a bicycle that does not comply with the provisions of article 1.3.010, within or on the margins of a cycling competition, constitutes a technological fraud by the team and the rider.

All riders must ensure that any bicycle that they use is in compliance with the provisions of article 1.3.010. Any use by a rider of a bicycle that does not comply with the provisions of article 1.3.010, within or on the margins of a cycling competition, constitutes a technological fraud by the team and the rider.

Any technological fraud shall be sanctioned as follows:

1. Rider: disqualification, suspension of a minimum of six months and a fine of between CHF 20’000 and CHF 200’000.
2. Team: disqualification, suspension of a minimum of six months and a fine of between CHF 100’000 and CHF 1’000’000.”

We will keep you posted as to what is happens with the case. The UCI is being closely guarded with the new methods they are taking to screen for “technological doping” in the future.