Belgian under-23 cyclist Femke Van den Driessche was found to be in possession of a motorized bike during the Cyclocross World Championships in Belgium, a first for a sport with it's share of crazy cheating scandals. There have been whispers about "motorized doping" in cycling, but those whispers always stayed whispers because it just seemed too absurd. And yet, here we are. Union Cycliste Internationale announced the findings today after inspecting Van den Driessche's bike in the pits, accusing her of "technical fraud."The allegedly motorized bike #CXzolder pic.twitter.com/W8M3z9EKr0
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Interestingly, Van den Driessche, who has won a European championship and was a favorite here, experienced mechanical issues during the race. She started off poorly, unable to get her foot in the pedal and got caught up in a sea of riders. Then she had to abandon the race with one lap to go because of a broken chain. She had to carry the bike the final lap.Van den Driessche's father has disputed the claims, stating that it is not her bike. He claimed the bike belonged to someone in her entourage and, echoing Sammy Sosa on his corked bat, said it was never intended to be used during a race. According to her father, Van der Driessche is "upside down" over the whole thing, with good reason: she could face a six month ban as well as personal and team fines.[Cycling Tips]"After one lap at the world championships the UCI checked Femke's bike in the pits with some kind of tablet. The bike was immediately sealed and taken away.
"When the saddle of the tube was removed, there were electrical cables protruding from the tube. 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."