Amateur cyclist caught with motor hidden in bike in France
PARIS — An amateur rider was caught using a motor hidden on his bike at a small French race over the weekend, possibly the first case of mechanical doping in the country.
Acting on a tip from the French anti-doping agency on Sunday, local police arrested the rider, whose identity has not been revealed, after the race in southwestern France.
Local media said the 43-year-old man, whose impressive climbing abilities in a previous race had raised doubts, admitted to cheating.
“Unfortunately, the outcome of this operation confirms what we feared about the possible use of this type of fraud in the amateur world,” French cycling president Michel Callot said in a statement. “It is a real insult to our sport, and to all the competitors carrying out their activity in all honesty.”