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Rai's Cassani tried the famous "bike engine"

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Michele

Michele

Mar 26, 2009
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Tonite at the usual TGiro (a sort of short tv news) on italian Rai, the ex pro Davide Cassani tried the "bike engine" which news spoke a lot about after some suspects wins in the last April's news.

The producer brought it and he could try today for 1km only but he said that even if he's 50 years old, he could probably win some stages with that.
The producer even confirmed them that some pro used it (and it's available on the market since 2006).
 
Jamsque

Jamsque

Mar 11, 2009
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Michele said:
@santacruz
Probably you can't see that but please ask to any friend of yours in Italy to check for you.
http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/RaiTV...284-4871-4039-9ce8-2133a47be7ea-raisport.html
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That's an awesome show, thank you for that. They have Damiano Cunego on at the end and everything.

The bit about the bike motor is genuinely mind blowing. I had completely discounted that story when it hit, but it seems like there might be something to it. I'm not sure how much I believe the assertion that a pro is already using it, but it doesn't seem completely impossible.
 
Michele

Michele

Mar 26, 2009
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Yeah, I usually look at it cause they show the next day stage by showing what the riders have to expect.
You noticed Cunego but didnt see Bugno fooling around? :)

As for the bike stuff, I agree with you; I find it hard to believe and hope nobody used it but Im just reporting what they said and they weren't joking.
 
theswordsman

theswordsman

Feb 14, 2010
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Great video. This brief about it from Tuttobiciweb via Google Translate:

The commentator for Rai mother - in an area called "Bike steroids" - has made a bicycle built by a builder who insisted on anonymity and has preferred not to categorize.
"This bicycle - Cassani said presenting - in existence since 2004, weighing 9 pounds and weighs 50 grams and its manufacturer swears that some professionals have used it.The battery is positioned in the seat tube near the pedals, while the small button to activate the mechanism is hidden under the brake lever. I tried it a few days ago, I was completely surprised them: with a bike as I cycled to 50 per hour without problems, without fatigue. In plain helps the motor, if it helps altroché ...».
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http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=29701&tp=n
 
theswordsman

theswordsman

Feb 14, 2010
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I'd like to record this for posterity - right before the Nutella hit the fan for Armstrong. In reply to Mick Rogers who had tweeted about the news story earlier.

LanceArmstrong
@mickrogers Motorized doping clearly. Spartacus, care to comment? 11:33 PM May 19th via UberTwitter in reply to mickrogers
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I can't tell from the Tuttobiciweb story how much extra weight this adds. But at least at big events, they check the rider's bikes before hand to verify they're above the minimum. Do they weigh back-ups too before they go on the team cars? I wonder if they record and save the weights, or do they just pass/fail them?
 
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rgmerk

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theswordsman, the context was Mick Rogers joking around, read his initial tweets on the matter:

# A solar powered version will come in 2012. Cycling is doing it's little part in this greener world... 5:50 PM May 19th via Twitterrific

# I heard that the 2011 model of these so called bike engines will be powered by a mini nuclear power plant placed inside the bottom bracket... 5:46 PM May 19th via Twitterrific
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I can see how a joke about Spartacus would naturally follow seeing he has the biggest (biological) motor in cycling.

I would be very surprised if one of these things has been actually been used illegally in a race. I could be wrong, but I don't believe omerta would extend to the use of an electric motor.
 
theswordsman

theswordsman

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rgmerk said:
theswordsman, the context was Mick Rogers joking around, read his initial tweets on the matter:
I can see how a joke about Spartacus would naturally follow seeing he has the biggest (biological) motor in cycling.

I would be very surprised if one of these things has been actually been used illegally in a race. I could be wrong, but I don't believe omerta would extend to the use of an electric motor.
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Yeah, I follow Rogers on twitter - didn't see the Lance one until the Landis story hit. It struck me because Lance was looking down on someone as a possible cheater.

In the original thread about the motor a couple of weeks ago, I posted a link from Cyclismag . They laughed at a French rider who told them, I believe after Flanders, that Cancellara's bike made a noise, and that he had dynamos in the pedals to make them spin faster. Then this story came out.

This from Marco Pinotti on twitter this morning:

@marcopinotti

my feeling were correct RT @gregorbrown Motors in pro bikes is not just a rumour. I saw a version today. As bad as doping
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theswordsman

theswordsman

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My post from pre-Landis

I tracked down the at the time humorous piece in Cyclismag. It was from April 11, the day of Paris -Roubaix.

Rumor Cancellara

The secret of Fabian Cancellara? A dynamo hidden in his pedal, allowing it to move faster. The fantasy is all the funnier it became in an uproar within the platoon. A French rider has reported to http://www.cyclismag.com this "noise" surprising. Those who really believe the arguments brandished as many changes as Cycling Cancellara operates at full speed. It is already more original than a suspicion of doping!
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Sorry, it's in their archive, and a link only goes to the current main page.
http://www.cyclismag.com/article.php?sid=5814#ancre1
 
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Mambo95

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Cozy Beehive said:
I'm worried that it is potentially possible, given the rate at which battery technology is leapfrogging. I did however, post my views on the story. Any other news and sources welcome!

http://cozybeehive.blogspot.com/2010/05/did-cancellara-use-illegal-motor-power.html
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I had had a look at your blog and you write:

"In it Davide Cassani, an Italian commentator for RAI, alleges that Cancellara may have rode away to victory at Paris Roubaix and Flanders using what he believes was a bike retrofitted with a Gruber Assist."

He doesn't say any of that. He never mentions FC or Gruber. It wasn't worth reading on after that.
 
Cozy Beehive

Cozy Beehive

Dec 5, 2009
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Mambo95 said:
I had had a look at your blog and you write:

"In it Davide Cassani, an Italian commentator for RAI, alleges that Cancellara may have rode away to victory at Paris Roubaix and Flanders using what he believes was a bike retrofitted with a Gruber Assist."

He doesn't say any of that. He never mentions FC or Gruber. It wasn't worth reading on after that.
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I see. Perhaps he's implying Lance Armstrong rode with a mechanized bike by doing a video analysis on Fabian Cancellara.
 
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this_is_edie

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Cozy Beehive said:
I see. Perhaps he's implying Lance Armstrong rode with a mechanized bike by doing a video analysis on Fabian Cancellara.
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No you don't see.

Cassani did not do the video analysis of Cancellara that you are using. On RAI Cassani showed the bike and said that the manufacturer told him that pros had used it. No names were mentioned. (see original video of Cassani talking about the bike here)

Someone else took the original RAI video and created their 'video analysis' of Cancellara.
 
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