A motor is a rather easily discoverable physical object. It would be tangible and inarguable on discovery, that's very different to PEDs. The notion that these are being successfully hidden is pretty ridiculous. Motors are noisy and produce heat, they do check these bikes with portable X-ray and FLIR cameras very often.
I think doping riders rationalize doping with the idea in their head that everyone else is doing it, motors are a completely different area to occupy in the psychological space in terms of motives...it's just not relatable on a large scale IMO and would require a much larger conspiracy than doping with use of things like PEDs (which is more often than not a rider doing it by himself unbeknownst to the team). You can't do that with motors. Extremely discrete and relatively powerful motors (for the size needed to approach the realm of being able to be hidden) beyond what is available on the market would take a massive investment in R n D to produce and implement and you still have them as discoverable physical objects. PEDs are far more difficult to detect and even harder to prove and they are also cheap.
You are talking about old and cheap technology. The technology is so advanced that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find anything. Modern motors are tiny, subtle, and powerful. One of the inventors said already in the early 2000s that some of his motors are impossible to find. So imagine what could be possible in 2025. Think about what's possible in 2025, especially for teams that own their own bike brand like UAE with Colnago.
To find motors you need someone who really wants to find them. Who is checking for the motors?
The UCI is doing the testing itself, eerily reminiscent of its failed approach to anti-doping in the 1990s. Why isn’t an independent body in charge of scanning for illicit motors? And why does the UCI not let anyone see images of the x-ray scans? It must also be said that the X Ray scans are not carried out often enough. The most frequent checks are still carried out with the tablets. But this type of test is a joke.
Without transparency, it’s impossible to be convinced that the UCI has a grip on the threat.
Does the UCI want to have another scandal? Do they benefit from a Pogacar with a motor in his bike?
No. A new scandal would be the end of cycling. The UCI would destroy its own business. Do you really think that's what they want? Governing bodies are terrified of the fallout. Maybe this is also the reason why only the UCI is in charge of scanning for motors. It´s about control.
Are the UCI's controls sufficient?
The UCI claims that they test at every women’s and men WorldTour race.
But this is not the reality. The UCI’s testing is highly inconsistent.
For example, the world governing body didn’t test a single bike in the 2023 Giro d’Italia’s first two time trials, and at the Vuelta España, the x-ray machine – described as their best weapon against mechanical fraud – wasn’t used until the final week.
Many cycling insiders, from UCI presidents and Tour de France winners to staff members of national governing bodies and mechanics, have indicated, either explicitly or implicitly, that they believe hidden motors have been used at the top level of the sport. These statements should be taken seriously.
Especially at a time when we see performances that simply can no longer be explained.
You only have to take a closer look at Pogacar's abnormal attacks. Be it on the Mur de huy, where he outsprinted his rivals seated and didn't even look tired when he crossed the finish line. Even Cancellara couldn't manage that. Or all the other attacks by him seated where he opened huge gaps in a matter of seconds while the rest was dying out of the saddle. Or that even as a lightweight he can win flat races and keep up with riders like Van der Poel, even though they must have a much higher FTP. You can and should doubt that.
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