The doped bike exists (video of pro version)!

[la.margna]

In other words, you're saying that Cassani said that this is a Gruber Assist and that the pro version is much more silent than the retail one?

Please clarify. I want to know what Cassani really said.

Cassani didn't say that the bike showed is powered by Gruber Assist. But they started the bikes' engine in the video and I could not hear the loud and annoying noise that the Gruber Assist makes. So it is my assumption that this is a more advanced and enhanced pro version that seems to be more silent.

Cassani only said that the bike he showed us has been in use since 2004 and has been used by several pro riders according to his source.

Hope this clarifies any misunderstandings.

 

[Cozy Beehive]

Cassani didn't say that the bike showed is powered by Gruber Assist. But they started the bikes' engine in the video and I could not hear the loud and annoying noise that the Gruber Assist makes. So it is my assumption that this is a more advanced and enhanced pro version that seems to be more silent.

Cassani only said that the bike he showed us has been in use since 2004 and has been used by several pro riders according to his source.

Hope this clarifies any misunderstandings.

Yes, that clarifies the misunderstanding. So it is hearsay and opinions, in other words.

I had to take some s*** from Cassani supporters on my blog after they thought I was convinced it was he who said this. Better go back to the drawing board before the mob shoots me.

 

[la.margna]

The Gruber Assist is definitely a no go for professionals with regard to noise and only 60rpm cadence. But the one in the video seems definitely to be more silent and sophisticated.

 

[Benotti69]

...

Cassani only said that the bike he showed us has been in use since 2004 and has been used by several pro riders according to his source.

..

so if anyone can figure the bike manufacturer, that would narrow down the team/teams who may or may not have used it....

...but the bikes tend to get redesigned and upgraded year upon year...so who is gonna use the same frame for 6 years???

 

[la.margna]

Ballan 2008?

 

[Parrot23]

Why not? It sure is possible. But I`d rather be caught using PEDs.
Just imagine Canc doing a wheelie while attacking, lol.

Ha, ha. ROFLMAO . He maybe just about did.

(No connection between my new signature and your avatar's feet, LOL. That's just a pure coincidence, ha, ha.)

 

[rikdewy]

At first I thought no way... but it's just so unbelievable that now I'm entertaining the idea.

The unnecessary bike change in Paris Roubaix change has swayed me. And it was a special new frame that he was on yeah? Where did that bike go?

No surely not... Not Sparticus!! hehehe

 

[theswordsman]

Let me start by saying I like Spartacus and enjoyed watching his two classics wins, but at the time said I'd feel better if he was breathing harder at the end.

I believe the technology exists, so watching the Paris-Roubaix attack gives me pause. Did he just switch to a higher gear?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM_g...17EB84AD&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=46

Whoa - I just clicked on my twitter link for the Paris-Roubaix bike change and it's been taken down.

But he was in the pack at the time of the bike change. Here are a couple of snippets from the Cycling News live feed.

15:14 CEST Oh very bad news. Cancellara has punctured. No time to change tyres, he just gets a whole new bike. In no time flat he is back with the lead chase group.

"16:01 CEST Cancellara is pedalling like a machine through the dusty cobbled section." CN Paris-Roubaix live feed

Yeah. Then three minutes into this video from Flanders, he speeds away from Boonen, and by the time he makes the top of the climb, the helicopter has to go looking for Spartacus.

For the people concerned about the noise, remember that there was only another rider near him for a few seconds - he wouldn't have turned it on until he was ready to solo away.

Here's a tweet from Marco Pantani"

@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" 4:16 PM May 30th via web

Here's the April 11 (Paris-Roubaix) Cyclismag story that was funny at the time:

Rumor Cancellara

Le secret de Fabian 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!

http://www.cyclismag.com/article.php?sid=5737

I don't know much about modern bike technology, but is it somehow possible for a guy to have two bike changes during a classic and have the whole thing on his power meter? He finished in 6:25, the Specialized video shows 6:22, and there's no mention that he had two bike changes.

http://iamspecialized.com/road/vide...llara-rode-to-victory-at-the-tour-of-flanders

 

[Mambo95]

I don't know much about modern bike technology, but is it somehow possible for a guy to have two bike changes during a classic and have the whole thing on his power meter? He finished in 6:25, the Specialized video shows 6:22, and there's no mention that he had two bike changes.

http://iamspecialized.com/road/vide...llara-rode-to-victory-at-the-tour-of-flanders

You unclip the power meter from the first bike and then clip it onto the new bike. Takes about a second each time. Standard practice I would have thought.

 

[2beacoup]

After watching this I went here and although the video has some flaws (Cancellara is clearly seen to be shifting at 4:33) I spotted something:





What could that be?

One caption reads "Saxo team staff were understandably reluctant to give much ground when it came to access to his bicycles."

Would be nice for us hobby Sherlocks to get some HD footage of Flanders and high res versions of this gallery. What do you think?

 

[la.margna]

let's be honest. if they cheated, one has to assume that nothing, really nothing is obvious from the outside, right? and if they spend time, energy and money for such a custom cheat solution, why place the magic button not under the bar, where it can be used substantially less obvious?

And another thought: If Spartacus knows he has these 50 or 100 extra-watt... why does he in Roubaix wait exactly for the moment where Boonen has lost his wheel? I mean, if you were such a ruthless cheater and wanted to make history that sad way, why wouldn't you just humiliate Boonen this way, i.e. powering away when he is at your wheel?

But then again, we will never know. The problem is that this thing has been existing for a few years and is reality. Any movie maker can cut together a hard acceleration where a rider is shifting gear before he accelerates and it will look suspicious, particularly if the other riders are having cramps or are rolling out and not reacting.

Actually, only the future will tell. If we experience some incredible accelerations by Spartacus again, we know it was clean and proper, if not, we might unfortunately have to assume that there is substance behind the accusations...

What bothers me most is that Cassani's source was talking plural, so not just one rider...

 

[euanli]

@2beacoup - What you have highlighted is a screw for the front mech hanger. Look at any picture of an SL3 and you will see it quite clearly.

 

[saganftw]

if the engine hasnt been used yet in professional peloton im sure from now they will try

 

[Parrot23]

This is getting funnier by the minute, but the Pinotti quote above is telling, as were those rumours about the noise of Cance's bike ostensibly. There's the quip between Lance and Rogers too about moto bikes. Pros definitely think there's something to it.

 

[2beacoup]

@2beacoup - What you have highlighted is a screw for the front mech hanger. Look at any picture of an SL3 and you will see it quite clearly.

Thx euanli. I just checked some high res SL3 images and saw it myself.

 

[theswordsman]

It sure didn't take long for someone to rip off the Specialized video and put it on youtube.

A mechanic with his Quick Step team does think it would be possible to get away with it in a race. “I think you can really use it in secret. A buzzing noise is drowned out by the cheers,” said Jean Marc Vandenberghe.

Herman Frison, Omega Pharma director, said that the issue has been talked about for quite some time. “First of all, you think it’s a scare story,” he told Sporza. “Then you start to think it is more real. Last year we had a course at the UCI and already a fellow team manager asked about the motor on the bike. The UCI person said that he was aware of it and that the UCI could detect it.”

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4...bike-motor-story-others-debate-the-issue.aspx

 

[Greenflame]

I'd like to point out that Cancellara didn't change bikes during E3 prize, and he beat Boonen there as well. If he could win there without a doped bike, it seems more than reasonable he can win in Flanders as well. Besides (might just be the Cancellara-fanboy in me playing up, but that's for you to judge) is anyone really surprised Fabian won? He's been one of the strongest riders in the classics for years, and this year he just made it his main goal.

 

[Anonymous]

Let me start by saying I like Spartacus and enjoyed watching his two classics wins, but at the time said I'd feel better if he was breathing harder at the end.

I believe the technology exists, so watching the Paris-Roubaix attack gives me pause. Did he just switch to a higher gear?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM_g...17EB84AD&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=46

Whoa - I just clicked on my twitter link for the Paris-Roubaix bike change and it's been taken down.

But he was in the pack at the time of the bike change. Here are a couple of snippets from the Cycling News live feed.



Yeah. Then three minutes into this video from Flanders, he speeds away from Boonen, and by the time he makes the top of the climb, the helicopter has to go looking for Spartacus.

For the people concerned about the noise, remember that there was only another rider near him for a few seconds - he wouldn't have turned it on until he was ready to solo away.

Here's a tweet from Marco Pantani"



Here's the April 11 (Paris-Roubaix) Cyclismag story that was funny at the time:


http://www.cyclismag.com/article.php?sid=5737

I don't know much about modern bike technology, but is it somehow possible for a guy to have two bike changes during a classic and have the whole thing on his power meter? He finished in 6:25, the Specialized video shows 6:22, and there's no mention that he had two bike changes.

http://iamspecialized.com/road/vide...llara-rode-to-victory-at-the-tour-of-flanders

Remember where they were in Flanders when Sparticus accelerated. The crowd noise had to be deafening. I'll bet it would be hard to hear a motorcycle with that much screaming. That little motor wouldn't have been heard by anyone. Watching the video, I have to say that the idea has some plausibility to it.

 

[Choocher]

Remember where they were in Flanders when Sparticus accelerated. The crowd noise had to be deafening. I'll bet it would be hard to hear a motorcycle with that much screaming. That little motor wouldn't have been heard by anyone. Watching the video, I have to say that the idea has some plausibility to it.

I was on the Muur just before Cancellara attacked, and there is no way anyone would have heard a little, battery powered motor--the noise was deafening. Also, having seen he and Boonen on the Koppenberg, as well as watching that insane, almost entirely seated attack from Cancellara, I'm inclined to believe the motorized bike story. Just my opinion based on what I saw and didn't hear.

 

[Parrot23]

I'd like to point out that Cancellara didn't change bikes during E3 prize, and he beat Boonen there as well. If he could win there without a doped bike, it seems more than reasonable he can win in Flanders as well. Besides (might just be the Cancellara-fanboy in me playing up, but that's for you to judge) is anyone really surprised Fabian won? He's been one of the strongest riders in the classics for years, and this year he just made it his main goal.

Good points.

I was a little surprised at how strong he was at the very hilly WC road race at Mendrisio last year. These types of things might be what get other pros asking questions, as in:

How can a big TT'er be competitive in a race with 14,000+ feet of climbing? Many riders thought Cance was the strongest in that race.

Equally surprised when Schumacher beat him in the Tour TT. Just some oddities...and people start wondering.

 

[lostintime]

This is getting to be Twilight Zone material.

Everyone pointing the finger at everyone else . . . those that do well are especially suspicious. It reminds me the episode "The Monsters Are Out On Maple Street".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street

Create some panic and paranoia, then watch them destroy themselves.

 

[Benotti69]

"It would be worse than doping,” Lefevere said. “Even pure theft.”

which kind says doping is not theft......

Cassani claimed it has been in use since 2004......go figure. Cassani is hardly squeaky clean, but he's not of the EPO era, which is from what i understand considered dirtier than previous....but i could be wrong.

 

[glurbs]

Don't know whether someone did calculations on this before, but just as background info:

If one assumes you could hide a cilindrical Li-ion battery with diameter 2.5 cm and length 20 cm in the frame (does not have to be in one piece but could be modular), the battery has a volume of 0.10 liter and would weigh approx 120g. Such a battery has an energy density of approx. 1 MJ/l so we could store 100 kJ in that way.

Supposing we would like an extra power boost of 100 W, this would mean we can deliver this for 1000 seconds which corresponds to 17 minutes. So from an engineering point of view, it is definitely possible to store a significant amount of energy hidden in the frame.

 

[la.margna]

Good points.

I was a little surprised at how strong he was at the very hilly WC road race at Mendrisio last year. These types of things might be what get other pros asking questions, as in:

How can a big TT'er be competitive in a race with 14,000+ feet of climbing? Many riders thought Cance was the strongest in that race.

1) ok, with this engine, he would have won the roads and gone away from sanchez in the last round when they were in front.

2) he worked for the double world champ target all season, was his major target for 2009

3) Contador is king on the hard climbs and time trial, so what?

 

[lostintime]

Gee, if everyone's a suspect. ..... what would be said of Eddy Merckx in today's climate of suspicion?

Would he be doped both physically and mechanically?