Could someone put a hidden motor on a World Cup downhill bike?

Could definitely get something in a bike. Sure. 

wynTV had the same scanner dude with his iPad, they’re walking around checking 40 bikes every XC race…may as well check DH bikes. Maybe they are?

Still only caught that Belgian girl (and her crime family) in any discipline ever. Long time ago. This podcast on her started fun but never really paid off https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ghost-in-the-machine/id1723841408

I’d welcome some more cheaters. They’re not doing anything about the speedsuits so maybe we need some straight up motors to get em going. Maybe as we get closer to full-on desperation time for next season someone will go for it. 



 

True but I think a “cheater” motor would be tiny and add a few pounds and just give the rider an extra few watts.  The battery would only have to last for about 60 seconds.  The trick would also be to make it so you don’t blow second place out of the water by 10 seconds, would look super suspicious.  Guys are already strapping weights to their bikes.  A little 2 lb motor and battery would probably be welcome on the weight side and the assist side. 

 Any rider or team getting caught would probably end the teams career, team managers career and the riders career. 

So my opinion is yes is it could be done.  No I don’t think any one is doing it.  I hope no one does it (cheats, would be kind of cool if it’s fully disclosed)

I'm always surprised at how seriously they test for this stuff when from what I can tell it isn't a real problem at all? Motor technology has come a long way but it still needs to be high torque (and huge) or small but run at insane rpm (loud)

I choose to be optimistic, like how little kids believe in Santa Claus, because of things like Vital Pit Bits. I won't be able to attend my first World Cup till next year, but it definitely seems like the pits are pretty open to the eyes of the public. Aside from suspension bits being taken away or covered up, do any teams really try to work under a veil of secrecy, excluding the latest Specialized prototype, cause seriously, do you think a motor could fit in there 😝🤣?

I wouldn't put it past someone at the top level trying to gain an edge, but I'd be more suspicious of people at lower levels of racing. It's amazing what people are willing to do at even the lowest levels of competition to win. I've seen adult rec leagues, softball and soccer, where mercenaries (ex-pros, semi pros, college players) would sit in the stands waiting for someone to throw them $50-100( that's early 2000s money, so probably over $100 minimum a game now) to play a single game. Rec league... where you "might" get a $5 medal and $50 trophy if you win the league. Solid ROI! 🤣🤣 That sure did accelerate the introduction of stricter league registration and player ID systems.

So my total amateur take is that it could probably done and definitely could be advantageous, if only for a few corners or rock garden exit speed as others have stated. I'm not sure the noise would be a huge issue for concealment unfortunately, it seems that a lot of sections of track are stupid loud with fans (which is great), others have nobody at all for the most part. With all the electronic suspension and shifting components it would be easier than ever to conceal a on/off for it. I don't think testing for it in the pits seems outside of the realm of being reasonable but I'm just a dude who likes bikes and not a racer, so who knows.

what if the frame diaper were used to hide motors ?

puts on tinfoil hat 

I've always thought of motor doping to be very unlikely in top class racing like the Tour de France, because if you get caught there's no way around it, officials will open up the frame and photos of the motor will be everywhere in the medias. 

Whereas "body" doping you can always try to use new ways the existing tests wont detect, make some excuses (unrelated medical treatement messing up the result, it came from my partner, my team gave me some stuff I didnt check what it was, the usual ones...) and have some sort of damage control over the rider/team/sponsor reputation. Plus some good old corruption !

On lower level competitions with less testing, like that belgian cyclocross racer, I could see someone attempting it. They make really stealthy motors for road e-bikes, with a tiny battery for 2/3min runs, that would fit in a downhill bike and could make enough of a difference

With electronic controls and a gearbox one could probably hide a throttle in plain sight.  A little juice on flatter sections without having to pedal would be a huge advantage.