Cycling has the best cheating. Hands down. Other sports might try to step to the champ with their deflated balls and recorded practices, but NOTHING compares to having a motor in a bike that’s supposed to be propelled by a person. Femke Van den Driessche was forced to withdraw from the under-23 race at the cyclo-cross world championships when officials made a curious discovery while inspecting her bike following mechanical problems.
Cyclist withdraws from race after officials find a hidden motor in her bike
Harry Engels/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
A motor was mounted inside the bike with cables and housing found under the bike’s saddle. Van den Driessche was a favorite in the race and claims she had no idea the motor was inside her bike -- saying she purchased it from a friend.
“It’s not fun when you are accused of something. But I would never cheat. I really like cycling and I love my sport, but I realise that I now have a very big problem,” she said.
That “big problem” is mechanical fraud, which carries stiff penalties -- depending on how cycling’s governing body rules. This isn’t the first time cyclists have been accused of using motors to cheat. It was rumored Tour de France compeditior Chris Froome used a motor on Stage 14 of the world’s most famous race.
This isn’t about whether a cyclist used a motor or not and more about other sports needing to lift their games. We need these levels or cartoonish cheating in all sports. Might we suggest magnets inside of receiving gloves and footballs full of metal filings? Perhaps a gyroscope inside a golf ball? Let’s do this.
h/t Sky News
See More:
