Tour de France confronts a new threat: Are cyclists using tiny motors?

State of Motor Doping in Pro Cycling

• Most commenters think the article’s question is effectively answered “no”: motor doping is suspected but not found in WorldTour road races like the Tour.
• Known confirmed case cited is a junior cyclocross rider caught with a hidden motor; beyond that, only allegations and speculative videos (e.g., wheels spinning oddly, suspicious hand movements).
• Some argue that because testing for motors started after early suspicions, any use at the very top would have stopped or moved elsewhere before it could be caught.

Detection and Enforcement

• Bikes are routinely checked pre‑ and post‑stage: X‑ray, magnetic scanners, random and targeted inspections, plus in‑race monitoring that can flag anomalies.
• Issues around bike swaps are discussed: riders can legally change bikes mid‑race, so in principle every bike used must be inspected, not just the one at the finish.
• Thermal imaging is mentioned but doubted for very small, frame‑cooled motors; suggestions like RF detection or even drilling tiny “kill holes” in frames are floated.
• UCI minimum bike weight (6.8 kg) both limits extreme lightening and provides headroom in which a motor could be hidden, but also makes non‑standard components more conspicuous.

Technical Feasibility and Physics

• One camp claims tiny batteries can’t deliver enough usable energy to justify their weight and added drivetrain drag over long mountain stages.
• Others counter that even 10–20 W at the elite level is huge, and usage could be short, targeted attacks rather than continuous assistance.
• Ideas like regenerative braking or KERS‑style systems are generally dismissed as impractical on race bikes (freewheels, minimal braking, tiny hubs).
• Consensus: mechanically possible in principle, but logistically and risk–reward wise dubious for the Tour.

Comparison with Drug Doping

• Many see mechanical doping as a sideshow compared to biochemical doping, which has a long, well‑documented history in cycling (EPO, blood transfusions, microdosing).
• Debate over how “clean” modern cycling is: some argue it’s now among the most heavily tested sports; others insist sophisticated undetectable or microdosed regimens likely persist.

Incentives, Culture, and Other Sports

• Strong view that cheating scales with stakes: scholarships, pro contracts, short careers, and huge performance payoffs for small gains.
• Several argue team and league incentives in big-money sports (NFL, NBA, football, etc.) produce more doping with weaker testing; cycling only looks worse because it actually tests and publicizes infractions.
• Others note that cycling’s reputation from prior scandals makes any current extraordinary performance (e.g., record mountain times) immediately suspect, regardless of advances in training, nutrition, and equipment.