UCI discovers the strategy of technological fraud testing for Tour de France
UCI discovers the strategy of technological fraud testing for Tour de France. Three instruments will be used to check for any potential propulsion and energy collection systems concealed in tubes and other bike parts:
- Magnetic tabs
- A portable X-Ray cupboard
- Handheld devices utilizing backscatter and broadcast techniques
A UCI Technological Commissaire will be at the official buses before every 21 segments to inspect all bicycles being raced at the beginning of that day’s race. Magnetic pills will get used to conducting these preliminary examinations. These tablets, which UCI first unveiled in 2016, have just had their software updated.
Following each stage, inspections of the bicycles driven by:
- The overall winner
- The cyclists wearing commander’s shirts
- 3 to 4 riders are chosen at random.
Cyclists who exhibit suspicious behaviour, such as after the pre-stage scan, an excessively high frequency of bike swaps, or other behaviours noted by the UCI Media Commissaire.
The UCI incorporated mobile X-Ray innovation in 2018, and the International Union added backscatter and transmission capabilities to its testing toolkit, most recently in 2021. Such post-stage inspections will be conducted using any of these methods. The bicycle in issue will be disassembled if required. As soon as the cyclist finishes the race, bikes awaiting post-stage inspections will be marked, and the check will happen in minutes.
Recall that the mobile X-Ray device delivers a full bike’s high-definition X-Ray picture in just 5 minutes and is secure for both owners and riders. In addition, the backscatter and communication technologies provide immediate, high-resolution photos of the inside of the investigated parts that may be remotely communicated to the UCI Commissaires.
All UCI WorldTour races, the UCI Road International Champions, UCI Para-cycling Road International Championships, UCI Para-cycling Road Tournament, UCI Women’s WorldTour races, and the Summer Olympics, the UCI conducts bike inspections for road cycling. Furthermore, along with the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, checks are conducted during the UCI World Champs for terrain biking, cyclo-cross, and running. Several 1,008 bikes were inspected during the Tour de France last year, and no instances of technical cheating were found.
According to Michael Rogers, director of roads and technology at the organisation, UCI keeps taking the prospect of technical fraud incredibly seriously. We can conduct quick and efficient checks thanks to the variety of technologies available to combat this type of fraud. This is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the game of cycling and its competitors and ensuring that contests are equitable.
UCI discovers the strategy of technological fraud testing for Tour de France