Fabian "The Engine" Cancellara

Certainly would explain some things hard to believe though.

it's an accusation, for sure.

This is really interesting stuff. The UCI cam out and said it wouldn't work because the battery you need is massive but Chris Boardman (now a bikemaker) has said you can get a small advantage simply by adapting the device to run on AA batteries. Interesting to see how this unfolds...

Now then Fabian, you'v been found out, come quietly and make it easy on yourself...

:) :) :) :)

Say it ain't so Spartacus...

doesn't look good for Cancellara

the first example he accelerates away and he's hardly pedalling!!

Even better with sound effects

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMFoDWrKAiM&feature=related

bigH....yes that's what's bothering me.

the first example he accelerates away and he's hardly pedalling!!

I confess to being a (sort of) 'cheat' cyclist myself, though not competitively. I ride a trek fx from cytronex (google it), consisting of a standard bike topped up with 3kg of 180w motor   control gear and a 2kg battery. It's good for 18 miles of pretty quick (and very easy) riding and it positively zaps up hills. Obviously, the gear Cancellara may be using is different, but

a) the type of motor shown in the video has been around for more than a year now and most definitely works, though doubts have been raised about its ability to handle much torque;

b} the 'massive' batteries requirement is cobblers; modern li-on  battery cells are far smaller and lighter (about half) than those in my setup and could easily be secreted in the downtube; moreover, how far a rider can go on a given battery capacity is mostly a function of the proportion of the total work he does himself (if all he seeks is an extra 10% then a long way can be travelled on very little). One kg for a battery, another for a motor and......

The part of the video that made me sit up was the second example. His body motion is just like mine when ascending a steep hill with power assistance switched on. Compare him with the guy behind.

I do not know whether he's fiddling or not; the video evidence is hardly conclusive. But to dismiss it as impossible is naive.

I took these accusations against Cancellara as a bit of a joke but it seems to be growing legs...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8749048.stm

I personally agree with the the commentator on Eurosport that said there is to much of a risk for this to happen, too many people would have to be in on it. The gearing manufacturer, bike manufacturer, engineers, mechanics, team officials & riders.

Imagine Scram, a now established gearing manufacturer getting caught for doing something like this...They would be finished, never allowed to showcase their products on the biggest stage, with the most exposure. Similarly with Specialized, one of the heavyweights in the bike markets, far, far too much for them to risk pulling a stunt like this.

You cannot beat a good story from now and again, but for me, and maybe I am giving cycling too much respect, but if this turns out to be true after all the dopers we have had to watch through the years, and after the sport now seems to be  on the right side of clean for the first time in years I'll be finished with the sport.

Not sure the manufacturers would know or need to know anything about any bike "enhancements". One thing's for sure - Saxo did several replacements of bikes which had nothing wrong with them. Nothing illegal about that but the subsequent "nothing to see here" full spin cycle coming from the UCI and then Saxo had a familiar whiff.

I doubt anything will ever be proven one way or another regarding this year's cobbled classics