- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
Ion Izagirre crash YouTube still.JPGVideo: New motor doping speculation after Izagirre time trial crash
Did Movistar rider Ion Izagirre have a motor illegally concealed in his bike during the 16 kilometre individual time trial at the Vuelta Valenciana yesterday?
That's the question posed by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport after footage emerged showing the rear wheel of the Spanish rider's Canyon bike continuing to spin after he crashed.
The incident comes just days after a bike prepared for Belgian under-23 cyclo-cross rider Femke Van den Driessche was discovered to have a hidden motor at the World Championships in Zolder on Saturday.
> All our Femke Van den Driessche coverage here
It's also reminiscent of the rumours surrounding Garmin-Sharp's Ryder Hesjedal when his rear will continued to turn following a crash in the 2014 Vuelta.
> 'Motor doping' claims surround Ryder Hesjedal
His former team mate Alex Rasmussen subsequently produced his own video showing how the wheel could keep on spinning on its own.
> Rasmussen seeks to dispel mechanical doping rumours
Spanish sports website Mundo Deportivo's take on the issue is a little different, noting that the Italian dailies didn't miss an opportunity to ignite speculation against Izagirre - accusing La Gazzetta dello Sport and others of sour grapes, in other words.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- MinardiM189 21 min ago
Is the most combatitive rider being awarded points? I thought Pellizzari won the award yesterday. Shouldn't he have another 10 points?
- CyclingGardener 3 hours 45 min ago
Extraordinary level of rudeness to one of his constituents who seems to want to debate courteously. You'd think if nothing else self-interest would...
- ErnieC 5 hours 34 min ago
Not sure if that is actually an insult, now tonsil on the other hand certainly is. Tonsils serve absolutely no purpose.
- ROOTminus1 7 hours 25 min ago
Ranks of youth in maillot noir et beige? Too paramilitary? Swap out the revolutionary berets for areo lids and casquette
- froze 9 hours 55 min ago
This is terrible news, one of the best, if not the best, custom-made steel bicycle manufacturers in the world becoming extinct....
- froze 10 hours 2 min ago
Hmm, well some people are a pain the arse to get the pain the ass gone, I'm one of those....
- Eton Rifle 12 hours 28 min ago
I've never been "forced" to stop in an ASL when driving. I use this one weird trick called "paying attention and planning my driving". It will...
- eburtthebike 13 hours 21 min ago
I look forward to this being thoroughly analysed and discussed ignored in the election campaign....
- Simon E 13 hours 59 min ago
What's your point? They are using recycled aluminium, which is surely a positive move and doesn't appear to be common practice....
Add new comment
35 comments
Yeah. That's a pretty fair hypothesis.
If the source video has high enough framerate/resolution, it's not hard to find out if the wheel slowed down at the rate that would be predicted given the hardware in use. If it doesn't slow down...well.
I fell off my bike the other week and the rear wheel kept spinning... (My bike certainly hasn't got a motor in it), this is hardly proof of a motor.
are you sure? it might have been a friends bike
Pages