What has Van den Driessche said? "It wasn't my bike

[Rebel_Biker]

— it was that of a friend and was identical to mine," a tearful Van den Driessche said, AFP reported.

According to Dutch news site Sport Wereld, a man named Nico Van Muylder, who claims to be a friend of Van den Driessche, said the bike is actually his. He hasn't said much else so far.

This seems a bit ridiculous to me. His bike set up is exactly the same as her's?

To believe her, we would have to assume the following. I am a bit of a skeptic.

All of these would have to be exactly the same. If not, any cyclist would notice the difference, especially a world class one with a dialed in fit.

Same
saddle
bars
stem
pedals
crank length

saddle height
stem size, angle, position on steerer
hood placement

[Ronsonic]

Let's go ahead and follow up on that story. The bike was there because he, the friend was pre-riding the course with her brother. The friend is "retired" and the brother is suspended for doping.

Now maybe we here in cyclocross-crazed Florida :help: run a much tighter ship than they do over there where 'cross is a very minor, peripheral sport, but around here nobody without a number gets on the course. There's like rules and marshals enforcing it. So, yeah, I'm totally buying it. :cool:

[Louis]

Unless she's the type who just gets handed a new bike for every race and she's clueless and not aware of what she's riding, there's no way in the world that those bikes could be so similar that she wouldn't notice. As RB points out, the odds are astronomical that they would be so close - there are just too many variables.

[eBAUMANN]

Now maybe we here in cyclocross-crazed Florida :help: run a much tighter ship than they do over there where 'cross is a very minor, peripheral sport, but around here nobody without a number gets on the course. There's like rules and marshals enforcing it. So, yeah, I'm totally buying it. :cool:

You guys run a much tighter ship haha.
Up north here, anyone who can ride a bike can get on the course between races, number or not.

[Mark McM]

What has Van den Driessche said? "It wasn't my bike — it was that of a friend and was identical to mine," a tearful Van den Driessche said, AFP reported.

So, it wasn't her bike, it was her bike's evil twin. That's right up there with "The dog ate my homework."

[kramnnim]

She said the bike was her old one from last year. Not sure if that means she had a motor in her bike last year, or...? :rolleyes:

My favorite part of the story is the stolen parakeets. Hope they're okay.

[bloody sunday]

You guys run a much tighter ship haha.
Up north here, anyone who can ride a bike can get on the course between races, number or not.

yeah, I've never seen anything like that in california - anyone can ride it beforehand.

[Peter P.]

Unless she's the type who just gets handed a new bike for every race and she's clueless and not aware of what she's riding, there's no way in the world that those bikes could be so similar that she wouldn't notice. As RB points out, the odds are astronomical that they would be so close - there are just too many variables.

She could plead clueless because she is blond...an airtight alibi if there ever was one.

[ultraman6970]

I havent heard a single thing out of the mechanic, looks like the doesnt want to be involved. She says the mechanic grabbed the bike and put it with the other ones.

[jpw]

cyclocross isn't road, but Cavendish has said that he can feel the difference with his bikes down to 1 mm of adjustment on bar reach and height. This girl is being economical with the truth. She has to go away for some considerable length of time and reflect on her future conduct.

[CunegoFan]

cyclocross isn't road, but Cavendish has said that he can feel the difference with his bikes down to 1 mm of adjustment on bar reach and height. This girl is being economical with the truth. She has to go away for some considerable length of time and reflect on her future conduct.

Sure she is being economical with the truth, but Cavendish is flat out BSing people with that one mm stuff.

[Black Dog]

Sure she is being economical with the truth, but Cavendish is flat out BSing people with that one mm stuff.

Not true. There are some riders who can perceive differences at the few mm level, Cavendish may be one of them. I notice saddle height difference at this range as well as bar tilt and reach. although noticeable the direction of deviation, at least for me, is not always apparent.

[oldpotatoe]

— it was that of a friend and was identical to mine," a tearful Van den Driessche said, AFP reported.

According to Dutch news site Sport Wereld, a man named Nico Van Muylder, who claims to be a friend of Van den Driessche, said the bike is actually his. He hasn't said much else so far.

This seems a bit ridiculous to me. His bike set up is exactly the same as her's?

To believe her, we would have to assume the following. I am a bit of a skeptic.

All of these would have to be exactly the same. If not, any cyclist would notice the difference, especially a world class one with a dialed in fit.

Same
saddle
bars
stem
pedals
crank length

saddle height
stem size, angle, position on steerer
hood placement

Of course it's BS..her and the wrenches should be suspended for much more than 6 months. Her team, the manager(lonely at the top), the mechanics..plus a FAT fine..

[e-RICHIE]

Of course it's BS..her and the wrenches should be suspended for much more than 6 months. Her team, the manager(lonely at the top), the mechanics..plus a FAT fine..

That's the part of this narrative that I'm waiting (still) for more clarity on. No one gets a WC event credential who's not part of the country he/she is there representing. Her mechanics (sic) were there on behalf of Belgium as much as they were there to help her. Same for trainers, coaches, and the rest. Riders don't show up at and work Worlds with their own entourage without the NGB knowing who the players are and adding them to the list. I don't think enough of the story has been told yet.

[Black Dog]

Of course it's BS..her and the wrenches should be suspended for much more than 6 months. Her team, the manager(lonely at the top), the mechanics..plus a FAT fine..

Well, this implies that they all knew about it. It is very possible to cheat without everyone knowing. There are some folks that must and should have known, beyond that we are speculating. Are we willing to throw the baby out with the bath water?

[oldpotatoe]

Well, this implies that they all knew about it. It is very possible to cheat without everyone knowing. There are some folks that must and should have known, beyond that we are speculating. Are we willing to through the baby out with the bath water?

More than her knew about it. She didn't wrench on her own bikes. What the UCI had better be willing to do is investigate this well and thoroughly. What the 'peanut galley'(the collective 'we' here)to throw out means nada.

And for right below-the manager..all true unless your name is Bruyneel.

[Stephen2014]

Everyone involved with the team should be making sure no rider is cheating. If I owned a team I would consider such a rider treasoning the team.

[e-RICHIE]

Everyone involved with the team should be making sure no rider is cheating.

It was the Belgian national team, and they were the host country for the event. I'm waiting for that tangent to be written about by reliable journalists rather than bloggers.

[Ti Designs]

Everyone involved with the team should be making sure no rider is cheating.

In the early 80's, everyone involved with the junior national team was making sure all the riders were cheating. I'm not convinced that's changed...


In any case, we're talking competition here, and "I don't know" or "It's not my bike" should be picked up by the broom wagon. I want to hear some really good excuses, like "I needed the prize money to pay the ransom for my kidnapped hamster".

[Lewis Moon]

In the early 80's, everyone involved with the junior national team was making sure all the riders were cheating. I'm not convinced that's changed...


In any case, we're talking competition here, and "I don't know" or "It's not my bike" should be picked up by the broom wagon. I want to hear some really good excuses, like "I needed the prize money to pay the random for my kidnapped hamster".

https://i.imgflip.com/z4s30.jpg

[Stephen2014]

It was the Belgian national team, and they were the host country for the event. I'm waiting for that tangent to be written about by reliable journalists rather than bloggers.
How does being the national team excuse anyone/everyone involved of responsibility for all their riders' behaviour?

[e-RICHIE]

How does being the national team excuse anyone/everyone involved of responsibility for all their riders' behaviour?

From what I've read, so far the blame is on the rider and her mechanic, and maybe a friend (who owned the bicycle), and also reaches her family owing to her brother's cycling record. But she was at Worlds racing for the Belgian National Team. I can't answer your question, but am interested in knowing where the blame starts and ends since some news stories have implied that her team should (or would) be sanctioned along with her. Then again. most of what I've seen online is the work of bloggers rather than credible investigative journalists. There's no denying the bicycle and motor part of this; it's the rest of it I'm interested in knowing more about.

[Stephen2014]

This situation is why not only the rider should be banned for life but the team, national or otherwise, should be banned for at least 5 years.

[Black Dog]

How does being the national team excuse anyone/everyone involved of responsibility for all their riders' behaviour?

Staff and riders on national teams are very transient and ad hoc.

[nooneline]

this will make a great season of Serial.

[Black Dog]

This situation is why not only the rider should be banned for life but the team, national or otherwise, should be banned for at least 5 years.

Why do we not have such outrage for regular doping. Cheating is cheating.

[William]

The "Chimeric Bike" Defense?

I buy it, it happens all the time.... :bike:






William

[rwsaunders]

this will make a great season of Serial.

Season 3...The Parakeet Thief and His Daughter

[Stephen2014]

I've said for years, when we only knew of biological cheats, that they should all be banned for life. It's the proper punishment and best deterant.

[72gmc]

I too am waiting for the full story from credible journalists. The head of the Belgian fed and the head of the uci couldn't throw her under the bus fast enough. They didn't even talk to her according to reports I saw. The boys at cyclingtips et al howled for blood with no digging for the full story that I could find. Feels like broom + rug action we've seen before.

[54ny77]

the borrowed bike excuse is absurd. she had to have known where the buttons were to hit the afterburners.

[happycampyer]

the borrowed bike excuse is absurd. she had to have known where the buttons were to hit the afterburners.It's like the maid saying she had no idea the broom was a Nimbus 2000.

[Stephen2014]

the borrowed bike excuse is absurd. she had to have known where the buttons were to hit the afterburners.


Her riding kit was actually KITT as in Knight Rider!

[Louis]

Season 3...The Parakeet Thief and His Daughter

To be followed by Season 4 - The Mechanic, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover

[72gmc]

^^^ haven't thought about that (Peter Greenaway?) movie in years. Wonder if I could take seeing it again.

[jpw]

the borrowed bike excuse is absurd. she had to have known where the buttons were to hit the afterburners.

no, she had absolutely no idea what that little button was for. she just got curious...and then suffered temporary amnesia, a documented side effect of EPO.

[54ny77]

maybe it was a sram wireless motor. yeah, and...and....cindy crawford, wait, no, eddy merckx! yeah, eddy merckx was controlling the motor with a secret button on his cellphone while spectating. yeah, that's the ticket!

http://www.nbc.com/sites/nbcunbc/files/files/images/2015/4/25/140207_2722962_Weekend_Update___Tommy_Flanagan_anv ver_2.jpg

[gavingould]

i don't think it's been proven that she actually rode the motorized bike in the event (not that it matters in terms of breaking the rules) but if she didn't know of the motor and was handed that bike from the pits, i'm positive she'd notice the extra couple kg on a clean bike very quickly.

in my opinion, the UCI and the Belgian National federation are trying to make this go away as quickly as possible, and if it's just one athlete taking the fall, all the better for them. if it's team/institutionalized cheating, then there are obviously much bigger fish to fry.

if she's racing Jingle Cross come fall, you can bet there will be a lot of people making motor noises every time she rides by. if the dad and brother are in tow, bird calls...