Chris Froome has claimed he warned cycling authorities about possible mechanical doping in the sport.
After decades of struggling to combat illegal drug use, cycling’s image suffered a fresh blow on Sunday when stewards at the world cyclo-cross championships found an electric motor in the Belgian teenager Femke Van den Driessche’s bike.
Den Driessche has maintained her innocence since the discovery, but Froome said he had heard whispers about mechanical doping before and shared them with the UCI, the sport’s governing body. The two-times Tour de France winner said: “It’s a concern that I’ve had, something I’ve brought up with the UCI independent commission when I sat down with them and said: ‘Listen, from my point of view there are these rumours, it would be my advice that the UCI implements controls and measure to start checking bikes more regularly.’”
The UCI has promised to step up testing for motorised doping, which Froome has welcomed. “I think they are taking the threat seriously and hopefully this will mean that they only increase the number of checks that they do on the world tour level,” the 30-year-old said ahead of taking part in the Herald Sun Tour, which starts in Victoria, Australia, on Wednesday.
