There is already a small revolution. From now on, this can be checked with a portable X-ray machine. Even today, a trailer is required to perform the inspection, which has replaced the tablet system known since the pioneering days of mechanical inspections.
“This trailer is too big and too heavy. It’s cumbersome to drive,” explains former racer Michael Rogers, now UCI’s director of regeneration. “We couldn’t travel outside of Europe with her either.”
“Now we finally have a portable device that is very light and can be transported all over the world. We’re getting very good results with it.”
UCI President David Lappartient isn’t too afraid of technical fraud: “But we basically want to avoid technology fraud. One thing is key to this: doing the checks. We can now run these checks at the beginning and end.”
The UCI wants to step up checks. The cost of the new machine is 45,000 euros, and the UCI bought 2 of them. The Cycling Federation seeks to ensure that national federations also invest in a machine.
“Right now we are only checking in Grand Tours, Grand Classics and World Championships. But of course there are a lot of races in different categories. We want to be more present, because the controls are essential because the technology is always getting smaller and finer.”
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