March 21/18 18:45 pm - UCI Announces Action Plan to Combat Technological Fraud

Posted by Editor on 03/21/18
 

One of the key tenets of David Lappartient's campaign for the UCI Presidency - which he won - was to accelerate the fight against technological fraud (such as hidden motors).  Lappartient brought in former road and mountain bike racer (and engineer) Jean-Christophe Peraud to head the new program (UCI Manager of Equipment and the Fight Against Technological Fraud), and today the UCI announced their first initiative.

As well as continuing to use magnetic scanning tablets and thermal imaging cameras, the UCI now has a mobile x-ray unit that will be taken to races.  The UCI claims the unit can provide an x-ray of a complete bike in five minutes, and plan to use it over the course of 150 days of racing across all cycling disciplines and age categories, checking the bikes of race leaders.

The x-ray machine has been developed with the support of VJ Technologies - a renowned supplier of x-ray technology solutions for the automotive, aerospace, energy, nuclear and arms industries - the method has been granted the necessary authorisations for use in the countries hosting cycling's flagship events.

The UCI is also working on a portable detection device, based on magnetic detection technology, which would be accessible to National Federations.  The UCI eventually aims to develop a way of tracking equipment (frames and wheels) based on radio-frequency identification (RFID).

The UCI has also announced a partnership with CEA Tech.  CEA was described as the most innovative public research institution in Europe by Reuters/Clarivate in 2017.  CEA Tech is the organisation's research unit and develops advanced technology in order to improve corporate competitiveness through innovation, performance and the differentiation of products and services, as well as opening up new business markets.

UCI President David Lappartient said: "Six months to the day after my election, the UCI is sending a strong message to the cycling family with this action plan against technological fraud. Thanks to both current methods and those being developed, we possess both short- and medium-term measures that will reassure stakeholders, fans and the media. As I have said on several occasions, our wish is to prove that these motors do not exist in the professional sport, thus validating our athletes' performances. In accordance with my campaign commitment, we are also developing the capacity to support National Federations at national and amateur competitions. I would like to thank our partners for standing alongside us in financing the fight against technological fraud. This commitment has been demonstrated by all the stakeholders in professional cycling and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) in particular. There will be close collaboration at ASO events to allow the various approaches we are developing to be tested. Guaranteeing the credibility of our sport remains one of the main priorities of my presidency and today's announcement is an important step in this direction."

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