Well I just read this today:
thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0 … -by-video/
Interesting theory about some pros possibly using bikes with built-in motors. It’s worth a watch. Not sure how much credence I’d give it, but it’s entertaining at least.
Yea, that’s totally crazy. I read that over the weekend and couldn’t believe it. Seems completely nuts, more of an April Fools Joke than reality. Hard to believe anyone not locked up in an institution would make such a claim, but apparently it may not be so far out. Weird.
After watching Cancellara’s performance breaking away at Paris-Roubaix, I must say I was in two minds about this. He just glides away from the pack with seemingly no effort
Yeah, that’s pretty much how I felt about it - at first I just thought “Come on, what total bollox”, then after watching the video, I’m not quite as dismissive. It would be hilarious if it’s true.
True. Remarkable breakaways. You’re right, he does seem to effortlessly glide away.
If it is true, what a pathetic way to cheat. Not that doping or drugging is honorable, but for christsake, a motor? Sounds like something for cripples and grannies. What a shameful cowardly pathetic thing to do – if anyone really does that.
Heck, if caught doing that the person should definitely be banned from racing for life. But worse yet, I would imagine he’d be the biggest laughing stock of the sport for decades.
There goes my idea. I was just set to submit a tiny circular electric motor for patent. It was going to be my gift to the world of cycling cheats. 
Actually, I did think about the possibility of racers using miniature motors, but I was always under the impression that bikes were weighed before races to make sure they weren’t below 6.8 kilos in weight. Perhaps they should start weighing them after races, too.
Bikes used to have a minimum weight to ensure they were safe enough to race on without folding into a pretzel on a descent.
the point is that you can now make a perfectly safe bike at 5.0 kg, so there is talk of getting the UCI minimum of 6.8 kg reduced. This would then make it hard to hide a motor…
“Hey, sonny, why does your bike weigh 7 kg when it looks just the same as everyone else’s does at 5 kg? Let’s just pop this on the X-tray machine for a quick look.”
wow. same reaction here. first i was thinking, wtf? and imagining those low-tech e-bikes in China. When I saw the installation and then the dude’s exceptional acceleration while on the saddle, I was OMFG. 
totally sad if true.
And my “OMFG” to the pile. Here’s a media piece on it. The biker who made the video is a famous retired professional
I’d imagine it would be a simple matter to inspect the bikes to see if any have motors installed…
Sure, but if you thought the idea was absurd, how tight would the inspection be?
This physicist says Fabian Cancellara is well within believable wattage