Romain Bardet believes the UCI will take the necessary measures to ensure that cases of mechanical doping are not repeated.
The Ag2r La Mondiale rider, who has twice finished in the top 10 of the Tour de France, hopes that this latest form on cheating isn't common in cycling after an electric motor was found hidden inside the bike of a competitor during last weekend's Cyclocross World Championships in Belgium.
Bardet feels confident that regular bike checks have stopped this way of cheating from spreading to the Grand Tours and he says this should be the case when the same procedure is adopted in other disciplines.
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“Now that the first case has been found the investigations into this needs to be pushed a little further to see the extent of the phenomenon. I hope for our sport that it is a very isolated case," he told AFP.
"At the Tour de France we have seen that the bikes are checked, and it’s good that this will extend to other disciplines. I trust the international authorities to take on the problem head-on. When I see what the anti-doping authorities have accomplished, I’m confident that this type of mechanical cheating will be resolved as soon as possible.”
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Despite allegations dating as far back as 2010 that mechanical doping exists within the elite classes of cycling, Bardet is not suspicious of his rivals, suggesting the thought will not enter his mind until anyone is found guilty.
“I’m not suspicious; that is not my way of working. It would not be good motivation. I try not to think about it until it materialises," he added.
