2015 Tour de France: race leader Chris Froome facing hidden motor allegations

CHRIS Froome has more to contend with than doping allegations, with the current Tour de France leader also facing accusations of using a motor hidden in his bike.

Great Britain's Christopher Froome (L), wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, and Colombia's Nairo Quintana, wearing the best young's white jersey, ride during the 195 km twelfth stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 16, 2015, between Lannemezan and Plateau de Beille, southern France. AFP PHOTO / ERIC FEFERBERG

CHRIS Froome has more to contend with than doping allegations, with the current Tour de France leader and race favourite also facing accusations of using a motor hidden in his bike.

Technological doping, as it has been called, has not been proved - far from it - but it is widely suspected to exist, and to have been used.

And the speed of Froome when he accelerates has left some convinced it could only have been produced by outside propulsion.

Chris Froome and his Sky team have dominated the 2015 Tour.

“It seems like the bike is pedalling itself,” said former cyclist Cedric Vasseur, now working for French television.

Froome is not the first person to face accusations of using a motorised bicycle, as Fabian Cancellara’s 2010 victory in the Tour of Flanders also raised more than a few eyebrows.

He denied the accusations before, a week later, racing off into the distance to win Paris-Roubaix even more impressively.

Authorities have started testing for motors in bicycles, but the tests are rare and target only a few cycles.

And, much to the chagrin of many French sceptics at the Tour, Froome’s bike from his stage 10 victory was not tested.

International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson insists his organisation is taking the issue seriously.

The bike of Chris Froome was not tested after his stage 10 win.

“We’ve done some testing already for concealed motors,” he said.

“We understand that although this subject sometimes causes amusement and derision we know that the technology is available: we have seen examples of it in laboratory conditions.

“We have no evidence that it has been used in competition yet but sadly we do know that in competitive sport sometimes some people will try to find ways of cheating.”

Meanwhile, only the Alps loom as the last major obstacle between Froome and a second title win.

His rivals tried and failed to make him and his super-strong Sky team wilt on the toughest - and last - day of climbing in the Pyrenees. Stage 12 was won by Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez, who gritted his teeth in driving rain on the final climb for his second stage win.

With those mountains that straddle France and Spain behind them, the opportunities for podium contenders to eat into Froome’s comfortable race lead are starting to run out.

Joaquim Rodriguez celebrates his second stage win.

“There are only a certain amount of opportunities before we get to Paris,” Froome said.

“We’ve just got to expect everything to be thrown at us.”

But to get to the 2013 champion, Froome’s rivals must first get past his teammates. And that is a problem.

The big budget of his Sky team has bought the best help money can buy, riders so strong they could lead other teams if they weren’t working for Froome.

Originally published as 2015 Tour de France: race leader Chris Froome facing hidden motor allegations