FWIW the setup in my earlier link states it’s a bit tricky to find the sweet spot of gearing and cadence.
Apparently her father and uncle have now been arrested for stealing two parakeets. :dubious:
Altogether, this is now compelling evidence that none of this is real and I’m dreaming. Wake up Mijin!
As for the cyclist herself, the details of exactly why the bike was inspected are still vague in the reports I’m reading. What I mean is, if she asked for officials to take a look at the bike following its mechanical failure? If so, she has plausible deniability (though of course it doesn’t prove she wasn’t complicit) and could just get the 6 months + minimum fine.
Otherwise she’s screwed, as the story is full of holes.
And her brother is serving a suspension for doping. Quite the family.
That’s the same brother. The father and girl’s brother (not father’s brother) were arrested for the parrot heist. Obviously a dishonest family.
They have different wheels, handlebars, crank sprockets, and it’s hard to tell from that picture, but I’d say they have different rear derailleurs as well.
This is fun!
Please note that during a cyclo cross riders use multiple bikes. So the story is: Some time ago I sold one of my bikes to a friend, he was present at the WC as well, he left his bike in the vicinity of my multiple bikes, they were all put in the truck.
She didn’t race that bike (nobody has proof she did), and the mechanical suffered was a broken chain an had nothing to do with that bike.
This is her story anyways.
Were the two parakeets identical? And did one have an implanted motor?
Good Catch!
Wouldn’t the team mechanics strip down any bike that is going to be raced that they aren’t familiar with? Make sure the bearings are ok? Check the cables?
Bike fit is an odd thing. I would imagine that most racers are going to be running a saddle of their own choosing, even if labeled with a sponsor’s name.
Saddle, bars and pedals are the things I’d most expect a rider to personalize, but I suspect cyclo cross riders are somewhat looser in their fit than road racers.
“Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue - 'e’ll fly 'alf an hour on a single charge.”
“Look, I took the liberty of examining that parakeet when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been flapping its wings in the first place was that it had an electric motor hidden up its ass.”
:smack:
Right you are, I misread the story.
Here’s an interesting video on “mechanical doping”.
Be sure to check out what happens at around 2:00 (rider falls; rear wheel keeps turning).
That’s gravity.
He falls because he’s on a descent and loses traction around the corner. You’ll note that the front wheel has turned full lock and is free to spin, the back wheel also has enough contact to spin. It’s basically an object that has stabilised on two wheels and rolls downhill.
There are other problems with that clip.
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Why would a rider have a motor engaged for a descent? It is not necessary as they get fast enough without any assistance.
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The crank wasn’t turning so it would have to have been contained in the wheel axle which is highly unlikely given that wheels are regularly swapped in and out, sometimes with a wheel from a neutral support vehicle.
Good points.