Is “motor doping” actually happening in pro cycling, just not in the way you think? Dan and Si hit the road to test the aerodynamic benefit of drafting behind race motorbikes at various distances to see exactly how much power a pro cyclist can save. We compare our real-world data with scientific studies to determine if official race vehicles are fundamentally changing the results of the world’s biggest races.
Read more here 👉 https://gcn.eu/aerobenefits
Chapters: ⏱️
00:00 – Motor Doping in Pro Cycling
00:51 – The Experiment: Drafting a Motorbike
01:42 – Tadej Pogačar’s Average Speed
02:16 – Run 1: The Control Test
05:02 – Run 2: 5m Distance Results
06:04 – Run 3: 10m Distance Results
08:21 – Run 4: 20m Distance Results
09:36 – Comparing the Data
11:07 – Is it Really Motor Doping?
12:58 – What the Science Says
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What do you think is the best solution for the motorbike drafting issue? Should the UCI enforce stricter distance rules for official vehicles, or is it time to move toward more drone coverage for solo breakaways?👇
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30 Comments
What do you think about the motorbikes and vehicles at the Tour de France? Do they unfairly benefit some riders more than others? Are they impacting the results?
We want to reiterate something we said in the video – the people on the motorbikes do an incredible job. They close the roads and bring us amazing footage and images. We'd like to thank them for everything they do.
Dan
Absolutely it's affecting the results
I’m more concerned about doping doping than motor doping.
Who else recalls that classic video of a tour cyclists bike having its pedals and wheels spin by themselves after they had come to a complete stop?
I hope this content doesn't go under rated! Its incredibly interesting and something not well covered. Id love a GCN interview with UCI motorbike handlers, and maybe they would even let you get some shots from the back to better promote their effort and TDF. Either way, thanks I really loved this one.
Ski jump start down Mudgley hill then on to the levels
They could use drones now
The motorcycles should be armed with air horns, followed by water guns, followed by pepper spray to keep the hooligans away from the riders. Not only would it be fair for the riders but it would push pro cycling into competition with soccer and similar popular sports.
Also limit the number of vehicles per group. Maybe a distance meter also for the viewers.
Conclusion: ride fast to the front so you can save energy? 🤷. In all fairness that advantage is available to all but only the fastest can get it. Also, Mythbusters did that exact test and not surprising the physics was the same 🙃.
interesting to see how much difference it makes on a wind still day, surely much more benefit from the motorbike?
Why not install cameras on the riders bikes? Perhaps as a way to get them all to an equal bike weight, or the rider receives some time credit for the weight penalty.
We are talking about professional photographers/videographers. They have equipment that can zoom in to see the bumps on a mosquitoes backside. Do they actually need to be so close with the high tech equipment they use?
Love seeing Dan back actually doing ride challenges. Keep doing them Dan!
How was it Tadey even able to average 45 km/h ??????? Thats insane.. is it his height ??? His bike fit ???? I mean he just got to the gym recently from what i heard..
Weren't old timey races like Paris-Bordeaux done with rider and motor-pacer combos? On modern roads with, ahem, 'modern training', that would make for some fast racing😂
Anyway, if you've never belted around the track behind a derny you should give it a go, it's a total blast ❤❤
Love the content. Thanks
and pros are riding faster, so even greater savings being in the draft
That’s utterly fascinating.
Genius Cycling Network?
The idea that these motos give us the good TV coverage is fine up to a point. There are perhaps moto1 to moto5 giving TV coverage. Do we really need the other 95 to cover the race? I realise I'm being simplistic. There are neutral service motor bikes, still photographers, sometimes commentators, police going forward to close the road, lots of legitimate motor bikes, but are they all absolutely essential?
They should switch to drones.
Wow, always knew it had some effect though surprised by just how much. Great way of showing it. What to do about it?? Quite the conundrum. No easy answers. Plenty to think about though it'll never be a problem for me. lol
I don't understand why they don't use the RaceRanger system in the pro peloton. Or something like it, at least. It works perfectly in triathlons and would just need to flash a light on the moto dash to let them know they're too close. Race commissairs could also access the same data and radio the motos if they're in danger of creating an actual advantage on the road.
With the way the UCI is disqualifying riders for actions with negligible benefit lately, NOT using something like RaceRanger seems intentional to me.
We all remember stage 15 of the Giro this year. 51km/h had to be motor pacing. No way a 4 man break should hold off the peloton that day.
"We've proven very little" You did experimentally reproduce that study's results, which does have scientific merit.
woooow! almost 30% savings is a lot … even 8% or 6% still a diference I have 3 Qs?
1. Why in our day and age TDF does not test and try drone pilots for cameras?
2. If there is no other solution, why the motos does not make a slow down and pan the image to cover 3/4 out of range.
3. who is stopping any other not pro cyclist to take KOM's on Strava, drafting bikes, my point is we have seen the power on flats, can you go for hills and some big mountains on this test?
I guess drones might change that in near future.
Initial thoughs? Why the hell did we peace the 20m to last???
Dan doing a piece back on the bike takes me back to when I first started watching GCN and I love it! Reminds me of my younger days, when the world was so much better. AND hes doing it with Si,….ah the good ol days.
Drones should replace motorbikes. Done.