Tour de France will use high-tech scanning system to find hidden motors - CNET

The Tour de France has been rooting out "enhanced" cyclists for years. Now the race is tuing to special equipment to find actual motors that cyclists may hidden in their bikes to give them an extra edge.

The Union Cycliste Inteationale (UCI) said Monday it will conduct between 3,000 and 4,000 tests over the two-week event. (Teams typically bring multiple bikes for each rider and the expected conditions.) The UCI began using its new scanning system -- comprising a tablet, case, adapter and custom software -- in January, when it found a motor hidden in the bike of Belgian rider Femke Van den Driesshe.

She has since been banned from racing for six years.

"Since the beginning of the year, we are sending a clear message which is that there is literally no-where to hide for anyone foolish enough to attempt to cheat in this way," UCI President Brian Cookson said in a statement. "A modified bike is extremely easy to detect with our scanners and we will continue to deploy them extensively throughout the Tour and the rest of the season."

The UCI says it can scan a complete bike -- including frame, wheels and components -- in less than a minute. If the scan finds anything "unusual," the bike or component will be dismantled so it can be inspected, the UCI said in a statement.

The 103rd Tour de France begins Saturday, July 2 and will stretch over 21 stages and more than 3,500 kilometers before finishing July 24.