Femke Van Den Driessche of Belgium
Caught using a hidden motor at a world championship race, cyclo-cross rider Femke Van Den Driessche of Belgium has been banned from cycling for six years.
The sanction imposed yesterday by the International Cycling Union is a first using its rules on technological fraud.
“This case is a major victory for the UCI and all those fans, riders and teams who want to be assured that we will keep this form of cheating out of our sport,” UCI president Brian Cookson said in a statement.
The UCI banned Van Den Driessche through Oct. 10, 2021, stripped her of the Under-23 European title she won last November and fined her 20,000 Swiss francs (USD20,500).
She must return all prize money and trophies, including her Belgian national title, won since Oct. 11, the UCI disciplinary tribunal ruled.
The 19-year-old rider had said she would skip her disciplinary hearing at the UCI’s Swiss offices and retire from racing.
The motor was found using magnetic resonance scans of bikes in the pits area at the women’s world under-23 cyclo-cross race in Belgium in January. AP
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