We have the ingestion or injection of drugs, motors in bikes and now the new threat to the peloton, electronic doping. There are already high tech devices in the marketplace. And now states in this country legalizing the delivery devices, the substance delivered and the doped condition itself.
We know that the performance boost from this substance tends to wear off in around 4 hours and long races, especially the classics, go considerably longer so an on-board delivery system will be needed. Is UCI ready for this next onslaught? Are we going to start seeing riders pulling out vape pipes and taking hits. Waves of hilarity sweeping through the peloton?
We should start looking for waterbottles that are not shed in the final miles. Sophisticated handlebar plugs. But these will be just the early and easy to catch methods. I think the approach UCI will need to use (though I doubt this level of enlightenment will ever be acquired) is to have ham-fisted doping controls, much like the bureaucratic types now being used to find mechanical doping with the tablets. (The actual "catch" will be made by the quiet observer looking for the giggling rider.)
You heard it here first. From Ben, an inhabitant of the state that is going to pioneer this new assault on racing.
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