Tour de France Femmes: World famous cycling race plunged into bra row
For penis injections at the Winter Olympics, read bra padding at the Tour de France Femmes, where officials are making extra checks on riders to ensure they are not cheating by inflating the size of their chests.
The move comes after unnamed teams raised suspicions that some cyclists were using padding on their chests – a ploy banned in both cycling and triathlon because of the aerodynamic advantages it can provide.
Tour de France Femmes organisers issued a warning to all teams on Tuesday saying: “Riders must be to the final checks before the race (bikes and outfit) no later than 10 minutes before their respective start time.
“Particular attention will be paid to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including non-essential elements and clothing or other items/accessories worn by a rider (including but not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) which could modify riders’ morphology.”
So-called chest fairings are believed to be particularly effective in time trials. Scientific studies indicate an optimal shape can reduce air resistance by 3.6 per cent, saving 0.78 seconds per kilometer.
Bra padding and penis injections
The row follows claims at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year that male ski jumpers had undergone penis injections before being fitted for their suits – again, in order to achieve an aerodynamic advantage over rivals.
Cycling’s world governing body the UCI defines non-essential kit as “any element which does not have a purpose which is exclusively of clothing or protection, or which is not strictly necessary for the functionality of the clothing, or other item, or accessory”.
Riders found to have broken the rules can be kicked out of their competition and fined.
“It is not that you gain a benefit of tens of seconds with this in a time trial, but in a ride of 20-30km, it can yield seconds that can be decisive,” academic Bert Blocken told Dutch publication Wielerflits, which first reported on the concerns.
London will host the Grand Depart of next year’s Tour de France Femmes. The first three stages of the men’s race will also be held in the UK.