『Motor Doping: Where Do We Draw the Line?』のカバーアート

Motor Doping: Where Do We Draw the Line?

Motor Doping: Where Do We Draw the Line?

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Would you call it cheating if I installed a tiny electric motor in my bike that produced 5W of free power? Of course you would. But would you call it cheating if I raced with a $12,000 super TT bike that saved me 10W of power? Hmmm.Memberships can be had at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTSo, there's been a story in the triathlon world recently that I find really fascinating.And it's not fascinating because I think it's funny, or because I enjoy watching somebody get caught cheating.Actually, quite the opposite.It's fascinating because it raises a much bigger question about what we're actually trying to accomplish when we race triathlon.The story involves an age-group triathlete who had some remarkably fast bike splits, which eventually resulted in anonymous whistleblower complaints and allegations of motor doping.And I want to be careful here, because this whole thing apparently became a bit of a nightmare, and I don't think it's my place to declare somebody guilty based on what I've read.But the story got me thinking about motor doping.And then it got me thinking about technology.And then it got me thinking about what the heck we're actually doing in this sport.Because here's the thing.We all understand why motor doping is cheating.If I put a little electric motor on my bike and use that motor to propel me down the road, I'm no longer relying entirely on my own physical ability.That's pretty obvious.But here's where I start to get philosophical about it.What exactly is the objective of triathlon?Is it to go the distance as quickly as possible?Or is it to go the distance as quickly as you are capable of going using the power of your own body?Those sound like almost the same thing.But I don't think they are.Because if the objective is simply to cover 40 kilometres on a bicycle as fast as possible, then why would we have any rules about equipment?Let's just remove all the restrictions.Put a motor on the bike.Put a giant fairing around the rider.Give everybody an aerodynamic shell.Give them whatever technology is available.And let's see who can get from point A to point B the fastest.That would be a competition.But it wouldn't really be the sport of triathlon anymore.Because triathlon isn't supposed to be a competition between machines.It's supposed to be a competition between people.And that got me thinking about something that we don't question very often.Why do we allow technology to improve our performance at all?Now, I love technology.I'm a triathlete.I have a power meter.I have an aero bike.I have aero wheels.I have a wetsuit.I have very expensive goggles.I use training software.I have GPS.I have all kinds of technology that didn't exist when I first started doing triathlons.And obviously, I don't think all of that is cheating.But where is the line?And why is that line where it is?Take the bicycle itself.A modern triathlon bike is vastly more technologically advanced than the bicycles we were riding 30 years ago.It's more aerodynamic.It's lighter.It's stiffer.The wheels are more aerodynamic.The helmet is more aerodynamic.The clothing is more aerodynamic.The position we're riding in is more aerodynamic.All of those things make us faster.And we accept that.In fact, we celebrate it.We spend thousands of dollars trying to save a few watts.And I'm one of those people.I love this stuff.But here's the uncomfortable question:At what point does technology stop helping the athlete and start becoming the athlete?Because there is a continuum here.At one end, you've got something like a better pair of running shoes.Nobody would argue that wearing a good pair of running shoes means you're not actually running.At the other end, you've got an electric motor.Nobody would argue that the motor is your athletic ability.But somewhere between those two extremes is a whole lot of grey area.Super shoes.Aero helmets.Deep-section wheels.Electronic shifting.Aero frames.Power meters.Carbon-plated shoes.Wetsuits.Training software.Altitude tents.Cooling systems.Nutrition technology.Recovery technology.And on and on.And I'm not saying any of those things are bad.I'm just asking the question:Why do we allow them?And I think part of the answer is that technology has always been part of sport.Human beings have always tried to make better equipment.We made better running shoes.We made better bicycles.We made better swimsuits.We made better skis.We made better boats.And there's something really interesting about technological innovation.It makes the sport faster.It makes it more exciting.It makes people want to buy things.And, let's be honest, there's an entire industry built around convincing triathletes that the next piece of equipment is going to make them faster.And sometimes it does.But there's another consequence.Money.Because the more expensive technology we introduce into the sport, the more the playing field can become separated by who can afford the best equipment.Now, I know we're not talking about ...
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