Bra-Doping Update

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Yesterday, I brought to your attention the bra-doping scandal at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. To make a long story short, a few teams had raised concerns that some of the women were using padding in their sports bras in order to gain an aerodynamic advantage in the time trial (individual race against the clock.) Well, today was the time trial, so what happened? Cycling’s governing body, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) swept in to check riders equipment and bikes (this is normal,) and yes, they checked the ladies before they arrived at the starting line (this is not normal.) Essentially, female inspectors would ask the rider to explain anything that looked out of the ordinary. A private tent was set up in case closer inspection was necessary, although reports say it was not needed. CPA Women, the ladies riders union, sent a representative to monitor the inspections. This all might sound silly, but it’s not unprecedented. In the past, the men were banned from stuffing ice socks (the riders can put them down their backs only), or putting their team radio, or their water bottle, down their chests in order to alter their shape. As aerodynamics expert Professor Bert Blocken said in an article in Canadian Cyclist Magazine, such advantages might seem small, but can save a rider .078 seconds per kilometer, which can add up to precious seconds over the length of a time trial. Is bra-doping a thing? The UCI apparently is taking it seriously-enough to send in a team. I’ll be curious now to see if anyone ever gets a disqualification due to such an infraction. Because if you think about it, how can they really enforce this? Link is to what seems to be an AI video (you can tell by the fake, unnecessary chuckle) explaining the rule: