During Stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia in Milan, Fredrik Dversnes secured a controversial victory while setting a record average speed of 51.391 km/h. Professional cyclists, including Lidl-Trek's Max Walscheid, are now alleging that television motorbikes provided an illegal slipstream to the breakaway group.

The 51.391 km/h Milan record under scrutiny

Fredrik Dversnes' Stage 15 victory in Milan has become the center of a heated debate regarding aeroynamic assistance. The rider set a blistering average speed of 51.391 km/h, a figure that many in the peloton find suspicious given the circumstances of the breakaway.

Lidl-Trek's Max Walscheid and several other copmetitors have voiced concerns that the breakaway group, which included Dversnes, benefited from the slipstream of television motorbikes. as the report indicates, these motorbikes were allegedly positioned directly in front of the leaders, facilitating their escape from the chasing pack.

The 12-second-per-kilometer advantage cited by UAE Team Emirates

Matxin Joxean Fernandez, the team director for UAE Team Emirates, argues that the impact of motorpacing is a proven scientific phenomenon rather than mere speculation. As reported by Marca, Fernandez pointed to research by engineers such as Bert Blocken to support the claim that a motorcycle riding just five meters ahead can grant a cyclist a significant advantage.

Scientific studies by engineers like Bert Blocken suggest that this assistance can translate into a gain of approximately 12 seconds per kilometer. This mathematical reality becomes particularly critical when riders are operating at 99.9 percent of their physical capacity, where even marginal gains can decide a race.

A pattern of assistance stretching back to Belgian racing

The controversy in Milan is not an isolated incident in the history of professional cycling, according to retired British cyclist Max Sciandri. Sciandri noted that similar advantages were observed during his racing days in Belgium, where photographers' bikes were often used to help riders escape.

Professional cycling has a long history of media vehicles influencing race dynamics, a trend Sciandri recalls from his time in the Belgian circuit. While the technology and speeds have increased, the fundamental tension between media coverage and fair competition remains a recurring theme in professional road racing.

Determining the exact proximity of the broadcaster's motorbikes

The UCI currently mandates that cars stay 25 meters behind riders during time trials to prevent slipstreaming, but the proximity of the Milan motorbikes remains unverified. It is currently unknown if the broadcaster vehicles were operating within the legal distance or if they were positioned closer than the 10-meter mark mentioned by critics.

It remains unclear whether the broadcaster motorbikes intentionally altered their position to benefit the breakaway or if Dversnes' defense—that the only motorbikes present were those accompanying the breakaway—is accurate. The report notes that the positioning of motorbikes often changes based on the distance to the pursuers,leaving the exact nature of the assistance in question.