The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been plunged into a 'fake boobs' row as cyclists pad their bras to gain an aerodynamic advantage, according to reports.
Several women's WorldTour teams have raised concerns over riders padding their bras during time-trials, with the increased surface area altering airflow around the rider and reducing drag, as reported by WielerFlits.
Practice dates back to Paris Olympics
The report claims there are 'numerous examples' of cyclists who have a visibly larger cup size in time trials compared to during road races, with examples going as far back as the Paris Olympics.
Bert Blocken, a professor of aerodynamics at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and LUT in Finland, explained: 'We are talking about a 'Chest Fairing', which alters the airflow around the body, thereby reducing overpressure on the thighs.'
'As a result, the rider experiences less air resistance. It is not that you gain a benefit of tens of seconds with this in a time trial, but in a ride of 20 to 30km, it can yield seconds that can be decisive.'
UCI rules prohibit altering morphology
According to UCI rules, placing objects on the chest is prohibited, and clothing must not artificially alter the morphology of the rider. The same rule previously stopped male riders from placing team radios down the front of their skinsuits and banned triathletes from tucking water bottles inside their race suits.
The Tour de France Femmes had its only time-trial on Tuesday. To prevent riders from faking a larger cup size, a report suggested a female UCI jury member will check riders before the time trial.
Riders must be present at the final check-in for the time trial no later than ten minutes before their start time. A statement read: 'Particular attention will be paid to compliance with Article 1.3.032 of the UCI Regulations.'
This includes non-essential elements and clothing or other items/accessories worn by a rider that could alter the rider's physique.
