He flees from an anti-doping control and runs over the race director with his car

The French amateur race Routes de l'Oise experienced last Monday an episode as strange as it was worrying. Before the start of the fourth stage, the organization, due to suspicions of mechanical doping, decided to inspect the bike of Giovambattista Iera, and it was then that the cyclist fled, got into his car, and ran over the race director in his escape.

A suspicion of mechanical doping almost ended in tragedy when the accused cyclist ran over the director of Routes de l'Oise

Mechanical doping has taken center stage in the news in recent years, but the truth is that there are very few cases confirmed by the UCI and none among professionals. But suspicions and rumors continue to circulate among some pelotons, and it seems that with some reason given what happened in France.

The local newspaper Courrier Picard reported that on May 20, the organizers of the stage race Routes de l'Oise wanted to inspect the bicycle of Giovambattista Iera amid rumors that he could be carrying some type of hidden electric assistance. It was then that the cyclist decided to flee to avoid the anti-doping control.

The race director Lenormand tried to prevent Iera from leaving and for that he stood in front of his car. But the cyclist did not hesitate to accelerate his van and crash into him.

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"I didn't want him to leave. So I stood in front. The vehicle moved towards me and hurt my knee and ankle. Since I didn't let him pass, I ended up on the van after the driver accelerated. I had the scare of my life," explained Lenormand.

The AC Bellaingeoise team, to which Giovambattista Iera belongs, was as surprised by what happened as everyone else: "We are also victims. We were not aware of it and we are astonished. We apologize on behalf of the club."

According to the Courrier Picard, Iera would have been arrested by the authorities a few hours later and is being investigated for "attempted fraud and aggravated intentional violence."

Giovambattista Iera seems to be a relatively well-known cyclist for his performance in the movie The Bike of Ghislain Lambert or for having relationships with some professional cyclists currently active.