Paris: Thermal cameras will be used in this year's Tour de France to fight against motor cheats, French Minister of State for Sport Thierry Braillard announced on Monday. The cameras, which can detect a motor in a bicycle, have been developed by the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) at the request of the French government.

"It is very important that we detect cheating," said International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson, present in Paris alongside Braillard; French Minister of State for Research, Thierry Mandon, and Tour de France organiser Christian Prudhomme. The high-tech CEA thermal camera was used experimentally during the French Championships in Vesoul last weekend, revealed David Lappartient, president of the French cycling federation.