Jean-Christophe Perrault no longer works for the UCI after being forced to take a leadership role in the fight against mechanical doping last week.

The Frenchman's dismissal was reported by L'Equipe (opens in new tab) and has not yet been officially confirmed by the UCI. The French newspaper cited the need to cut costs due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and said Perrault was informed of his dismissal on June 30 in a "discreet phone call."

Perrault, runner-up in the 2014 Tour de France, was appointed "manager in charge of equipment and fighting technical fraud" at the end of 2017, following David Lapartient's victory in the UCI presidential election.

For the 2018 Tour de France, Perrault introduced thermal imaging, X-ray scanning, and bi-tagging in addition to existing tablet scanning technology to help inspect hidden motors.

The fight against mechanical doping was a key part of Lapartient's election manifesto, but the issue has subsided in the interim, with the French investigation into mechanical doping being dropped last week for lack of evidence.

"Yes and no," Perrault told L'Equipe magazine.

"Yes, because on a personal level I recognize that there is no cheating at the highest level of competition. No, because the UCI has not succeeded in assuring the public that cheating does not exist. Nothing is more difficult than proving that it does not exist.

As to whether the credibility of the sport depends on such an investment in a visible campaign against potential motor doping: "It's a political choice.

Perrault began his career on mountain bikes before switching to the road in 2010 and retiring at the end of 2016. He worked for Omega Pharma-Lotto for a year before spending six years with AG2R La Mondiale, where he finished second in the 2014 Tour.

The 43-year-old is now looking at his next steps and is eager to stay in cycling, but with a different focus.

"I learned a lot at the UCI, but I want to get back into the sport. Athlete, coach, doctor ...... I want to bring all the different elements together and work on optimizing the performance of cycling teams."

"I don't have any special training, but I can use my experience. I have always pursued performance through all possible training methods.