Reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome has called for more bike testing as the sport reels from its first confirmed case of mechanical doping.
Brian Cookson, president of world governing body the UCI, signalled more action and promised riders who cheated by putting motors in their bikes would be caught.
Belgian teenager Femke Van den Driessche is pleading innocence after officials checking her bike at the world cyclo-cross championships found a motor.
The UCI started bike checks because of persistent rumours about mechanised doping.
But this is the first time it has caught a top-level rider at a race.
The case comes as cycling continues to rebuild its trashed reputation in the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal - a watershed moment for a sport long associated with physical doping.
Froome said when he spoke to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission, formed in the wake of Armstrong's downfall, he warned them about the spectre of mechanised doping.
"For the last few years now, there have been rumours about motors being concealed within the bikes," Froome said.
"I said (to the commission) 'listen, from my point of view, there are these rumours and it would be my advice that the UCI implement controls and measures to start checking bikes more regularly'.
"Over the last couple of seasons, my bike has been checked and dismantled at least a dozen times.
"They are taking the threat seriously and, hopefully, this will mean they only increase the number of checks they do on the WorldTour level."
Froome, in Melbourne for the Herald Sun Tour, said he had no idea how big a fresh problem cycling had on its hands.
"At the moment, we only have rumours to go on," he said.
"All I can hope is the authorities take this matter really seriously and implement more and more random controls - throughout cycling.
"That's the only way forward; the same way that the authorities have approached doping."
Cookson said cycling authorities would test more bikes, more often, and was trialling new methods to catch mechanical cheats.
"Our message to those choosing to cheat is that we will catch up with you sooner or later," Cookson said.
The UCI has previously used X-rays or dismantled bikes to look for the tiny motors.
They can be hidden in the downtube, seat-tube or hub and drive the back wheel to give riders a possible speed boost of about 4-5km/h for up to an hour - a significant boost at the top level.
A tiny battery can be activated from an easily disguised button on the handlebars.
Random controls for mechanical doping have been carried out since it first surfaced in 2010.
Van Den Driessche, whose brother is banned for doping - using EPO - denied wrongdoing, saying the bike belonged to one of her friends.
Details were vague about whether it was used for racing or just seized from the team compound.
Cycling legend Eddy Merckx is among those wanting life bans for mechanical doping.
The Italian manufacturer of Van den Driessche's bike, Wilier Triestina, is threatening legal action.
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