Cycling: The drivers' union CPA wrote a letter to the technical committee of the world association UCI today - the topic? Disc brakes again. The CPA is requesting the temporary suspension of the current testing phase until all driver demands are met. This includes, for example, protective covers over the brake discs.
The subject of disc brakes in professional cycling is slowly but surely turning into a farce. After last season's test run, which was disastrous in terms of organization and ended prematurely, the restart this year is also not under a good star. Although Marcel Kittel was the first professional to win a WorldTour race on a bike with disc brakes and approval in the paddock is growing, many professionals are still very skeptical - also because communication between the riders and the UCI still seems to be poor.
Product news: "Would be stupid not to use them" - Tom Boonen 2017 on disc brakes
Cycling / Market: An old dog doesn't learn new tricks? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Cycling veteran Tom Boonen will be fully committed to disc brakes in his last season as an active professional, after many many years previously only on rim brakes. The decisive factor was the training sessions in winter on a bike with disc brakes. After the more than chaotic disc brake test phase […]
The drivers' union CPA wrote to the world association today that hydraulic brakes should be banned from the ProPeloton again, at least until the three central demands of the drivers have been met:
- Rounding off the edges of the brake discs
- Protective cover over the brake discs
- All drivers in the field must be equipped with the same braking system
These requests had already been sent to the UCI some time ago. One requirement, namely rounding off the sharp edges of the brake discs, has already been implemented, but the CPA still sees an urgent need for action on the other two. As for the protective covers, there already seem to be a few possible systems that one would look at at the moment, but the fulfillment of the third requirement is currently still in the stars.
Cycling news: Comment: Why disc brakes deserve a second chance
Comment: It's the big topic of the last few days. After an incident at Paris – Roubaix in which Movistar professional Francisco Ventoso allegedly seriously injured himself on a brake disc, the UCI banned the new brakes, which were only permitted at the beginning of the year, from the peloton. Now, however, it is crucial that the dialogue around […]
The worries of the riders regarding the last requirement seem to be justified: In a mixed peloton with different braking systems, the braking distances and braking points can vary greatly - also in such a way that the pros are unable to assess the situation themselves. The UCI, on the other hand, seems to shy away from a "compulsory test": For many teams, in the WorldTour, but especially in the Pro Continental and Continental area, the logistical and financial effort would be considerable.
However, Gianni Bugno, spokesman for the CPA, emphasizes in the letter that the concerns are not fundamentally directed against progress and the brakes, but that one wants to prevent a premature introduction at the expense of the safety of the professionals: "We believe that eventually the drivers will agree and will be very happy to use these new technologies in races, but only after the appropriate safety measures have been implemented."
There is still no reply from the UCI - but the topic will certainly accompany us throughout the season.
Uli says
Bet that this theater wouldn't exist if Vicenca hadn't overslept another development?
Who was Francisco Ventoso's outfitter again?
How happy am I that as a leisure driver I can make my own decisions and the industry offers usable solutions.
Wolfgang Schulte says
It looks like they won't get it lined up in Vincenca in time. But the bar is also damn high.
It's funny that no one wants to drive without disc brakes in cyclocross races anymore.
Chainrings and knife spokes are not protected either, so the pros probably have no problem with that.
If you think back to how the pros fought against the helmet, that was just as stupid.
Marcus Degen says
By the way, we've been invited to a product presentation at Campagnolo at the end of April - we're pretty sure we'll be able to present disc brakes from Campagnolo on April 25th!