UCI suspends the use of disc brakes in professional racing after Ventoso injury
Following the accident involving Movistar rider Fran Ventoso at Paris-Roubaix, the UCI will suspend the use of disc brakes in professional road racing amid safety fears.
Harald Tiedemann Hansen, the President of the UCI’s Equipment Commission, confirmed that the UCI will suspend the use of disc brakes in professional road races after Spaniard Francisco Ventoso suffered a deep gash from running into another rider’s rear brake rotor in Paris-Roubaix.
During last Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, Movistar rider Fran Ventoso was reported to have suffered a serious injury which he said was caused by a disc brake on a fellow rider’s bike, a claim that was questioned by Lampre-Merida, one of two teams using disc brakes at Paris-Roubaix.
The 33-year-old’s injuries to his lower left leg required surgery on Monday. Following on from this incident Ventoso wrote an open letter in which he said “disc brakes should never have arrived in the peloton.”
The Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA) also urged the UCI to bring disc brake use to a halt.
“We have asked to suspend the tests on the disc brakes to the UCI,” CPA press officer Laura Mora said. “They will probably suspend it. We have just had the support of the equipment commission for that.
“We have been talking about the risks of the use of the disc brakes since months and we have sent letters in the past to the UCI and the organizers to avoid such risks. Now they are going to finally listen to our voice. We don’t want to stop the progress but we want to find common solutions for the introduction of new technologies without risks for the riders and definitely with their involvment.”
