Teams cast doubts on whether disc brakes caused Francisco Ventoso's Paris-Roubaix injury
Direct Energie and Lampre-Merida, the only teams using discs at Paris-Roubaix, say that their riders did not witness an incident with Ventoso - Both teams call for full investigation into incident
The managers of two WorldTour teams have cast doubts on claims that a disc brake was responsible for a leg injury to Francisco Ventoso during this year's Paris-Roubaix on April 10.
Spaniard Ventoso (Movistar) said that a deep muscle cut in his left shin resulted from colliding into a rear disc rotor. However, Direct Energie and Lampre-Merida, the only two teams using disc brakes in Paris-Roubaix, say none of their riders reported seeing an incident with Ventoso.
The incident happened on the Quérénaing sector, at 115 kilometres to race when Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) were distanced from the favourites. Ventoso continued, but abandoned shortly after.
Ventoso wrote an open letter three days later saying disc brakes "are giant knives, machetes when crashing against or crashed by them at a certain speed." The sport's governing body, the UCI, banned their use the same day, only four months after it allowed them into the professional peloton.
>>> Official: UCI suspends the use of disc brakes in professional racing
Critics questioned immediately whether Ventoso's cut came from a disc brake given the type of cut and how he explained it happened. Cycling Weekly spoke to both teams using discs, and each said that none of their eight cyclists reported an incident on that sector.
"I don't really want to go into this debate," said Jean-René Bernaudeau, general manager of French team Direct Energie. "But no, I had no report from my riders of an incident [on the same sector with Ventoso].
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I'm not convinced about the disc, I've seen many crashes and cuts in my years. This could be from a derailleur. Or a pedal. But, I'm not going to deny it was a disc brake. I'd prefer to have a doctor look first and have him give his opinion."
Brent Copeland, manager for Italian WorldTour team Lampre-Merida, said that he would be the first to apologise if he is wrong, but doubts the cuts are from a disc. The South African, alongside his rider Federico Zurlo, spent four hours with Ventoso in the hospital waiting room that Sunday.
"I'm not so convinced that a disc brake caused Ventoso's injury because it's on his left side," said Copeland, who wrote a guest column in this week's Cycling Weekly magazine.
>>> UCI failed to take into account rider fears about disc brakes, claims CPA
"The disc would've had to have been horizontal to make it possible, and Ventoso said that he didn't even fall, but rammed into the back of the rider. To do that sort of deep cut you would have to fall hard."
Watch: What do the pros really think of disc brakes?
Like Bernaudeau, Copeland wants that the incident is investigated so that cycling may learn from it and develop safer disc brakes. To date, however, representatives from the UCI have not contacted the teams for further details to add to Ventoso’s.
There is little else to go by. That Sunday, YouTube clips showed Peter Sagan jumping over Fabian Cancellara and Sky's Luke Rowe trying to hop over his team-mate Gianni Moscon. However, television cameras were unable to capture the Quérénaing incident that Ventoso described in horrific detail.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
A bikepacking trip is the perfect way to see the last viewable solar eclipse in the U.S. for 20 years - here's how
Following a 115-mile-wide path, the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse will last just under four-and-a-half minutes and can be viewed from multiple U.S. midwest and east coast bike routes
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
'I pulled it off and turned everything around' - Brandon McNulty on the ride that changed him
US star grabbed his first ever Grand Tour win at last year’s Giro d’Italia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'We were lucky with the weather': Brandon McNulty admits rain helped UAE Emirates edge Paris-Nice stage three team time trial
American pulled on the yellow jersey after a rain soaked finale to stage three in Auxerre
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
UAE Team Emirates power to team time trial victory on stage three of Paris-Nice
Team take advantage of more clement weather to put Finn Fisher-Black into yellow jersey
By Adam Becket Published
-
'He’s making history': Paris-Nice reacts to Strade Bianche masterclass from Tadej Pogačar
'He can still surprise us all the time’ João Almeida on Pogačar's performance in Tuscany
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘He’s learning fast’: Isaac del Toro, the peloton’s ‘best neo-pro’ triumphant at Tour Down Under
The Mexican has had raced just twice at WorldTour level, and taken his debut victory at the second opportunity
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tadej Pogačar and UAE-Team Emirates angry with motorbike but remain optimistic of taking Tour de France yellow
It's proving almost impossible to separate the two at the top, and a close motorbike on stage 14 didn't help Pogačar's intentions
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard takes yellow at Tour de France: ‘It would be better to have two minutes than 25 seconds’
Reigning champion in yellow jersey but Tadej Pogačar strikes back
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Adam Yates: Going one-two with your twin brother at the Tour de France, not many can say that
Adam beats Simon Yates in Bilbao, but says his brother will be a 'pain in the ass' in the coming weeks
By Adam Becket Published