Vittoria has come out swinging, saying the tires not to blame for Thomas De Gendt’s crash. The tire company is clapping back after Adam Hansen spoke out about hookless rims following Thomas De Gendt’s crash during Stage 5 of the UAE Tour. The ex-professional cyclist from Australia expressed strong opposition from the the rider’s union, theCPA, stating they are “100 percent against” them. De Gendt encountered an unusual high-speed crash on Friday, and post-race images revealed that the tire of the Lotto Dstny rider had dislodged from the rim. Additionally, the tire insert became entangled with his fork. The Belgian rider took to social media to share details about the crash, expressing uncertainty about its cause.
CPA concerned
In an interview with Velo, Hansen expressed significant concern regarding the rims. “A special thank you to the Soudal–Quick-Step team for the help after my crash. They gave me a new wheel, fixed my bike, and did the concussion protocol. Our car was behind the break and unable to help at that moment,” he posted. “And if someone has the images. I would like to know what I hit with my front wheel.” The crash is the reason the CPA strongly opposes hookless rims. According to Hansen, tires should not dislodge from a rim, especially considering that hookless tires have a maximum psi rating of 73. In the event of an impact, the pressure can exceed this limit, leading to tire detachment.
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Hansen highlighted instances where teams reported that tires, when exposed to sunlight, simply popped off after being installed. Nevertheless, manufacturers strongly prefer hookless rims due to their simpler production process, which involves fewer molds, as clarified by Hansen. He further pointed out that these rims contribute to weight reduction, streamlining the manufacturing workflow, and manufacturers actively advocate for their adoption. Hookless rims lack the small notch for the tire bead to hook onto, relying on the tire bead’s tensile strength and tire pressure for stability. However, it is advised to keep the tire pressure for hookless rims below 73 psi for safety reasons.
Vittoria: don’t blame tires
On Wednesday, both Vittoria and Zipp released statements about the crash. “In the aftermath of Thomas De Gendt’s crash during the UAE Tour last week, there has been some discussion about the hookless system. It is crucial to clarify that the rim’s…
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