The argument in favour of disc-brake technology, in the pro peloton at least, took years to gain traction but its downfall, in the wake of Fran Ventoso’s injury at Paris-Roubaix, was swift. The Movistar rider, writing in the aftermath of the race in an open letter, was adamant that the deep flesh wound on his left leg was caused by a disc brake rotor from another rider’s bike.
Graphic photos of a blood-soaked Ventoso lying on the side of the road emerged, with the Spaniard looking as though he’d been involved in a knife fight. He called the brakes "machetes" that should "never have arrived in the pro peloton".
"I haven’t met any rider who has run out of braking power with traditional brakes," Ventoso added.
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Despite the evidence as to what caused the injury being inconclusive, it was enough to force the UCI’s hand, with the usual glacial movements of the governing body replaced with what many felt was a knee-jerk reaction when it put an immediate halt to the disc brake trial in WorldTour racing. They may never be seen again, certainly in their current guise.
A thorny issue
Discs have long been a thorny issue in pro racing; while many riders are against them, arguing that rim brakes are safer and plenty for their needs, there’s opposing pressure from manufacturers, who, with an ever-increasing stake in pro road racing as non-bike industry sponsors continue to vacate, see it as a both an improvement on rim brakes in terms of safety and a lucrative area to explore in the amateur cycling world.
This argument was summed up in BikeRadar US editor Ben Delaney’s recent article. Merida’s PR Manager Michael Wilkens told him that brand “fully believe[s] in the future of disc brakes on road bikes”, while former pro Baden Cooke pointed out that discs' added weight alone would have stopped him from using them.
A simple lack of necessity?
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