After the controversy and the debate, Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step) returned to using disc brakes on stage 1 of Paris-Nice. The German has been of the leading supporters of the braking technology, and one of the first riders to use them during their 2017 trial at WorldTour level.
Kittel briefly opted to return to the more traditional caliper brake-equipped Specialized Venge ViAS bike after claims that the disc rotors on his bike had sliced through one of Owain Doull’s shoes in a crash on stage 1 at the Abu Dhabi Tour. He told the press then that he would put a hold on using discs “out of respect for my colleagues because I understand the safety issues.”
On the start line of stage 1 of Paris-Nice, the discs were back.
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“Oh yes, disc brakes. I think it’s a good choice for this weather condition. I’ve said before that I still believe in the disc brakes and I’m convinced by it,” Kittel told Cyclingnews.
While it still remains unclear as to how the incision in Doull’s shoe was made – there were also claims that the Sky rider’s attire could have been spliced open by a rusty guard rail during the crash – the debate around the technology has rumbled on. In the aftermath of the crash, a body representing the bicycle industry issued a statement rejecting claims that disc brakes are dangerous and should not, in their current form, be permitted for use in professional cycling.
The UCI and the (Cyclistes Professionels Associés) CPA are at loggerheads, with the latter’s rider representative recently telling Cyclingnews, "The sad thing is someone might have to take a bullet for change to happen.”
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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