Cadex responds to the Capiot incident at the Omloop and rules out that the hookless design was the cause

The spectacular incident involving Amaury Capiot during the 2026 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad continues to generate debate regarding the use of hookless rims in road cycling. Following the images showing the rear wheel of the Jayco-AlUla rider completely collapsed, the brand Cadex has issued an official response explaining its analysis of what occurred.

 Cadex responds to Capiot's wheel collapse at the Omloop and dismisses the hookless design as the cause

According to the company owned by Giant, the separation of the tire and the collapse of the wheel would not be related to the hookless design of the rim, one of the elements that has received the most criticism in recent years within the professional peloton.

According to the investigation conducted with the team, the problem originated after an initial puncture in the rear wheel that forced Capiot to continue riding for several sectors of cobblestones with the tire already deflated.

Cadex maintains that the cyclist continued to ride on the cobblestones with the damaged wheel for an extended period. This situation would have caused a progressive deterioration of the carbon rim until a structural crack finally occurred in the rim. This structural failure triggered the displacement of the spokes relative to the hub and the complete collapse of the wheel, at which point the tire ended up coming off the rim.

 

 

 

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The team itself had already pointed out after the race that the incident occurred after the rider had been riding for too long with the flat wheel while waiting for assistance from the team car, which was far away at that moment.

The images of the incident also showed that the wheel had a foam insert inside the tire, a relatively common element in tubeless wheels in northern classics. These systems are designed to allow temporary riding after a puncture and reduce the direct impacts of the rim against the ground, but perhaps Capiot pushed it too far.

Furthermore, Cadex points out that, although these inserts can offer some protection in puncture situations, the brand does not recommend their use with its wheels. In any case, the company does not point to the insert as a direct cause of the incident.

The statement also details that the initial damage to the wheel may have occurred after an impact while traveling at a speed close to 47-48 km/h. From that moment on, continuing to ride over cobblestone sections with the already damaged wheel would have accelerated the deterioration of the carbon until the final breakage occurred.

Despite the spectacular state in which the wheel was left after the incident, Cadex emphasizes that the system maintained enough stability until the moment of the final collapse to prevent the rider from falling.

In its statement, Cadex insists that the rim design was not the determining factor in this case and that the collapse occurred only after riding for several sectors of cobblestones with the wheel already structurally compromised.