Pinarello explains the breakage of Ganna's handlebar during the race

Filippo Ganna's victory in Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026 left one of the most striking images of the season after a dramatic comeback in the last 100 meters. However, Ganna's victory was preceded by a concerning handlebar breakage that Pinarello was quick to explain.

Pinarello points to a fitting error after Ganna's handlebar breakage

With 38 kilometers to go, as the race entered its decisive phase, the INEOS Grenadiers rider was forced to change bikes after the lower right part of the handlebar of his Pinarello Dogma F broke. On television, it was not apparent that the breakage was caused by a fall, so it seemed like a structural failure.

 

 

 

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After the incident, the Italian brand issued a statement clarifying the possible causes. In statements given to Cyclingnews, a spokesperson for Pinarello explained that the failure would not be related to a manufacturing defect, but rather to a fitting error. 

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According to their details, an excessive tightening of the brake lever clamp would have caused damage to the handlebar structure in the clamping area. We already know that exceeding the torque specified by the manufacturer can generate micro-cracks that, subjected to the vibrations and demands of the pavement, ultimately lead to a complete breakage. This explanation also affects other models from the brand that use the same cockpit developed by MOST, such as the Dogma F9 or the Dogma GR.

Such failures are rare, but not unprecedented in the WorldTour. One of the most remembered cases was that of Mathieu van der Poel in Le Samyn 2021, when he suffered a similar breakage that led to a massive review by Canyon.

Despite everything, Ganna managed to recover on both occasions and culminate a memorable performance with his first victory in a one-day classic. Something that helped quite a bit to overshadow the incident with the handlebar.