Zipp clarifies in a statement the controversy about hookless wheels

The controversy sparked by Adam Hansen's statements, president of the Professional Cyclists Association, blaming the hookless rims for the spectacular crash suffered by Thomas de Gendt during the UAE Tour, continues to linger. After Vittoria distanced themselves, the brand of tyres used by Lotto-Dstny, it is now Zipp who presents their arguments.

Zipp defends itself against accusations of insecurity of their hookless rims

The hookless rims remain in the spotlight after the serious accusations made by former cyclist Adam Hansen on behalf of the ACP, which have led to an investigation into the incident suffered by Thomas de Gendt by the UCI itself.

The fact that the Vittoria Corsa Pro 700x28 tyres regularly used by Lotto-Dstny came off the Zipp 353 NSW rims, despite having an internal mousse that should prevent that from happening, only responds to the low reliability of hookless rims in Adam Hansen's words.

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However, first it was Vittoria who stated that their tyres and the insert installed inside had nothing to do with the accident but that the tyre came off due to a strong impact against a stone that cut the insert.

Zipp defends themselves in the same line, starting their statement by explaining that the safety of their wheels is based on tests that meet established standards in addition to their own protocols set based on over 30 years of wheel manufacturing. Tests that include impact tests and tyre retention tests with different combinations of rubber and rim.

According to Zipp, their tests far exceed the maximum pressures indicated for their wheels to ensure safety, in addition to having worked with numerous tyre manufacturers, including Vittoria, to certify that they are fully compatible with hookless rims.

The curious thing about this issue is that Thomas De Gendt, who has remained aloof from the controversy, is the first to attribute the failure to impact against an object on the road, presumably a large stone.

In any case, Zipp is waiting to receive the wheel at their headquarters in Indianapolis to conduct a thorough examination of it to rule out any design problems, although preliminary images circulating on the internet indicate a strong impact based on the damage suffered by the rim and tyre.