CPA boss Adam Hansen fears hookless rims pose danger to the peloton following Thomas De Gendt's crash: "One day there will be a massive crash"
Cycling
Thomas De Gendt suffered a hard blow on Friday in the UAE Tour. The 37-year-old Belgian from Lotto Dstny escaped without too much damage, but his front wheel did explode, something that worries the CPA riders' association.
"If you look at the images of Thomas de Gendt's bike, you see that his tire came off, the safety foam on the inside got stuck in the fork and the front wheel locked up," said CPA chairman Adam Hansen to Velo.
"Some teams race with rims without hooks. This crash is the reason why the CPA is one hundred percent against hookless rims. Tires simply shouldn't come off a rim. The maximum tire pressure these hookless tires can hold is 73 and if you hit something you will definitely exceed that maximum tire pressure. That's why they come loose."
"We've heard from some teams that they've put the tires on the bikes, left them out in the sun and their tires just pop off," Hansen continued. "The problem is that the manufacturers really love it because it is much easier to produce the rim. You need fewer molds, the rims are much lighter and it is easier to produce. Hence the manufacturers insist on using hookless rims. There are many people who want to ban this in the peloton, because you can literally take down other riders. One day there will be a massive crash."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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A special thank you to @soudalquickstep for the help after my crash. They gave a new wheel, fixed my bike and did the concussion protocol. Our car was behind the break and unable to help at that moment.
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