Marc Brustenga's exploding tyre in Besseges ruled "not the result of a tyre or rim malfunction" according to manufacturer
Cycling
Equipo Kern Pharma's sprinter Marc Brustenga set off to a seemingly good start of the season at the AlUla Tour and had certainly hoped to add at least one more to his two top-10 results at the Etoile de Besseges.
With that goal in mind, the Spaniard began his sprint in the final metres of the second stage into Marguerittes on Thursday, when all of a sudden, the 25-year-old flew to the barriers in a rather freak crash. Fortunately, despite the high-speed of a bunch rolling to the finish line, no other riders were affected in the crash. Brustenga himself walked away with merely a handful of scratches, but still opted to not start in the third stage, as a precaution.
But what was the reason for this accident? It was visible that the rear tyre blew and a cloud of tyre sealant exploded out, failing to seal the apparent puncture. However what was unclear at the time was what exactly caused the puncture, nor whether the tyre came off the rim in the initial blowout or in the subsequent impact with the barriers.
After a 'thorough investigation', Brustenga's team has confirmed to Cyclingnews that the incident was caused by a hole in the road, which Brustenga hit at high speed a few moments earlier. "A few hundred meters before the puncture, Brustenga entered a roundabout and hit a hole, which slightly damaged the Cadex rim due to the speed. However, he felt that he could continue riding, and he did."
The wheels in question are the 50 Ultra Disc Tubeless wheels, provided by Cadex Cycling, which is the component subsidiary of Kern Pharma's bike sponsor Giant bikes. A Giant spokesperson reiterated to Cyclingnews that the cause of the incident was the "result of wheel damage sustained when he struck a hole in the road at high speed," adding that it was "not the result of a tyre or rim malfunction."
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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