Sander
According to ZIPP, the fault lies with an impact from an external object, not the hookless rim or tire system.
Following recent developments and statements from various parties concerning Thomas de Gendt’s tire blowout at the UAE Tour, Zipp has publicly stated its stance.
For those catching up with the situation, which has evolved over the past week, there has been concern over whether the combination of De Gendt’s Zipp 353 NSW rims and 28mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tires contributed to his crash, raising questions about the safety of hookless rims. Although some speculated that the rim was too narrow, Vittoria has clarified that the incident was caused by an impact with a rock.
The UCI has expressed its concerns and announced that it is urgently investigating the matter.
Zipp has echoed Vittoria’s explanation, attributing the failure to a frontal impact that would surpass the resilience of any tire and rim combination.
The company explained:
“Zipp conducts thorough testing to meet and exceed established industry standards, as well as our own rigorous protocols developed from over 30 years of creating the fastest wheels.”
These tests encompass traditional impact assessments for the rim and specific retention evaluations for tire and rim pairings.
Focusing on tire retention and hookless rims, Zipp’s internal standards test the tire/rim combination at pressures significantly higher than any official guideline, ensuring safety beyond the maximum stated pressures.
Zipp has contributed to establishing ISO and ETRTO standards alongside other wheel and tire manufacturers. Compliance with these standards enables tire manufacturers to verify that their tires are suitable for use with Zipp wheels, as reflected in our tire compatibility chart. The company affirms the safety and reliability of its systems.
Addressing the incident with Thomas de Gendt, Zipp supports the evaluations by Vittoria and De Gendt’s team, Lotto/Dstny, which attributed the failure to an object strike on the road.
“Our team is addressing the issue with the highest priority. It was determined that the impact’s nature would have compromised the tire and rim regardless of the design. Photos available online show damage indicative of a significant frontal impact,”
Nevertheless, Zipp is proceeding with further investigations and intends to examine the wheel to better understand the failure and any related impact damage.
“Our design team in Indianapolis is awaiting the wheel’s return to finalize the failure analysis and perform further examinations,” Zipp concluded.
