Cyclists taking part in French sportives, including L’Etape du Tour, hugely popular among British riders, will not be able to do so on bikes equipped with disc brakes after the French cycling federation (FFC) decided to ban them.
The decision follows the UCI’s suspension of a trial of disc brakes after the Movistar rider Fran Ventoso claimed to have been badly cut by one in a crash at Paris-Roubaix. It should be pointed out that there is no conclusive proof a disc brake did indeed cause the injury.
The Spanish rider said that disc brakes, trialled at top level races since last autumn, should never have been allowed in the pro peloton, but he added that he did support their use in cyclo-cross races and by amateurs taking part in sportives.
> Fran Ventoso: Disc brakes should never have been allowed in peloton
The FFC, it seems, does not agree with that latter point, saying in a statement published on its website:
Following the decision of the UCI of 14 April 2016, the Federal Bureau decided at its meeting on 14 April 2016 to forbid the use of disc brakes on all road events organised under the umbrella of the FFC.
Besides L’Etape du Tour, which this year takes place from Megeve to Morzine on Sunday July 10, mirroring the route of Stage 20 of the Tour de France, other events affected include the Ariegoise.
Organisers of that Pyrenean cyclcosportive have reiterated the ban on disc brakes on their website, saying: “The Executive Office of L’Ariégeoise Cyclosportive will not allow the participation in his event at the cyclists equipped with disc brakes.”
68 thoughts on “Disc brakes banned from French sportives including L’Etape du Tour”
not a fan of disc brakes for
not a fan of disc brakes for the pro’s but this is way OTT and will impact so many people.
This is not fair and not right as you do not have large pelotons on sportives
ianrobo wrote:
They don’t have any kind of peloton in a sportive. They have pelotons in proffesional racing, but only in France. Sportives have large groups of gringos
Have entries already been
Have entries already been submitted and paid for these events? If yes, then the organisors must surely refund those with disc brake bikes due to the fact that the rule was not in place when the entries were placed. Could they even be liable for any other expenses (e.g. flights already booked) incurred by an entrant who is now unable to participate due to the bike they own?
Also, is there any scrutineering of bikes at the start? If not, then it’s entirely possible that people could be riding bikes that are dangerous during the event. If they are going to ban discs on safety grounds then they need to ensure checks take place to catch anything else that might be dangerous (e.g. bars without plugs)
joules1975 wrote:
I’m not sure how they are going to check, unless they do it as you enter the start holding pen, where they check your bike/rider number. They could bike check then, but can you imagine them trying to enforce it…
othello wrote:
I’m not sure how they are going to check, unless they do it as you enter the start holding pen, where they check your bike/rider number. They could bike check then, but can you imagine them trying to enforce it…
— othello
I’m guessing they could just strip you of your number and you’d be technically no longer part of the event. It isn’t a difficult thing to spot or enforce if they want to do it. Their event their rules. They’re French! 🙂
Great, because everyone has
Great, because everyone has another bike without disc brakes just for sportives.
I wonder what Shimano and the bike manufacturers have to say about this. A lot of bikes sold as “gran fondo” or “sportive” bikes now have disc brakes.
On the other hand: I see so many bikes which are not legal on sportives (three spoke wheels, tri-bars) I expect people will still use them.
Agree with general view on
Agree with general view on here that this is overkill, and I am not a fan of disc brakes on road bikes at all. This is a poor reaction and impacts many peoples plans and will incur signifcant cost.
How many mountain bikers have been injured by disc brakes? I’m sure it happens but no one is generating mass hysteria about it.
How many club rides across the UK have resulted in a crash where a disc brake has caused a significant injury?
Next they will be banning anyone from taking one hand off the handlebars whilst riding and you can only drink at designated stopping points.
I just saw on facebook that
I just saw on facebook that the Catalan Cycling Federation is also considering a change.
That would be a problem for me as I am already signed up for La Ruta Minera and Gran Fondo La Mussara.
I guess I could rent a bike with rim brakes, but that means renting it for a couple of weeks to get used to the bike and the brakes.
cdamian wrote:
charge them for the rent
If it is not a closed road
If it is not a closed road event, nothing to stop to cycling the route without a number at the same time as the competitors.
rjfrussell wrote:
nothing at all and even in closed roads thats applicable. What you get from a sportive is support of course and thats why people like them.
I am doing the Marmotte this year, no disc on my bike but if I had then the whole thing flights, accomadation etc cost over 1K I would want to use my climbing bike for it with or without disc.
The only danger with disc is a closely packed large number fast pro peloton, that is not sportives !
ianrobo wrote:
No, but it IS continental Granfondos.
Assuming carbon rims are
Assuming carbon rims are banned already? They explode on big descents apparently…
StoopidUserName wrote:
Carbon clinchers have been banned in the past, in events in the USA.. of course using discs gets round that particular problem..
Ban spokes… They’ll chop
Ban spokes… They’ll chop someones fingers off, those dangerous highly tensioned pieces of stainless steel! What is the world coming to?
steviemarco wrote:
I would ban narrow cobbled roads
cdamian wrote:
Might as well ban steep mountains while you’re at it, nasty weather and crashes can happen up there. ‘All bike races will henceforeth be conducted at a limit of 30kph on a wide open spirit level flat road with a minimum of 2m between each rider. Winners will be decided beforehand by the UCI’
In all fairness, the pro peleton, as proven at the Tour of Dubai, would still manage to crash because of someone doing something stupid that their DS told them too. Therefore, is there really any similarities between amateur events and pro races? Mst of us punters prefer leaving a gap and staying rubber side down, incase we scuff our expensive kit and the cafe won’t let us in.
Now that is one of the
Now that is one of the dumbest, knee-jerk reactions that I have come across in a long time.
I wonder what the sponsors of the Etape (including Trek and Mavic) have to say about this ridiculous decision.
Nothing as yet on the Etape
Nothing as yet on the Etape du Tour Rules page, nor communicated via email to those registered…
Until confirmation pops up, may just apply to FFC organised road races rather than amature GF’s, nothing on the Etape rules page either to say you can’t ride a flat-bar road bike which isn’t a UCI sanctioned design…
Pretty ludicrous decision if proven to be true however, I’d much rather have disc equipped riders behind me into the corners than rim-braked riders!
MoutonDeMontagne wrote:
For L’Ariégeoise it is already up: http://www.cyclosport-ariegeoise.com/en/
MoutonDeMontagne wrote:
Actually….. http://www.letapedutour.com/us/practical-information/faq
FAQ:
“What types of bikes are allowed on L’Etape du Tour?”
“All types of FFC approved bikes are accepted, with the exception of electric bikes. Recumbent bicycles and handlebar extensions are not permitted.”
Since disc brake bikes are no longer FFC approved, they’re no longer on the list of bikes that are allowed.
neildmoss wrote:
No disagreeing with your observation, but it doesn’t actually state ‘FFC approved ROAD bikes’. Cross bikes are still FFC approved, and thus theoretically so are disc equipped Cross bikes. Where does the line between a disc road/gravel/cross bike sit? Therefore, unless is specifically excludes discs, like it does eletric, recumbant and tri-bars, there is a case for ambiguity…
MoutonDeMontagne wrote:
Yep – I hope clarity comes soon, one way or the other.
Seems to me that some
Seems to me that some traditionalist has seen an opportunity to enforce what they think bikes should look like on the public.
Can someone please confirm
Can someone please confirm that this includes La Marmotte – Im doing it this year and ride a Synapse Hi-Mod Disc (which I bought in January specifically with this event in mind!!)?
Should I risk it or hire a bike locally?
As others have said, complete load of b@llocks, the FCC are a bunch of morons.
Great news.
Great news.
Has the UCI banned disc
Has the UCI banned disc brakes on the official motorbikes yet?
after all discs are soo dangerous, and as we have seen motos are regularly crashing with riders.
I’m assuming this only
I’m assuming this only applies to events in France, and not all events run under the ‘etape du tour’ banner. (like the dragon ride, which was not even an Etape event when i enterred)
Only events which fall under
Only events which fall under FFC affiliation.
Note it is pretty rare for such events to get by without support from the national cycling federation – it also dictates other important rules line proximity of doctors, number of ambulances, min. number of marshalls etc.
It’s one way of raising the
It’s one way of raising the standard of riding though. Sadly though it is the ritish riders who are generally guilty of terrible road etiquette and seem unable to ride in a bunch withouth swerving madly across the road. If ASO are succesful of ridding the sport of the newbies that don’t want to ride properly then fair play to them.
Anyone that needs disc brakes on a road bike can’t be a competant rider and shouldn’t be riding events like the etape.
Roddders wrote:
Your last comment reflects that lack of progressive thinking which has stifled the UCI. Riding a road bike with discs has nothing to do with competence. It’s a preference. A preference for a year round bike, which is versatile. Clearly for the majority of rides in the summer rim brakes are great. They work for the pros. There is no getting around the fact that a disc brake is fundamentally more effective in a wider range of conditions.
I shall be seeking a refund if it does turn out that discs are banned from the Etape.
mireland wrote:
I have been riding rim braked bikes for 20 years in all conditions, in Scotland too I might add. I’ve never felt the need for disc brakes as braking is as much about bike handling and riding as it is about the equipment used.
Roddders wrote:
Plus anyone who needs a compact chainset, or a large sprocket bigger than a 23, or 2 water bottles or tyres wider than 18c or blah blah the rules etc.
Roddders wrote:
What do you think disc brakes give that rim brakes don’t? They’re designed to be similar in braking performance to dura ace (and similar level kit) rim brakes. Modulation is better but a ham fisted rider can get things just as wrong on rim and disc brakes.
Have you actually ridden disc brakes on a road bike or are you speaking from no experience?
Roddders wrote:
I think the internet slang is “OTIO”. Or you are (again, I think) guilty of elitist bollox based I would wager on a breathtaking lack of self awareness and a vast over estimation of your own talent.
surly_by_name wrote:
Probably. On the other hand, being, much less assessing oneself as being, a “competant” rider doesn’t ipso facto make someone a great thinker. And, as you point out, his confidence in his cycling ability may turn out to be as well-grounded as his confidence in his rhetorical and orthographic competence.
In any case, the French will do as the French are wont to do, just as the pros have done. I’m, of course, utterly confident that having a sprinkling of amateurs, used to hydraulic discs on their custom-built sportive machines, careen off unfamiliar mountain descents on sharp-angled thin-rimmed rim-braked loaners will do wonders for everyone’s safety.
On the one hand it does seem
On the one hand it does seem a bit reactionary.
On the other I can’t help feeling a little schardenfreude for all the disc brake adopters who have been boring my arse off for the past year about how soon ‘everyone will have them.’
As I’ve said a couple of times on this site:
1. The benefits are marginal even in the wet. I either feather brake earlier or don’t ride in the wet. Simples! If a car pulls out in front of me I’m sliding out – disk brakes or no disk brakes.
2. They’re ugly. It may well sound shallow but when you’ve been riding as long as I have you tend to hone your kit down to proven classics rather than follow the herd because someone flogging kit tells you you’ll be safer. Cleats. Better helmets. Indexed ergo shifters. Yes please! Disks? Nahhhhhh. I also don’t want to add to my crosswind profile.
As for being able to avoid danger in the Etape just by being careful? I wouldn’t bet on it. Having done two in a row back in ’09 and 10 there were crazies crashing out on the first descent and some plonker shipped his chain and took me down with him on an innocuous piece of flat. The etape tends to attract a fair few terrible cyclists and against the clock they’re a hazard.
WolfieSmith wrote:
On your first point, I personally find the benefits of discs in the wet to be significant. Perhaps other rim/pad combinations fair better, but in the wet my pads take a good second or two to clear the water off the rims before starting to bite. On a 50mph decent thats 10-20m travelled before my brakes even begin to slow me down…
While I don’t really like the feeling of applying my brakes and then waiting for something to happen, I’ve learnt from experience that they will eventually start to work and in most cases I will have given myself plenty of stopping distance.
Emergency stops, though, are a different matter. When a car pulls out of a side road, or something else happens up ahead, I do tend to panic that they are not going to start working in time. This usually means that I start squeezing harder and harder whilst nothing is happening, and then end up with the back wheel snaking in the air when the crud clears and the front brake finally bites.
Ultegra/swiss stop yellow/carbon tubs is the combination that provides such excitement in the wet if you’re wondering. Better than intervals for getting the HR up.
I don’t have anywhere near as many dramas on my disc equiped bike, which lets me apply as much braking force as I think the tyres can handle whenever I want; the aesthetics might not be to everyone’s taste but I certainly haven’t had anywhere near as many close calls in the wet on my disc bike. Riding in a group, I’m certainly less likely to mow down the rider in front if they have a mishap when I’m on my disc bike.
I’m interested to try some of the new technologies for rim brakes – some of the really aggressive (rough) braking tracks and softer pads look like they might transform rim brake performance in the wet. I wouldn’t care if I had to replace the pads every x thousand km if they just worked when I needed them. I actually wonder if the migration towards discs is partly due to the abysmal braking performance of the first few generations of carbon rims, which as I’ve just outlined above is downright scary.
2trax wrote:
I’m amazed at the quoted supposed poor performance of rim brakes, I re-discovered road bikes a few years ago and was anticipating some dreadful experiences once the rims got wet, but found in reality that my old stock veloce monoblock pads were surprisingly good in the wet and when I put some Athena holder and pads style brakes on, it was another level of excellent. Better than my mtb and hybrid on discs. The only real world issue for me is the grey slurry running off my rims, telling me that the Ally is wearing away.
This is getting stupid. I
This is getting stupid. I ride rim and disc brakes. On my road bikes I prefer rim brakes. I have no problem riding with anybody in a group ride or sportive that’s using disc brakes.
French federation say Chris
French federation say Chris Froome only wins races cos he dopes/has a hidden motor/his wheels are rounder/has disk brakes. The spirit of Henri Desgrange lives!
This is getting ridiculous
This is getting ridiculous now…
It was all getting a bit much when the UCI banned discs for the pros on no more than anecdotal evidence (it seems). Hell, the ‘disc brake’ injuries could possibly have come from the cobbles. Why not ban the cobbles too?
Bladed spokes are FAR more dangerous than discs, much easier to stick a limb into…
The FFC is the authority for
The FFC is the authority for French road racing, and the wording “epreuve” means races. As such, it is normal that the FFC would follow the UCI ruling – as it is the responsibility of the national federations to apply international UCI rules.
Note that in France, sportives are also characterised as races, and FFC-registered teams and riders do race these events for results.
I’ve raced in France for 3 years now, the rules have been quite clear that disc brakes were not permitted – FFC may have been trialling discs in line with the UCI trial but UFOLEP (the other cycling federation focusing on amateurs) never took part in the trial and even before Paris-Roubaix had reminded riders that disc brakes were not permitted in its events (after parents had bought disc-required booked for their kids).
The position UFOLEP took was interesting – it was the responsibility of bike sellers to advise consumers that road disc bikes were not approved for racing. ASO/Etape du Tour will likely take s similar response, it is in their T’s and C’s that riders need to ride a regulation FFC bike. Not their responsibility if FFC rules change mid-season.
What an insane decision!
What an insane decision!
This is massively out of
This is massively out of order by the federations involved. However, I would deter any competitors from going against the ruling and using a disc braked bike (unless the ruling is overturned) as this may invalidate any insurance cover that you have under the event. It isn’t worth the risk.
Still don’t get why road
Still don’t get why road bikes need disks, the UCI was always going to go against them once the novelty wore off.
Not being an arse but I used to ride on the road with the former BCF centres of excellence and the thought of riding so fast and so close to others with a mix of disk and rim brakes is scary, some things don’t need fixing.
I’d be genuinely interested to know what others think of disks in the peloton who still road race at any level and what the attraction of a messy, heavier, fiddly and less aero alternative really is…don’t even start on the speed of a wheel change and the guys looking after the bikes
ironmancole wrote:
At club level we ride a mix of disc and rim brakes and as long as people communicate and ride smoothly there’s no issue. It’s exactly the same as the guy with the newly serviced bike with dura ace rim brakes vs the guy who hasn’t touched his tiagra brake cables in years. The dura ace guy will stop way before the tiagra equipped guy everything else being equal. You’ve got to be aware of your surroundings and be smooth in your riding.
As for wheel change speed – that argument was basically killed a while ago with stuff like this: [url]http://road.cc/content/tech-news/178542-video-how-long-does-it-take-change-disc-brake-wheel-professional-road-race[/url]
Winter is coming.
Winter is coming.
The luddites versus progress.
It is so very unfortunate that technologicaly illiterate, but very passionate and humane people are so prominent in our sport. Cycling is governed by faith, beliefs and opinions by people who have very limited understanding of technology, and exhibit active fear of it. They operate like religious cults, or extremists issuing fatwas. So very sad.
Everyone suffers and the situation is hopeless as what can anyone do about this? Can we sue the various cycling governing bodies? Is there a precedent where someone sued a religious institution on the grounds of limiting personal liberty, or causing economic loss (for example rational riders who bought disc braked bikes that now cannot be used because of a fatwa?)
mythbuster wrote:
There is no need to sue. This will be decided by money.
I have registered for two more sportives in Spain this year and planned to do more in Europe, but now I won’t register because I cant be sure if I will be allowed to ride my bike.
And the bike manufacturers will have to do a 180 degree turn on their marketing of current sportive, endurance, gravel and adventure bikes which all feature disc brakes. This will take some time and money.
All we can do is wait. We have the advantage that we don’t have to do sportives. We don’t make money with races and can ride on the same roads with friends or clubs with whatever bike we like.
I haven’t met anyone who uses disc brakes who would go back to rims. And I personally would never got into road cycling (again) without them. It is a bit too old school for me.
I would ban them just for
I would ban them just for looking shit, that they also add unnecessary complexity, expense and danger means even the aesthetically challanged dont want them.
If you were stupid enough to buy one, toough, enjoy commuting in it and buy a proper bike next time.
haha @ mythbuster…what a nobhead!!
IanW1968 wrote:
Well said, I couldn’t agree more, best comment on disc brakes yet.
Great news. This may
Great news. This may (hopefully) be the start of the end for sportives. If you want a social ride, get a few mates out and do it for free, if you want to do something with a number and a stopwatch then enter a race. Wannabe racers getting kicks pretending that they are racing.
Welsh boy wrote:
Never understood this attitude. Why does it concern you how other riders choose to organize their rides? If you don’t like sportives and prefer to just ride with a few friends, you’re free to do so. If I don’t like actual racing, but get a kick from riding an organized, timed event, why does it bother you?
This “I don’t like X, so others should not have X either” is such an extremely elitist way of viewing things. This applies not only to cycling, but life in general, and it’s a major reason for a lot of disagreeing around the globe, I think.
I also like disc brakes by the way, deal with it.
Masterchief wrote:
Testify! Amen!
If you don’t like sportives: don’t ride them
If you don’t like disc brakes: don’t buy them
If you don’t like triples: don’t buy them
If you’re offended by compacts: don’t buy them
I wonder how many individual
I wonder how many individual crashes/riders have happened in the Pro Peloton due to wet carbon rims? Even Wiggins has commented on this and he’s not exactly gunning for discs.
Should we therefore ban all wheels with carbon breaking surfaces?
Should we also ban all bikes with traditional/exposed cassettes and drive chains and favour internal hub gears and belts instead? I imagine an 11 speed sprocket spinning in a pile up could cause all sorts of nasty injuries.
Bladed spokes? Clipless pedals? Carbon frames due to the fact they’re more prone to snapping on serious impact?
As a relative newcomer to the road (been on MTB’s since I was knee high to a space hopper), I’m amazed with how terrified the sport is of any technological progress, which is ironic given that its moto sport equivalent (Formula 1) has always been at the forefront of technological advancement which eventually filters down to the road cars we buy.
Anyone who has ridden discs on the road knows the following to be true, on a dry/hot day with perfect conditions, rim brakes at absolute best can match discs. However, for the other 90% of the time/conditions, discs are superior in power, modulation and confidence.
Aesthetics? I like my bike to look like it’s come from this century and not using technology that has been outdated decades ago- but that’s just my opinion. More to the point, your bike won’t be looking too pretty after you’ve locked up a rim in the wet, crashed out and you now have a massive crack in the frame.
It’s the gift that keeps on
It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
If disks are so good – why is
If disks are so good – why is it that at the cross worlds it was pretty evenly split rim v disk ?
I’m perfectly happy with rim brakes for the road but I would have thought they’d be better for cross.
I’d not be looking at disks for a road bike.
And the Etape seem very quiet on the matter. No tweets. No news on their site ?
I’ve already made the switch
I’ve already made the switch to disk brakes and I love them. All my bikes are based on cross geometry though (I found it better for my back) and I’m really just a commuter these days. The benefits of disks isn’t just the signifcantly better braking but also the fact I have bags of room left to run wide tyres and mudguards.
However, they don’t seem particularly necessary in the pro peloton but obviously market forces have been trying to force them in. I think there will always be a place for them in the way I’m using them. But I do wonder what sort of backlash I may be subject to if i turned up on my local club run one day!? I think there is far too much hysteria with far too little actual evidence in this past week or two. I really feel for those that are affected with regard to the sportives they have entered. If I had, I’d really want to ride my best, most comfortable, custom-built, disk-equipped bike.
Organisers of La Marmotte are
Organisers of La Marmotte are in discussions over how to get around the FFC ban on discs – decision to be announced next week.
You can bet the Etape organisers are doing the same right now. Hard to imagine this move is being welcomed by any sportive organisers in France, it’s a massive headache for them.
http://www.sportive.com/cycling/522490/ffc-ban-casts-doubt-over-use-of-disc-brakes-in-la-marmotte-and-letape-du-tour
This is complete BS. The
This is complete BS. The vitriol and knee-jerk reaction to the whole disc brake debate is just beyond… When taken into context of the larger picture of safety, motor vehicle related injuries and deaths in amateur events and the pro peloton are a much more significant consideration and should really get more oversight by the governing bodies, UCI, team management and the CPA Pro Rider Union.
That all said, disc brakes as a technology have been proven over time and millions and millions of miles of use that they are superior in performance to rim brakes and drum brakes. Look at any other form of transportation and the adoption of disc brakes was done well over 30+ years ago. Trains, planes, automobiles, motorcycles, etc… To use a rim brake in this day and age is just antiquated at best. Plain and simple, let’s get on with adopting it already… Just incorporate disc brake covers, rounded rotor edges, et al.
It’s a bit pitiful that there
It’s a bit pitiful that there are people who have invested so much self-worth in something so utterly trivial as their personal choice of brand or equipment that they need to validate it by attempting to insult people whose choices differ. They should probably grow up a bit.
This is getting silly. No
This is getting silly. No investigations made to corroborate Ventoso’s claims, and serious have already doubts on how his injury could have been from a disc, especially when no disc braked bike were involved in the crash in which his leg was injured. On this basis tyhe teeth should be removed from chainrings, bladed spokes on aero wheels banned, and the only shots of the event should be from helicopters from a thousand feet with no camera bikes, press cars or team cars. UCI and promotors get a grip before you turn the sport into a laughing stock.
Excellent news, disk brakes
Excellent news, disk brakes have no place on a fast road bike, keep them for gravel, commuting bikes, and similar. Hooray !!
LBS tells me disk brake road bikes are bought only by newbies with no real clue about biking at all…
They are fine on a wet bike, with mudguards of course. If you ride a drop handlebar bike with disks and no mudguards for the rain then you haven’t really though about what you’re doing too much, I think.
Excellent news, disk brakes
What an absolute load of toss
What an absolute load of toss, if you ride too closely in a peloton it doesn’t matter what brakes a bike has, the outcome will be the same, a pile up. As for Fran Ventoso being cut by a disc, that’s a load of poppycock, going over the bars at 30 kmh plus will cause more injuries and road rash than a disc rotor. Typical over reaction from the UCI and French. Disc brakes are excellent stoppers, I am glad I bought a bike with them.
The beauty of cycling is the
The beauty of cycling is the freedom. If you and your friends don’t like the rules of an event, just ride the day before. It’s no big deal. Why everyone feels a need to ‘join up’ is beyond me. Support is for weenies. I ride a at least century every week by myself and unsupported, and it just takes a little planning. And there are lots more cafes etc in Europe than where I live. Just go and have fun! And yes, the organizations are CYAing, because some lawyer is going to say that if its not safe for the Pro’s, it’s not safe for anyone. It’s a legitimate argument in a court. Besides, as an engineer I see no reason those discs need a sharp edge. The manufacturers did it to save cost by simply copying an old design and applying it to bikes and they need to recognize that it could be a lot safer. Shame on them, not UCI.
This is loads of bollocks
This is loads of bollocks from UCI and FFC.
I rode the Etape in Annecy in 2014 on a rented Scott city/hybrid with disk brakes. It was fun.
In 2015, had a rented rim braked bike on that wet descent of Tourmalet. That was fun for a different reason. Thought that I will go back to ride a big sportive next year on my own ‘sportive’ diskbrake equipped Diverge, which I got not because of the boom and novelty surrounding disks on roads. I simply wanted and made use of it. Now I will think twice before entering/planning a sportive next year. Might just go on a touring ride instead. Thx UCI morons.
Looks like Spain has got in
Looks like Spain has got in on the act too….
http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/ciclismo/ciclismo-frenos-disco-prohibicion-espana-5084327