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news
Merida Scultura Disc launch 2016 2 - 52.jpgUCI approves disc brakes and moves to ban Tramadol from 2019
After almost three years of tests, the UCI has authorised disc brakes for road and BMX racing from July 1. The sport’s governing body also announced its intention to ban the use of Tramadol in competition from 2019.
Pro teams were initially allowed to try out disc brakes in races towards the end of the 2015 season but it’s technically been a trial ever since – one that has at times been suspended.
The new ruling means they are fully approved and Point 1.3.025 of the UCI Regulations will be amended to that effect.
The UCI has also announced an in-competition ban on Tramadol and other analgesics from January 1, 2019.
The powerful painkiller has been blamed for a number of crashes and last year a House of Commons select committee said it would investigate use of the drug in professional cycling.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) recently reported that 4.4 per cent of cycling doping controls picked up more than 200ng/mL of Tramadol in 2017.
Teams operating under the Movement for Credible Cycling’s (MPCC) voluntary code of conduct do not let their riders use the substance in competition and the group has been campaigning to have it banned.
Last year, former Team Sky rider Josh Edmondson said Tramadol left him feeling “absolutely battered” and that withdrawing from it made him feel depressed.
“I felt like someone had thrown me down some stairs for a few days,” he said.
He added: "The dangerous thing about it is you don't know when you're coming to your limit. It's not a performance-enhancing drug, it doesn't make you any better, you're not getting any more from your body, you are just pushing yourself a bit harder.
"When you're young and you are facing some kind of depression and it might be linked to some sort of drug you are definitely in denial about what that problem is - I just saw it as the stress of doing that job and training hard. I wouldn't have ever acknowledged that Tramadol was doing that.
"It was a serious problem for me especially towards the end of 2014. I didn't leave the house for two months. It doesn't get much worse than that."
The UCI said: “Concerning Tramadol, this is a strong analgesic, associated with significant undesirable side-effects such as dizziness, loss of alertness, drowsiness, or physical dependency and risks of addiction to opioids.
“The UCI has therefore decided to commit to a move towards banning the use of Tramadol in competition for health reasons.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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13 comments
This is good news since bicycles with drop bars and disc brakes will probably get cheaper.
It is silly that road bikes with hydraulic brakes will start at almost 4-digit prices while flat bars at around the half
It all started when the bike manufacturers brought in the so-called 'Safety' bicycle. The 50" wheel is perfectly good, but they have to sell more bikes to the masses, so they brought in the 700c, and made both wheels the same size! The result? Riders going too fast and crashing, because they're not afraid of going over the front of a high-wheeler any more.
So dizziness, a loss of alertness and a dependency on opiods are undesirable? Listen pal, when I were a lad we spent a significant proportion of our time in pursuit of those very characteristics.
The war is over, you lost (some time ago).
I haven't lost anything as I don't compete, discs aren't the future though and I simply won't ever be using them, I have absolutely no need to in any conditions.
So sadly for you, it's you who have lost, some time ago in fact because as usual you miss the point entirely.
Cripes, I came over to road.cc to get away from effing Brexit, and it's going on here too.
#Brakesit
Woooo! It took them long enough. Discs are the future.
Discs will either lead to no improvement in safety or as I think more crashes as riders beleive they can brake later and find out that it's actually their tyres and riders own skill levels that were the main factor for stopping and slowing sufficiently. This will be more noticeable on high speed descents/tight corners and also in the wet.
This will replicate in a very similar fashion the increases in crashes/injuries and deaths through wearing helmets.
I hope it doesn't but don't expect any improvement in safety and the racing will still be the same if all teams adopt it, it won't change shit. The only thing it does will increase wheel change times, increase wattage to go at a particular speed and make bikes heavier, the only upside is the potential for saving a small handful of rims over a season.
OH NO, MURDER DISCS IN THE PELOTON! THE ROADS WILL BE STAINED WITH BLOOD! Has there ever been a confirmed cut by discs in a race? The wheel would have to keep spinning and pressure would have to be applied. I'm not sure why people think they're table saws attached to bikes.
...Uh, I hope there will still be a TUE for Tramadol, because a lot of adaptive cyclists (including handcyclists) use it to help manage their underlying conditions.
Are there different TUE standards for adaptive athletes?
That's a very good question; I don't know.
Section 4.1 of the current rules are pretty good about this; To my knowledge, Paracyclists[1] come under the same rules, but the UCI website is kinda crap if you're looking for rules as regards disabled cycling.
[1] I hate the term paracyclist. It implies that all adaptive and disabled cyclists are under the paralysed category, which is simply incorrect and further feeds the misconception that people in wheelchairs can't walk; Most of us actually do have use of our legs, but are limited in some way.
What are they going to use to dull the pain of all the inevitable rotor slashes?