While we all know that racing has its unique challenges, breaking handlebars is not normal. For Hugo Hofstetter, the GP de Denain was not his race, as he broke not one but two Bianchi Oltre RC handlebars.

It also doesn’t seem like it was that long ago the Canyon asked consumers to stop riding the Aeroad CF SLX and Aeroad CFR following Mathieu van der Poels broken handlebar at Le Samyn.

Also Read: Unpacking the new Bianchi Oltre RC: We have questions and some answers.

Bianchi Responds

Regarding the events of Thursday, March 16, 2023, at the GP Denain, which involved, among others, the Team Arkea-Samsic athlete Hugo Hofstetter, Bianchi has been in constant contact with the team and the rider since immediately following the race’s finish.

Based on what we’ve learned, Bianchi would like to clarify the following:

• As already communicated by Team Arkea-Samsic, the breaks suffered by the handlebar of the Bianchi Oltre RC used by the athlete were caused by two different falls in which the rider was unluckily involved, during two separate but proximate segments of the race. In both cases, the incident caused a severe impact on the component.
• Like all Bianchi products, Oltre RC handlebars have successfully passed validation test protocols in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4210-5 regulations and are, therefore, safe to use by both our customers and professional athletes equipped with Bianchi.
• The possible breakage of a carbon fiber handlebar is a predictable condition as a consequence of a strong impact generated by uncontrollable dynamics.

Bianchi holds the safety of its customers and professional athletes in the highest consideration. The company constantly invests in research and development, as well as in laboratory and on-road testing activities to guarantee the safe use of its products.