Argon 18 has released a statement confirming that it was not their handlebar that failed in last night’s team pursuit qualifying race, which caused Australian rider Alex Porter to hit the boards in a dramatic 60km/h crash.
Instead, Bastion Cycles -- an Australian company which specialises in 3D-printed bicycle parts -- has taken responsibility for the incident, confirming that it was their pursuit base bar that failed in such spectacular fashion.
Read the full statements from Argon 18 and Bastion Cycles below.
Martin Faubert, VP of Product at Argon 18:
“Like all of you, we were devastated to see the Australian rider crash in the men’s team pursuit. We are greatly relieved that no one was seriously injured and applaud the team’s quick return to the track to complete the race.
“A full equipment review is in progress by the Australian Cycling Team and we will have more details shortly, but at this time we can confirm it was not an Argon 18 handlebar which experienced this failure.
“While Argon 18 has designed a handlebar for the bike, and provided that handlebar to the team, it was not our bar in use during this incident. We unfortunately are unable to provide further detail on the manufacturer of the equipment nor why this particular bar was swapped out for the race. We remain committed to our partnership with the team and wish them the best of luck as they continue to compete at the highest level.”
“Regarding the handlebar failure during Olympic Competition.
“Our team is working with the Australian Olympic Team to understand the cause behind the failure of one of our handlebar units during the four-person, Australian pursuit challenge at the Tokyo Olympics overnight.
“Our first concern was for Alex Porter and the entire team. We are in constant contact with the Australian Olympic cycling team and coaches, and give our assurances that we are using all means available to investigate why this occurred.
“Our focus at this time is to continue supporting the Australian cycling team for the remainder of the competition.”