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If you're quoting the Cycling Weekly report it also says "“We’ve already tested wireless, but basically we need people to be confident in the system.”.
You were saying about innovation?
In 2001 Shimano introduced a set of trekking components called Di2, which included electronic shifting and automatic adaption of front and rear suspension to riding speed.
During the 2000s both Shimano and Campagnolo (2005)[6] experimented with electronic shifting in professional cycle races.[3]
The first commercially successful electronic gear shift system for road bicycles was introduced by Shimano in 2009, the Di2.[3] Three professional teams used the Di2 in the 2009 Tour of California: Columbia High Road, Garmin Slipstream, and Rabobank;[3] and several teams and riders, including George Hincapie, used it during the 2009 Tour de France[7]
Also in 2009 Giant released a bicycle equipped with the Shimano Di2[3][8] and Trek began providing a battery mount and Di2-specific cable routing and stops on its Madone frames.[9]
A wireless system was announced by Tiso in 2012. Oh, you thought SRAM innovated?
SRAM RED eTap rear derailleur installed.
In 2015 SRAM announced its wireless electronic groupset called, SRAM RED eTap. The group is scheduled for release in Spring of 2016 and will be available on complete bikes and through aftermarket SRAM component dealers.[10][11]"I'll enjoy my Di2 while building a signal blocker for eTap. mwuahahahahahaaa
hippy-
cough Mavic Zap cough
I never said Sram invented electronic shifting, they just didn't bother with the pointless half-way house of a wired shifting system, and have been first to the bring a proper update to the groupset market since Tullio Campagnolo :)
@smallfurry I don't really think what the pro peloton want drives innovation any more; my point was that Shimano are scrambling for excuses. It's not hard (apart from expensive) to build a bike that confers some performance advantages over stuff allowed in UCI racing, even if that's only disc brakes and a lighter total weight.
Not really fussed about Shimano sticking a longer cage on their derailleur as some kind of worthy accomplishment in R&D.
p.s. this is all moderately tongue in cheek. I enjoy my position as resident eTap fanboy, but I'm totally happy with my various cable groupsets.
MechaMorgan
Considering the last I heard from Shimano was 'the pro peloton are not interested in wireless shifting', I would say they're either scrambling for time, or have been completly caught sleeping by their competition.
eTap has had a ~2 year trial in the pro tour, so it's not like Shimano didn't know it was coming. I guess we'll see when they finally volte-face on their wireless opinion