No I don't think so. Road racing/cycling is way more popular in Europe and they use drop bars.

Without being political I think the US is far less accepting of different ideas and Europe tends to be more progressive as far as exploring out of the box technology. Here we feel we must use drops because that's what we use but maybe.. maybe we can bend them a little out or shorten the reach. In Europe I imagine they just chuck out the rule book for each activity and ask, what would a better bar look like? Or, what would a better IGH or generator etc... look like? They are a lot less constricted by tradition in that way. It's socially acceptable to innovate. Here, with so many things one seems to have to prove loyalty by remaining the same ie. Harley's and Ford trucks.