Julien Absalon's BMC Fourstroke - Vallnord XC World Cup 2016

Sep 3, 2016

by Richard Cunningham

Julien Absalon s BMC Fourstroke - Vallnord XC World Cup 2016

Julien Absalon brings his Olympic bike to Andorra - a 29-inch-wheel BMC Fourstroke. The carbon dual-suspension machine was one of the first race bikes on the World Cup XC with a full-time dropper seatpost. Absalon is already one of the top bike handlers in the Pro XC ranks, so the 65-millimeter KS LEV post made the decorated French rider even more of a threat on the World Cup circuit's ever-toughening courses. Reportedly, this may be Absalon's last season. If that is true, we're going to miss him - and especially, the epic battles between Julien and Nino Schurter - two arch rivals who, when their horns were locked, would leave the shattered field in their dust in a single round of the circuit. Absalon is an XC legend.

Fox iCD electronic remote shock and fork controls.

One battery for Shimano Di2 XTR one-by drivetrain and Fox iCD

ICD-equipped Fox 32 Step Cast fork - polished lowers.

Shimano Di2 11-speed rear derailleur. Nothing shifts better.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do use a dropper seatpost to race cross country.

Julien Absalon Career Highlights

2016

1st UCI MTB World Cup #5 - Mont-Sainte-Anne
2nd UCI MTB World Cup #4 - Lenzerheide
3rd UCI MTB XCO World Championships
1st UCI MTB World Cup #3 - La Bresse
1st XCO UEC European Championships

2015

2nd UCI MTB World Championships
2nd UCI Mountain Bike World Cup - Overall
1st XCO, XC European Championships
1st French XCO National Championships

2014

1st World Championships, Hafjell (NOR)
1st European Championships, Sankt Wendel (GER)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Overall classification
1st 3 rounds of the UCI MTB World Cup: Pietermaritzburg (RSA), Cairns (AUS) and Albstadt (GER)

2013

1st European Championships, Bern (SUI)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)

2012

1st UCI MTB World Cup, Houffalize (BEL)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, La Bresse (FRA)
4th World Championships, Saalfelden (AUT)

2011

1st UCI MTB World Cup, Offenburg (GER)
2nd European Championships (SVK)
3rd World Championships, Champéry (SUI)
3rd UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification

2010

1st UCI MTB World Cup, Offenburg (GER)
2nd UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification
5th World Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)

2009

1st UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Houffalize (BEL)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Offenburg (GER)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Madrid (ESP)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)
2nd World Championships, Canberra (AUS)

2008

1st Olympic Games, Beijing (CHN)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Houffalize (BEL)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Offenburg (GER)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Madrid (ESP)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Bromont (CAN)

2007

1st World Championships, Fort William (GBR)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification

2006

1st World Championships, Rotorua (NZL)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification
1st European Championships

2005

1st World Championships, Livigno (ITA)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Madrid (ESP)
2nd European Championships, Kluisbergen (BEL)

2004

1st Olympic Games, Athens (GRE)
1st World Championships, Les Gets (FRA)

2003

1st UCI MTB World Cup, overall classification
1st UCI MTB World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)

1998

1st Junior World Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)

KS LEV CI dropper post - 65mm stroke, carbon shaft.

Not much tread. Carbon rims are blacked out. FRM Evo?

Shimano XTR brakes, 160mm rotors.

Conservative, 90-millimeter, zero-rise aluminum 3T stem.

When only carbon will do...

MENTIONS: @foxracingshox / @shimano / @ContinentalMTB / @ridebmc

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Bmc Julien Absalon

Author Info:

RichardCunningham
Member since Mar 23, 2011
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33 Comments

34 1

EuanMTB (Sep 3, 2016 at 9:24)

That fork is colour is sick!

ikeizer (Sep 3, 2016 at 10:00)

One drawback - it is not coated. So you can actually see oxydation happening ????

14 0

Bluefire (Sep 3, 2016 at 10:14)

Could be clearcoated?

recipher (Sep 3, 2016 at 12:26)

@ikeizer: I suspect that the team won't care, since it'll only get used for a race or two.

greg390 (Sep 3, 2016 at 18:54)

Hey FOX nice, now I got new project... polishinnnnnn.

vRidge (Sep 4, 2016 at 0:39)

Absalon must not have liked that horrible orange color!

Bluefire (Sep 4, 2016 at 9:46)

@vRidge: I wonder if any of their racers like it. It's so obnoxious. Thinking about it now, though... I wonder how much weight those bare lowers save?

vRidge (Sep 5, 2016 at 0:43)

@Bluefire: Ya, especially the orange forks with the red treks (yuk). I've read somewhere that the paint on frames is a couple hundred grams, so what, maybe 20g or so. That's fairly significant in the weight weenie world.

I saw Absalon was back to orange for the race, must have contractual obligations.

20 0

jo1212man (Sep 3, 2016 at 10:18)

that polished fork is awesome. Its funny i used to be easily enticed by carbons sexy curves. But now I find myself more interested in the beautiful machined cnc'd look of bare metal. Or as is the case with the fork the natural look of polished alu. It just looks right. So Fox its time to swap the goofy all orange forks the WC leaders are running for some bare polished ones instead. A bare polished fox 40 would blow my mind.

17 0

mattsavage (Sep 3, 2016 at 9:56)

Stem actually says 6 degree on it...

Chadimac22 (Sep 3, 2016 at 10:14)

Good eye.

11 0

bj007 (Sep 3, 2016 at 9:42)

My tires weren't that clean when they were new and I removed them from their box.

gsbxcmtb9 (Sep 3, 2016 at 11:30)

Luscious XCO machine. I too love the polished aluminum fork legs; I suspect that they're clear ano'ed.

Its pilot is an uber-stud. It'll be melancholy when his retirement comes.

Thank you for this, and the ongoing, excellent XCO coverage.

ikeizer (Sep 5, 2016 at 1:05)

They're not coated nor anodised. Magnesium by the way.

rspelot (Sep 3, 2016 at 14:33)

That moment where you wake up one morning and realize that the paint on your forks is slowing you down.

catelli (Sep 3, 2016 at 10:57)

The rims are Duke Lucky Jack, not FRM's

GrandesRoues (Sep 3, 2016 at 13:55)

I confirm.

ale50ale (Sep 5, 2016 at 17:16)

I once went to the trouble to strip the paint (or more likely powder coat) off of a set of magnesium lowers hoping for this same effect. The unfortunate reality is that magnesium oxidizes in no time at all. The lowers looked like crap inside of a week. Bummer.
I then polished them up again, and put some rattle-can clear coat on them. It extended the life of the cool raw look, but still didn't last a season of riding. It was really affected by scratches in the clear. More oxidizing. Damn.

If your lowers are aluminum, go for it.

FlavienB (Sep 3, 2016 at 13:38)

There is so many more highlights to his career than this and last season. What about the two Olympic titles and many other World cup and Championship wins?

scissors888 (Sep 3, 2016 at 14:07)

the highlights section scrolls down. Its all there.

FlavienB (Sep 3, 2016 at 16:32)

@scissors888: Thanks, my bad... I was scrolling on the page not just over list...

matadorCE (Sep 3, 2016 at 10:13)

Don't even bother painting the fork to save weight. Awesome that he stuck with running a dropper.

naptime FL (Sep 3, 2016 at 23:23)

Reckon there's still a laqour coat there?

ikeizer (Sep 5, 2016 at 1:06)

@nojzilla: No coating whatsoever

tigerteeuwen (Sep 3, 2016 at 9:24)

29er for life!

blackthorne (Sep 3, 2016 at 21:39)

But how much does it weigh??

Yike (Sep 3, 2016 at 19:16)

@jo1212man and @gsbxcmtb9 those 32 lowers are magnesium not aluminum. But you are both so right, raw is always fresh as.

ConorWG (Sep 4, 2016 at 13:07)

Where did I leave that paint stripper, that bare metal FOX 32 looks the business!!!

xcracinguy (Mar 6, 2017 at 18:56)

what's the weight of his bike set up like this?

cauboi (Sep 3, 2016 at 17:55)

FOURSTROKE like my LAWNMOWER

naptime FL (Sep 3, 2016 at 23:22)

Those Polished fork lowers are SWEEEET!!!

Grononosse (Sep 5, 2016 at 3:55)

Winner's bike !

Go on Julien !!

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