XC Bike Checks from the La Bresse World Cup 2018
Are those DT Swiss XMC 1200 wheels in 30mm width? The current World Champion opts for a dropper seatpost.Jolanda Neff's Prototype Kross
Jolanda Neff gets the royal treatment with a new Kross dual-suspension prototype, fitted with DT Swiss wheels and remote-control suspension. Her new bike has to be one of the most stunning XC machines in the pits at La Bresse - a race bike befitting of the woman who wears the rainbow jersey. Kross built this chassis a little burlier than their minimalist XC machines have been constructed - a growing theme among elite XC teams.
Neff is another athlete who will be riding the new Shimano XTR, which, at present, is only available to World Class athletes.
Jolanda Neff gets the royal treatment with a new Kross dual-suspension prototype, fitted with DT Swiss wheels and remote-control suspension. Her new bike has to be one of the most stunning XC machines in the pits at La Bresse - a race bike befitting of the woman who wears the rainbow jersey. Kross built this chassis a little burlier than their minimalist XC machines have been constructed - a growing theme among elite XC teams.
Neff is another athlete who will be riding the new Shimano XTR, which, at present, is only available to World Class athletes.
Jolanda Neff
Super rigid rocker link drives a remote-lockout DT Swiss shock. The chain guide looks like a janky add-on.
DT Swiss remote controlled "Gold Standard" OPM fork
DT Swiss' dual-control lever operates both fork and shock.
Kross' unusual flex-stay dropout pivot above Shimano's 9100 XTR 12-speed transmission.
Another look at Shimano's bonded-aluminum XTR crankarm.
Lukas Flückiger's all new Thömus Lightrider is decked out with the recently released Shimano XTR.Lukas Flückiger's new Thömus Lightrider
Shimano has kept its new XTR M9100 close to its chest as it continues the soft release of what may be their most important component ensemble. Lukas Flückiger is one of the lucky ones who is riding the system on his all new Thömus Lightrider carbon dual-suspension race bike.
Remote-control Fox shock and Shimano's super-clean looking XTR one-by crankset (38T chainring).
Minimal-looking carbon lever.
Shimano's new XTR derailleur, cassette and silent-running freehub system.
Shimano's new XTR race brakes.Flückiger's new Thömus Lightrider falls in line with the inevitable switch to lightweight dual-suspension race bikes as the UCI continues to encourage XC course designers to build more technical World Cup venues.
A flip-chip offers the possibility to alter the frame's geometry and bottom bracket height.
Clean cable routing throughout.
The frame is said to be substantially stiffer and even its clear paint has been minimized to save weight.
Smooth seat tube bracing and a feather-light carbon seatpost clamp.
Schwalbe Addix 'Speed' rubber compound on the back... 
...And the blue-stripe, Speedgrip Addix rubber compound up front.
Ischard Frederic's KTM Scarp
KTM's signature orange logo and paint scheme is famous among motorcycle racers in all genres. Years back, KTM's bicycle brand became a separate entity, but one can still sense a bold connection with its motorsports cousin that extends deeper than the orange logo. This is Frenchman Ischard Frederic's KTM Scarp race bike.
Ischard Frederic
Wrap-around carbon rocker link driving a remote-control Fox EVOL shock. The seatstays are pencil thin.
Flex-pivot dropouts and a SRAM Eagle transmission.
Handmade Andre Dugast tubular rear tire.
Anton Cooper's Trek Procaliber
Aridenton Cooper may be the last World Cup XC racer to embrace dual suspension, but if that is true, he's probably riding the most comfortable hardtail out there. His Procaliber seat tube/top tube junction is designed to float slightly, which creates a more comfortable ride. Cooper is famous for his deep-diving negative stem, which helps the diminutive crusher to achieve a better climbing position.
Anton Cooper
A ground-up view of Trek's "IsoSpeed Decoupler" seat tube/top tube junction.
SRAM Level Ultimate brakes...
Dat stem!
...And titanium hardware.
Top guide, just in case.
Cavalerie's Effigear sequential-shifting transmission is touted as the lightest in current production.Cavalerie had an Anatrail gearbox trail bike, powered by a Gates Carbon Drive cog-belt in the pits. The French brand also owns Effigear - the manufacturer of the bike's nine-speed transmission. There is no chance that the aluminum framed, 140mm-travel 29er could be a competitive World Cup racer, but their presence at La Bresse suggests that Cavalerie may be testing the waters for an all out assault on the conventional derailleur in a venue where even a minor victory could cause a major shakeup. Effigear is claimed to be the lightest gearbox transmission currently in production.
An aluminum chassis powered by a Fox EVOL reservoir shock is the first hint that this Cavalerie is not World Cup XC material.
Formula 35 fork and 29-inch wheels.
Gates Carbon Drive belts run silently, do not stretch, and never need lubrication.
Formula Cura brakes
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