The World Cup course in Nove Mesto is a classic Fully course. There are hardly any participants who ride hardtails here. Only Jolanda Neff seems to do her laps on a hardtail - really? Her Trek bike is neither the "Top Fuel" full-suspension model nor the "Procaliber" hardtail.

The area between the saddle rails and top tube is covered. We can therefore assume that Trek has a new suspension system with an overhead shock in its quiver, which is concealed under the black cover. Even if the bike looks more like a hardtail in this area, the pivot point hidden behind the chainring reveals that it is definitely a full-suspension bike and not a softtail version of a hardtail.

No specific information was disclosed when we asked. Guido Anderwert, Marketing Manager of Trek Bicycle Switzerland, simply says: "Together with the teams, we are always testing new products. We will inform you as soon as there is something to share."
As Trek did not have to wait long between the first sightings of the prototypes and the presentation of the Procaliber, it can be assumed that the new cross-country fully will be presented this summer.

New cross-country fork from DT Swiss?

The race bikes of the "Thömus RN Swiss Bike Team" are real eye-catchers. Mathias Flückiger's winning hardtail from Albstadt had to be "looked at" twice, however. The team rides with wheels and suspension forks from DT-Swiss. However, the suspension on Flückiger's bike differs significantly from the "OPM O.D.L Race" suspension fork model from the Biel-based manufacturer.

Even if unlabeled, as the fork cannot be assigned to a product from another manufacturer and the shape of the dropouts, the clamp for the brake line is similar to DT's current all-mountain fork F353 One, it is probably the case that DT Swiss is working on a new fork or is already far beyond the tinkering stage. It is conceivable that the Biel-based company is bringing out a cross-country fork with the suspension and damping technology of the new F353 One all-mountain fork. Whether this is the case was not confirmed to us.

Fat tires for fast laps

There were also interesting things to see when it came to tires: The wheels of the Scott-Sram team riders are wearing the latest generation of Maxxis semi-slicks. Neither named nor labeled, the tires have a fine tread pattern on the tread and minimalist side lugs, similar to those of the "Aspen" tire model, which is probably the ideal short-track tire. The model names "Aspen SS" for semi-slick or "Aspen ST" for short track could be derived from this. Incidentally, it is also referred to as the latter within the team. Will the working name later also become the official model name?
With a width of 2.4 inches, the twentyniner semi-slicks are voluminous enough to provide sufficient grip despite the fine tread pattern. But the carcass should also play its part. It is the new Exo carcass with the additional designation "One70", which stands for 170 TPI (threads per inch - number of nylon threads per inch, usually 60 or 120 TPI). This means a finer and denser carcass fabric with thinner nylon threads. This reduces rolling resistance and the tire adapts better to the ground. This also provides more grip and riding comfort and, on top of that, this carcass is also said to be lighter.