After a week off, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns with a stop at Val di Sole bike park in Trentino, Italy. Situated in a stunning location within the Italian Dolomites, the race weekend features a diverse mix of XC short track, XC Olympic World Cup, four-cross, and one of the most renowned downhill courses of the circuit.
At about midway through the World Series calendar, there isn't a ton of new tech floating around Val Di Sole that hasn't already been launched this season. Yet, walking the pits this weekend, I found quite a few bikes and unreleased and prototype components that piqued my interest, across both the XC and DH segments. Let's check it out.
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Evie Richards wasn't at Val Di Sole, as the Trek Factory Racing team star is recovering from illness. But her bike was. This appears to be an updated Top Fuel with a very different rear suspension system than the current model. Many brands have, or are moving, to a flex stay rear triangle rather than using pivots at the chainstay-seatstay junction, and Trek seems next in line. Like we saw in Giant's new XC race bike, shedding pivots can reduce a bike's overall weight and help activate its suspension with the carbon frame's inherent flex characteristics. However, unlike the Giant, it doesn't appear as though this Top Fuel can hold two water bottles.
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