05/02/2020

Dubendorf 2020 - World Championships

The 2020 CX World Championships took place in the air force base of Dubendorf. A flat track with numerous (and steep) bridges and just few technical difficulties, ideal for speed and fast race.

As the Worlds are the most important race of the season, the choice of the right tire is the main topic that every rider and coach are discussing the treads, the weather and the mud the days before the race.

During the practice on Thursday-Friday afternoon, the field and the ground appeared compact and hard, ideal for a fast tread pattern as the Chicane with its speedy centre and the side knobs that helps the riders to have more control into the corners.

The small rain on Friday and the continue athletes’ practices made the field a little softer, maintaining a compact terrain as well, and the choice of the tires switched from Chicane to a classic Grifo. This was the choice for the athletes who raced on Saturday. Races were technical but quite speedy and just in the last part of the race the winner could take a gap to win, as Shirin van Anrooij and Ryan Kamp. Woman Elite race started with a strong wind and some athlete, as Katie Compton, were hoping for a quick weather change to rain, ideal for her favourite Baby Limus tread. In the end, no rain arrived so 3 fast Dutch women in front and “just” 4^th place for our unbreakable Katie.

The rain arrived on Sunday: compact dirt terrain became sticky heavy muddy and the field was dominated by mud treads. This was the case of the Junior men’s race at 11:00 am, with an amazing victory of Thibau Nys, who rode the “Babys” at 1.2 bar. As shown in the pictures below, Baby Limus has the ability to get grip in the mud, cleaning itself on the short asphalt sections, without keeping heavy mud on the tire.

The day of Challenge tires continued with the second race where French rider, Marion Riberolle (Experza Pro Team) on Limus, got her first world title with huge solo race, that left Blanka Vas (Hungary) and Anna Kay (UK), fighting for 2^nd and 3^rd podium place.

At 3:00 p.m. the Elite men race took the start and just 30 minutes before Tom Pidcock, was still had not decided the tread to race yet: rain was massive and the mud was liquid, Limus time? 30 or 33? 30mm is the right option for him, less mud would stick in the tread knobs and a lightweight rider would find less difficulties and be faster. Amazing race for Tom who reached the max result possible, arriving 2^nd just behind Mathieu Van der Poel, but in front of four hard chasing Belgians.

To be honest, before Tom, during the long weekend there was only one rider who, on Thursday, was sure to race on Limus 30mm: Timon Ruegg! Local swiss rider who reached a great 13^th place in the men Elite.