The 2023 Downhill World Cup kicks off in Lenzerheide this weekend with one of the most picturesque pits that the teams visit all season. We spent some time heading around to have a look at what’s new and what’s going on ahead of a busy day of practice and junior qualification.
Pits with a view. The pits at Lenzerheide stretch along the road surrounding the lake, so the mechanics doing late nights at least get a good view.
Lenzerheide in the sunshine has to be one of the most stunning places to be.
A nice touch from the Commencal Muc-off team. I think everyone is missing Pom Pon at this round of the World Cup
Some bright purple Hayes Dominion A4 brakes getting some attention in the Continental Atherton pit.
The purple continues on to the lever too.
A quiet bike is a quick bike, right? The Atherton mechanics add this little bit of foam to eliminate any noise from the brake hose hitting the fork.
Schwalbe have a new tire that is on many of their riders’ bikes this weekend. The Sharpie has been out over its name but it looks ready to be released.
A closer look at the new tread pattern.
What’s not to like about a well organised foam cut tool box?
Full service for these SR Suntour RUX forks
Danny Hart on his way back from media duties
This is what you can win. Well, if you are lucky enough to be racing World Cups as a privateer and get selected for the Privateer project. It’s a brand new full carbon GT Fury will full Fox factory suspension and Continental tires along with Crankbrothers wheels.
With a full Shimano Saint group-set too.
This is the exclusive Privateer project colorway for the new Fury.
The cable routing on the new GT Fury is interesting.
A brake bleed for Wyn Masters’ Privateer Project rider here in Lenzerheide. It’s safe to say Roger Vieira was pretty happy he didn’t have to work on his own bike as well as racing this weekend.
Not all bikes in the pits are perfect.
Thenew GT Fury looks amazing.
Prepped and ready to go for a lower change in the Fox pits.
Fox had got through all their services before I made it to them in the morning. Just one lonely Float X2 left waiting to head out.
A half-dressed Scott Gambler.
There was plenty of wheel building going on in the pits.
The brand new Giant Glory looking good in its bright paint job.
Fresh lower seals heading into this RockShox Boxxer.
Tegan Cruz’s Session was in for some love on its Black Box suspension
Some fresh Boxxers waiting to find a home on the front of someone’s bike. Interestingly, the damper looks to be a Charger 3 style with Buttercups fitted.
Plenty of forks to be serviced on practice day for the team at RockShox.
A quick fork freshen up
Ronan Dunne’s bike getting a fresh bashgard
Not all tool boxes are show ponies
Nukeproof have been adding weights to the bottom of their bikes for a while, so the team designed a 3D printed cover to house the weights.
But Ronan Dunne left his off and went with some classic cable ties instead. You can just see the weights on the down tube.
More BlackBox Boxxers with some shiny new Code brakes, backing up the damper we saw at the RockShox pit with Buttercups installed.
It was a busy morning for the Continental Nukeproof mechanics.
Shall we build some fresh wheels or play some darts?
Everything is pretty organized in the Cube pits. All the Cube team were running telemetry today.
Pitts with a view and even a BBQ.
INEOS Grenadiers Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was pitting in with the SR Suntour team with her new Pinarello Dogma XC.
Plenty of services underway by the SR Suntour crew.
More first ride Schwalbe Magic Marys in the FMD pits
The FMD racing team always have some of the best paint jobs around.
Brake bleeds going on pre-practice in the Dorval pits with some new-looking Schwalbe tires fitted too.
Sometimes only a hammer will do
The whole Intense team are riding this new prototype this weekend. Looks like another twist on the current trend of bikes we are seeing.
Some fresh looking TRP cranks for the guys at Intense
So with all the big trucks in town, it’s easy to forget the little guys but the guys at Epic bike shop at the bottom of the Revier Hotel put on a privateer workshop, making sure the privateers keep running all weekend.
In this case, a fresh tire and a quick bit of decontamination of the brake rotor and the bike was sort of back rideable, albeit with a mech that had seen better days.
Not all the Specialised team were on the new prototypes. There was still plenty of testing going on with the old Demo too.
Fresh suspension this year upfront for the Pinkbike Racing team. This year they will be running the Manitou Dorado
Super high-rise bars and a big old riser under the stem; it’s not hard to guess who this V10 belongs to.
EXT shocks this year for the Pinkbike Racing team
Some fresh Michelins for Sam Hill.
Sam’s Nukeproof Dissent is looking prime and ready to rock for the legend’s return.
The Gamux prototype is one wild looking bike
With a Pinion gearbox and belt drive at the heart of it
Last minute gear tuning in the Commercial Muc-off pits
Lachlan Blair is riding a toughened up Deviate Claymore this weekend. It’s been modified by the team at Deviate quite a bit, with a change to some of the geometry and a different carbon layup in the frame. The travel has been increased at the rear, and now sits at 190mm.
Anyone want a bike? There is always plenty of opportunity to have a look at some bikes at the top of the hill
This steel Contra is a work of art. It’s also sporting a pair of the newly released DT Swiss 1500 Classic Downhill Wheels
We need more steel bikes racing at the World Cups
Will we ever see what’s under the cover on the new Specialized Demo?
Fonte: https://www.pinkbike.com