Aldridge and Luca Martin thoroughly review the current XCO: bikes, circuits, training, and the Pidcock vs. Van der Poel rivalry

Cross country is no longer explained solely by watts, minimum weight, and suffering on the climbs. The new generation is pushing the discipline towards a more technical, aggressive terrain that is closer to gravity culture. Charlie Aldridge and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing), both under-23 world champions and World Cup winners, explained this in the podcast Moving the Needle, where they made it clear that modern XCO needs more complete riders, more capable bikes, and better-designed circuits.

Charlie Aldridge and Luca Martin talk about current XCO: bikes, circuit criticisms, the jump to elite, nutrition, training, and the Pidcock vs Van der Poel

The starting point of the conversation was precisely the transformation that the discipline is undergoing. Aldridge acknowledged that he grew up watching freeride, jumps, and downhill videos, but at the same time, he was competitive in cross country. “I always tried to have fun on the bike. I love trails, jumps, riding, exploring. And mountain biking is a great way to do that,” he explained.

For the Brit, the evolution of XCO has been getting closer to his natural riding style. “Now it’s really nice to see how the sport is evolving more towards my riding style. I think in a way I’ve been lucky,” he noted, before summarizing the change with a very clear phrase: “At first, everyone was riding 26-inch wheels, going down scared, and now we go full throttle.”

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Luca Martin also comes to this XCO from a very technical background. The Frenchman explained that he has ridden with riders like Loris Vergier, Loïc Bruni, or Thibaut Dapréla, and that this contact with downhill and motocross has shaped his riding style. “I think it’s a good development for a young rider,” he stated.

XC bikes with an enduro spirit

One of the most interesting points of the conversation was the equipment. Aldridge and Martin made it clear that not everything revolves around weight anymore. The priority is to have a bike that allows you to go down faster, but also expend less energy.

“I have enduro brakes, a 750 mm handlebar, an enduro shock. The bike is now much more capable than ever,” Aldridge explained. Martin confirmed that both use a shock more oriented towards performance downhill, even if it means taking on more weight. “It’s 400 grams more, but it works so well. It provides a lot of grip and is very stable downhill. We can go full throttle and the bike performs well.”

Aldridge summarized the current philosophy of the team with a phrase that explains very well where XCO is heading: “We are looking for more efficiency and recovery on the descents instead of just focusing on weight.” For him, it’s not just about gaining seconds downhill, but about arriving at the next climb with less fatigue. “If you can relax on the descents with a capable bike, you arrive more recovered to go back up on the next lap.”

In the same vein, both spoke naturally about dropper posts, more powerful brakes, electronic suspension, and travel that a few years ago would have seemed unthinkable on an XC bike. “We have 120 mm front and rear. A few years ago, that was a trail bike,” Aldridge recalled.

Criticisms of some elements of current circuits

The most direct part came when they talked about the circuits. Aldridge called for more ambition in the design of jumps, but not from a danger perspective, rather from safety and flow. “They can put some bigger jumps (longer) in the next XC races,” he said.

The Brit explained that many current jumps are too short and steep, something that works in training but not so much in races. “Many of the jumps we have now are quite short and steep. It’s fine when you’re training, but then you get to the race and, especially in Brazil, you fly over those jumps and absorb them like a BMX rider.”

For Aldridge, the problem is not that the jumps are big, but that they are poorly designed for the actual race speed. “Jumps can be built very safely. You can have a landing, and if they’re not so steep, you can enter at speed,” he explained.

Martin agreed that some artificial elements do not always improve the circuit. Aldridge was even more graphic with artificial rock gardens: “They make huge rock gardens that are not really difficult to ride, but many people see them and think they are terrifying.” His preference leans towards natural areas like Mont-Sainte-Anne or complete tracks like Val di Sole.

“Val di Sole is a very good example. It has everything: climbs, flat sections, technical areas, smooth zones, berms, a couple of rock gardens.”, Aldridge explained. And he went further with a very visual proposal for the future: “I think we need a finish jump like in motocross. It would be amazing.”

Short track, chaos, tactics, and spectacle

The conversation also left an interesting take on XCC. Aldridge defined it as one of the most demanding events of the weekend. “The short track is chaos. It’s the most nerve-wracking race of the weekend because it’s 20 minutes, and from the gun, you’re at maximum heart rate almost within a minute.”

Beyond the effort, both highlighted its tactical component. Aldridge admitted that sometimes teamwork can be decisive. “Sometimes you can block a bit the ones behind and help your teammate. They get quite angry,” he commented.

Martin, for his part, sees it as the moment that activates the entire World Cup. “The short track opens the World Cup week. When you get to the start, you feel that everyone is ready. The spectacle, the people… I think: ‘Let’s smash the pedals!’”

The elite level no longer forgives anything

Another central theme was the current density of the men's XCO. Aldridge explained that there were previously fewer clear candidates to win, while now the group of favorites is much broader. “Before, there were four or five riders fighting every week. Now there are 15 or 20 in front capable of winning, especially in short track.”

Martin was very clear in describing the jump from under-23 to elite. “In under-23, if you miss the pedal at the start or make a mistake, you lose a position. In elite, you lose 20.” The Frenchman recalled a race in Brazil where a mechanical problem sent him to the bottom of the standings. “I thought: ‘This year is going to be very, very, very hard.’”

This equality also makes equipment a decisive part. “Tire choice matters a lot. If you don’t choose well, you have little grip or too much,” Martin explained, convinced that it’s no longer enough to be physically strong. “If you forget about that or only think about physical performance, I think you won’t win.”

Training also means eating, recovering, and knowing your body

The talk left another important message: training is not just about doing intervals or accumulating hours. Aldridge insisted on the importance of nutrition, recovery, and body management. “Training is not just about going fast on the bike. Going fast on the bike is a small part. The rest is recovery, food, stretching, gym, everything. Preparing the body for the race.”

In races, Aldridge explained that in XCO, you don’t consume as much as on the road, but the numbers are still high. “In mountain biking, you do more loading before the race, and during, you’re just refilling because you’re going so hard that you can only digest a certain amount. But we still take quite a bit, maybe 80 or 100 grams per hour.”

They also talked about intolerances and routine mistakes. Martin explained that he is celiac and that it took him a while to understand how it affected him. “When I eat gluten, I don’t absorb nutrients well. If you don’t know, you’re killing yourself.” Aldridge, for his part, shared that even a simple banana before a race caused him stomach problems. “You’re pushing the limit so much that your stomach has to function perfectly.”

E-bikes, gym, and variety to maintain motivation

Far from rejecting e-bikes, both acknowledged that they use them a lot. Aldridge was blunt: “I love my e-bike.” For them, they are not just a recovery tool but a way to do more descents, train technique, and keep the fun alive.

Martin admitted that his days with the e-bike are not always easy. “When I take the e-bike, my heart rate is always very high because I use it like a trail bike to climb the trails.”

Variety also appears as an important part of their preparation. Gym, trail, skiing, flat pedals, trail building, or e-bikes serve to break the monotony and improve as riders. “We need to be strong in all skills,” Martin explained. Aldridge also approached it from a mental health perspective: “In winter, I ski, build trails, ride e-bike, do a bit of everything to keep my mind healthy.”

Pidcock, Van der Poel, and the warning that XCO does not allow improvisation

The presence of riders coming from the road also came up in the conversation. Aldridge showed a lot of respect for Tom Pidcock. “Pidcock is exceptional. He comes in and races, but he works and knows what it takes.”

Regarding Mathieu van der Poel, the reading was different. Aldridge believes that his experience demonstrates the specific difficulty of XCO. “Van der Poel arrives at the World Cups, sprints forward, and then blows up because he’s not prepared enough. That shows that you can’t just come in and crush it like in other disciplines.”

Martin, on the other hand, sees it positively that these figures are approaching mountain biking. “It brings more attention to the sport. You also learn because their technique is different.”

The conversation with Aldridge and Martin paints a clear picture of where cross country is heading. Bikes are more capable, riders are training more skills, short track has added tactics and spectacle, and circuits are required to evolve to keep up with the current speed.