The new bike of the World XCO Champion for 2026 in detail: Alan Hatherly presents his exclusive Giant Anthem Advanced SL

The XCO World Champion Alan Hatherly has just unveiled his gear and bike for 2026. An early move, he is one of the first teams to announce it, and as it could not be otherwise, his newly presented Giant Anthem Advanced SL will feature a unique aesthetic in honor of the rainbow.

Alan Hatherly presents the new kits and bikes of the Giant Factory Off Road for 2026

The South African Alan Hatherly ended the year by renewing his title as XCO World Champion and has just started the new year with a new victory, this time at the Attakwas Extreme, a South African XCM event with a 121 km course where he also set a new race record. On this occasion, he could not wear the World Champion jersey as it was a different discipline, but we could see him with what will be the team's bike for 2026.

Hatherly competed almost the entire last season with a prototype of the new Giant Anthem Advanced SL, which was officially presented to the public at the end of 2025. In 2026, all members of the Giant Factory Off Road (the Swiss Dario Lillo, the Belgian Jens Schuermans, and the Canadian Carter Woods) will compete with the new model in electric blue, characteristic of the team.

Additionally, they are debuting a very distinctive style of kits with the race number on the back. We remember that since last year, all cyclists who have won at least one World Cup event can choose a fixed race number, and in Hatherly's case, it is 11.

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But as we have already hinted, Hatherly will race in 2026 with an exclusive aesthetic on his bike. A decoration that pays tribute to his second World Champion title and the first he has achieved with this new Giant Anthem Advanced SL.

Details of Hatherly's new Giant Anthem Advanced SL for 2026

The South African's mount is the Giant Anthem Advanced SL 2026, a dual suspension bike with 120 mm of travel front and rear that has been completely renewed just a few months ago. 

The Giant Anthem Advanced SL is built on an Advanced SL Composite frame made with continuous fibers to maximize strength and reduce weight, combined with the new FlexPoint Pro system of 120 mm, ultra-lightweight and with a completely carbon swingarm. The Advanced Forged Composite link improves stiffness and durability, while the adjustable geometry via flip chip allows adapting the bike to the terrain. The frame offers space for two water bottles, an oversized head tube for greater precision, and the MegaDrive and PowerCore structural systems, which reinforce lateral stiffness and pedaling efficiency.

While for the rest of the team riders, the bike is presented with the Electrical Storm decoration, the same one offered in the frame kit available to the public, Hatherly will compete with a bike in silver color filled with rainbow details. Even on the top of the top tube, it features the silhouette of the Matterhorn with the rainbow on its north face, the scene where he renewed his title last year.

In terms of components, there are no surprises, and the team continues to have the support of Fox and Shimano for almost the entire setup. The transmission is handled by the new Shimano XTR Di2 electronic group, also accompanied by the new Shimano XTR brakes. The suspensions, from Fox, are completed with the new FOX 34 SL fork, the Fox Float SL shock, and the Fox Transfer SL dropper post.

One of the main novelties is the new Giant Integrated XC SLR cockpit, with an integrated stem and an -8° angle, combined with the new Giant XCR wheels weighing approximately 1,350 grams per pair. Although it is a configuration that we might see differently as can be seen in the images. Maxxis continues to be the tire supplier for the team.

There are still a few months until the XCO World Cup calendar kicks off, which will be in May this year, but pending to know his schedule, we remember that Hatherly is also competing on the road with the Jayco team, and we hope to see the South African debut his new Giant Anthem in some prior race.