Was the choice of bike key to winning the Short Track World Championship? In detail, Koretzky's S-Works Epic WC

Specialized was the protagonist brand of the 2025 Men's Elite Short Track World Championship. And it was in a double way: its two specific models for XCO, the Epic World Cup and the Epic 8, achieved a historic double thanks to Victor Koretzky and Christopher Blevins, who fought for the gold in the last meters of an electrifying race.

In detail, the S-Works Epic WC with which Victor Koretzky won the 2025 XCC World Championship: high pressures in suspensions, 40T chainring, and only Flight Attendant in the fork

Here we bring you all the details of the bike with which Koretzky was crowned world champion in Zermatt: the S-Works Epic WC, a unique bicycle with a configuration that bets on maximum stiffness, lightness, and reactivity to perform at its best in explosive efforts like those of short track.

Was the choice of bike decisive?

Specialized currently has two well-differentiated platforms within its XC range. The Epic WC, launched a couple of seasons ago, is a full suspension with a rigid soul. Its ultralight frame incorporates an exclusive rear shock (non-electronic) of only 75 mm, developed with RockShox to maximize pedaling efficiency without sacrificing traction. On the other hand, the Epic 8 is a platform more faithful to current mountain biking, with 120 mm of travel, greater descending capacity, and the complete Flight Attendant system (shock and fork) that adjusts the suspensions electronically in real time.

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In the World Championship, Blevins opted for the Epic 8 and launched a devastating attack in the last lap. But Koretzky, with his more reactive and lighter Epic WC, managed to maintain the push in the final sprint to overtake him just over the finish line. Was it the bike that made the difference? Impossible to know for sure, but it does seem clear that the Epic WC offers an advantage in reactivity and power transfer in such specific scenarios as short track.

This was Victor Koretzky's bike at the 2025 XCC World Championship

Koretzky opted for an aggressive setup, with high pressures in suspensions, a large chainring, and ultralight tires. A bike tuned to perfection for the circuit conditions and the explosive pace of short track.

One of the most striking features is that, although the Epic WC does not incorporate electronics in the rear shock, it does mount the RockShox SID SL fork with the latest Flight Attendant system, capable of functioning completely autonomously, without the need for a dual system with the shock. A setup that, by the way, is not yet available in Specialized's commercial catalog.

Complete setup

• Frame: Specialized S-Works Epic World Cup made of carbon FACT 12m
• Handlebar and integrated stem: Specialized Control Carbon SL
• Fork: RockShox SID SL (pressure: 80 psi)
• Shock: RockShox specific for Epic WC (pressure: 126 psi, without "gulp" or negative chamber)
• Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS
• Wheels: Roval Control World Cup
• Tires: Specialized Air Trak Flex Lite 2.35" T5/T7
• Transmission: SRAM XX SL AXS Transmission
• Chainring: 40 teeth
• Pedals: HT M2T (custom paint)
• Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry with Mirror technology
• Grips: ESI
• Bottle cage: Specialized S-Works
• Helmet: Specialized Evade