Why were there so many flat tyres in the Mont Saint Anne World Cup?
Flat tyres marked the fate of several riders at the XCO World Cup in Mont Sainte Anne. The rain came down hard in the last race of the season and gave us a risky race in which the mechanics had more work to do than usual. Fluckiger, Sarrou and Lecomte were just a few victims.
Fluckiger, Sarrou, Blevins, Lecomte and Courtney: flat tyres have left a long list of victims
The Mont Sainte Anne event put an end to the XCO World Cup 2023. The season ended in style with an unpredictable race that had many alternatives from the beginning. The harsh weather conditions complicated the existence of the riders, who were exposed to slips, loss of traction and flat tyres.
Mathias Fluckiger suffered two rear tyre punctures. The first one happened when he was leading together with Pidcock after breaking away from those who at that time formed the leading group. The Swiss was inspired and, after a quick pass through the technical area, was able to get back on the wheel of the world champion.
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The second flat tyre was more painful. Victory was an almost essential part of the overall and, although the mechanics again gave great service, Fluckiger had no time to get back on track, while Pidcock rode to the finish without mistakes and with a sensational pace.
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Jordan Sarrou was the other big casualty of the day. The Frenchman arrived in Canada with great chances of winning the overall. Although the start was bad, the situation worsened when he suffered a flat tyre on the first lap. The incident forced him to rejoin the race far back in the standings, although he was able to recover to save the runner-up position.
Another who had to go to the mechanic on the first lap was Christopher Blevins, who did not have his best day after finishing third in the Short Track.
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Loana Lecomte took the victory in the women's category but had to recover after a flat tyre. Although she lost many seconds in the technical zone, the Frenchwoman was unleashed and was able to reconnect with the race leader, by then composed of Pieterse and Rissveds, and end up winning alone.
Kate Courtney also suffered the consequences of a flat tyre, which in her case occurred on the first lap.
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Rain, pressure and risks: what's behind the flat tyres at Mont Sainte Anne
The very particular conditions in which the race took place demanded that the riders took measures to match the circumstances. Rain and mud were protagonists from the U23 races and, although it stopped raining for the Elite men's race, the soaked circuit invited to slips and continuous scares.
The recipe for these cases is to mount tyres with low pressures, in order to have more grip. However, such conditions on a circuit like Canada's led to roots and stones that were difficult to see emerging on the surface. This, in turn, increased the possibility of a flat tyre.
Technology has come a long way, but when faced with sharp stone cuts, deep pecks or aggressive punctures, there is little that can be done. Thus, riders play with the pressure and some are also inclined to mount a narrower tyre.
The head plays a very important role in these cases; being able to detect the dangers and react quickly to choose the best route is essential to avoid flat tyres that otherwise become inevitable. In this sense, Fluckiger and Lecomte took much more risks in the technical areas, which may explain the flat tyres they suffered.
Tom Pidcock commented after the race: "I tried to make as few mistakes as possible, but also to conserve the bike because Mathias was flying down the descents like crazy, but he also punctured twice".
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