What appears to be a brand new gravel race tyre has been spotted before the UCI Gravel World Championships. The tyre features very little tread, but given the presence of Continental logos, it seems close to being production ready.
The Gravel World Championships are quickly becoming a tech writer’s paradise, with riders devising all manner of bike setups in pursuit of speed over the mixed terrain. Brands also frequently save their latest gravel products for a race which attracts a large contingent from the pro road scene.
Canyon SRAM Grail-6 (credit: Liam Cahill)
Rosa Kloser, Canyon SRAM’s gravel specialist and winner of the recent (UCI alternative) Lauf Gravel Worlds, was spotted with what we believe to be a new Continental gravel tyre.
The name of the tyre was quickly hidden with a permanent marker, but while this move by the team mechanic keeps the branding hidden, it all but confirms that this is a new design.
Canyon SRAM Grail Terra Competition (credit: Liam Cahill)
With a little Photoshop magic, we can see the new tyre will be a Terra Competition.
The size of Kloser’s tyre was not visible, though it appears to be around 45mm wide. Easily visible, however, was the low profile tread pattern, which suggests this is a tyre designed for all-road and gravel racing applications.
Canyon SRAM Grail-4 (credit: Liam Cahill)
While the race was due to be held in Nice, France, it moved to the Limburg region of the Netherlands after the French city was faced with “various constraints”. As a result, the flat course with mostly well-graded gravel, has seen riders preparing their bikes for fast speeds.
But a number of riders, including Kloser, told us about numerous corners featuring a loose top surface. As a result, we saw plenty of knobblier tyres being used on the front wheel, where grip is more important.
Canyon SRAM Grail-3 (credit: Liam Cahill)
Kloser opted for Continental’s 2.2” Dubintal XC MTB tyre with the race casing and rapid compound.