Mathis Guay and his Crossmax Ultimate bikes take the podium at the World Cup in Soldier Hollow

Mountain Bike XCO World Cup at Soldier Hollow: a close finish

The Mountain Bike World Cup in Soldier Hollow came down to the final lap for Mathis Guay, who was still in contention with the leaders as the bell rang. Twelve riders were still together at the start of the final lap, including World Cup leader Luca Martin and Martin Vidaurre Kossmann.

On this final lap, Martin Vidaurre initially upped the pace, with Mathis Guay and Cole Punchard on his wheel, before launching the decisive attack. To keep up with the top riders in the closing stages of the season and secure his third place ahead of Luca Braidot, Mathis was able to rely on the responsiveness of his Crossmax Ultimate wheels, designed for modern XC and its challenging courses.

Crossmax Ultimate XC wheels: 1,080 g for explosive accelerations

The pair of Crossmax Ultimate wheels weighs 1,080 g, with the front weighing 500 g and the rear 580 g. In practical terms, a reduced rotational mass combined with the stiffness of the carbon spokes requires less energy for each acceleration and ensures that every watt is transferred without loss. A requirement that the Utah course demanded on every lap.

The carbon rim is 25 mm high with an internal width of 30 mm. This wide base supports the tyre sidewall when in contact with the ground and at low pressure, which helps maintain a precise line through rocky sections. Mavic also states that the Adaptive Layup rim is 50 g lighter than that of the previous generation.

Inside the hub, the ID 360/LIGHT freewheel engages its 40-tooth pawls every 9°. On the bike, this translates into a drivetrain that responds instantly when the rider accelerates out of a bend or attacks the foot of a bump. Mavic Ceramic bearings complete this hub. The model was developed following nine months of field testing with professional riders.

Mathis Guay and the KTM Factory MTB Team in 2026

Mathis Guay is a French rider born in 2002, competing in XCO and XCC for the KTM Factory MTB Team, a partner of Mavic. He rides alongside the Austrian Max Foidl, the Italian Giada Specia, the Dutch rider Anne Tauber and the Austrian junior Eva Herzog, all of whom compete in cross-country.

Before Utah, Mathis Guay had finished 14th in Leogang in June, during a successful World Cup round for the KTM team, then 17th in La Thuile in July, in the elite XCO event. The podium finish at Soldier Hollow marks a significant leap up the global cross-country rankings.

This result meets the team’s objectives: to aim for World Cup podiums and secure its place amongst the World Series teams in 2027. With Mathis Guay’s World Cup podium finish, the KTM Factory MTB Team has secured its first men’s elite podium of the 2026 season.

The Crossmax range: which wheels for cross-country?

The Crossmax range includes Mavic’s cross-country MTB wheelsMavic cross-country MTBs, ranging from the Crossmax 29 with an aluminium rim to the Crossmax Ultimate in carbon. This model sits at the top of the range, priced at €2,299 per pair, and stands out thanks to its carbon spokes and ID 360/LIGHT freehub.

Just below that, the Crossmax S Carbon 29 retain a 100% carbon rim with an internal width of 30 mm, featuring steel spokes and the Instant Drive 360 freehub, weighing 1,695 g per pair and priced at €1,099. The Crossmax SL S 29 wheels feature a Maxtal aluminium rim with an internal width of 25 mm, fitted without a rim tape thanks to Fore technology, weighing 1,655 g per pair and priced at €749. The Crossmax 29 is the entry-level model at €449, weighing 1,770 g per pair.

When choosing, start by considering your riding style. In XC racing, where every lap involves a succession of sprints and short climbs, the lightness of the Crossmax Ultimate really comes into its own. For regular recreational riding, the other models in the range, made from carbon or aluminium, offer a more affordable option.

FAQ

The compatibility of the Crossmax Ultimate with a mountain bike depends on four factors: the diameter, the freehub, the disc and the axles. The wheel is 29 inches, in ETRTO 622x30 format. In terms of drivetrain, the product specifications list a version with a Shimano MS (Micro Spline) freewheel and a version with SRAM XD. For braking, you can choose between a 6-bolt disc or a Centre Lock disc. The thru-axles measure 15 x 110 mm at the front and 12 x 148 mm at the rear. For the tyres, the rim is UST Tubeless Ready and comes with the UST rim tape pre-fitted; the UST valve is supplied unmounted. Please check these dimensions on your frame and fork before ordering.

The spokes on the Crossmax Ultimate are made of unidirectional carbon fibre; there are 20 per wheel. They are straight and round, laced in pairs and secured with titanium nuts. An often-overlooked detail: all spokes are the same length within each pair, on both the front and rear wheels. In practical terms, this means you only need one spoke part number for both wheels. Mavic also supplies two spare spokes per wheel, so you can replace a damaged spoke during training or a race with an identical part, regardless of its position on the wheel.

The final round of the 2026 XC World Cup will take place in Lake Placid, New York State, from 2 to 4 October 2026, featuring both XCC and XCO events, according to the UCI calendar. This is the 9th and final cross-country round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Mathis Guay arrives there in 19th place in the XCO overall standings, up from 26th before Soldier Hollow: the 190 points he scored in Utah, including 160 for his third place in the XCO, have seen him climb seven places. In the XCC overall standings, he remains 22nd after the US round. The cross-country season therefore draws to a close in the United States, two weeks after the Midway round.

In the short track (XCC) event at Soldier Hollow, Mathis Guay finished 13th on Saturday 19 September 2026, the day before the XCO. He completed the race in 22:03, 9 seconds behind the winner, New Zealander Samuel Gaze, who clocked a time of 21:54. Such a narrow margin between first place and 13th place highlights just how tightly contested this short-distance format is. The Frenchman therefore tackled two races with contrasting demands in the space of two days: a very intense race lasting around twenty minutes, followed by an XCO lasting nearly an hour and a half, in which he secured his place on the podium.