Blog
When conditions are impossible, quality shines!
08 July 2024
What happened in Les Gets?
It was a weekend of two halves at Les Gets. After a mostly dry weekend of practice, quali's, and semi-finals, Saturday brought unexpected weather changes. With rain forecasted, the schedule shifted, cancelling Junior races and moving up the Elite Men's races.
Race day practice couldn't fully prepare the riders for the awaiting mud bath. The 5-foot straight off the log became a slippery challenge, claiming even world champ Charlie Hatton.
When experience and quality come to the fore...
Andi Kolb was undeterred. Aboard the A.200, he tackled the treacherous track with precision and calm, going green section after section. It was a remarkable run in what Aaron Gwin described as "the most difficult conditions I've ever seen at a UCI DH World Cup."
88th in qualifying, advancing to P7 in Semi-Finals, and then taking the hot seat, Andi demonstrated his incredible bike-handling skills on a rain-soaked course. He unseated Greg Minaar, who had set an impressive leading time of 03:50.687 early in the race. Andi's outstanding run was only surpassed by Amaury Pierron’s all-or-nothing performance, but Andi celebrated reclaiming his rightful place on the podium in style.
"Andy laid down a sensational run here in Les Gets and secured 2nd place on the day. Some insane bike control through some of the greasiest conditions we’ve seen all season," said FOX.
"Insane day in Les Gets, I was happy to come away with a 2nd place behind Amaury. Cheers to Atherton Race team for being the best crew out there," exclaimed Andreas Kolb.
"That was MEGA from the big Austrian," praised UCI.
"My HERO," echoed Eliot Jackson.
A.200 - Andreas Kolb's Bike
I've ridden a lot of bikes over my career and the A.200 is the smoothest bike out there, an absolute weapon, the gnarlier the track is the better the bike gets. It feels like you always stay above deep holes and carry the momentum. - Andi Kolb
Frame: A.200 (Size 8 of 12 standard sizes, 480mm reach)
Suspension Shock: FOX DHX2 225X75mm, 500lb spring
Fork: FOX 40 Factory 94psi 6 tokens
Brakes: Hayes Dominion, Purple Hayes. Galfer rotors and pads with sharkfin disks, 223 front rotor 203 rear rotor
Wheels: 29" front, 27.5" rear, Stans Flow EX3 rims and stans M pulse hubs.
Tyres: Continental Argotals with tubeless Stans sea;ant
Drivetrain Cassette: FSA K Force
Derailleur: SRAM DH XO7 Speed
Shifter: SRAM DH XO 7 Speed
Chain Ring: FSA 36t with O-Chain
Chain Device: MRP G5
Chain: KMC
Cranks: FSA Gradient 165mm
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH
Cockpit headset: FSA
Stem: FSA Gradient
Bar: FSA Gradient Alloy 780mm
Tyre Tactics in Les Gets...
Dry, dry, dry... downpour, and with that came a change in tyre strategy come race day.
Our tyre strategy was to play a crucial role... Initially, we opted for Continental Argotal tyres due to the damp conditions. After two runs, as the track dried, we switched to Kryptotals, and continued with them, until it came to the finals, where we decided to revert to the Argotals at the top of the course, a move that proved decisive. This choice helped Andi navigate the conditions and secure his spot on the podium.
More on the A.200...
Super agile and responsive in handling, the A.200 opens up more line choices than ever before. Whether you're on the racetrack or just having fun at the bike park you’re going to love this bike.
- Available in 12 standard sizes + custom
- 3 Build options, plus frame only
- Custom build option - replicate Andi's bike or spec to suit your ride style: email: sales@athertonbikes.com
More like this...
2.77 seconds ahead of the pack - Charlie Hatton takes the win in Rheola, where conditions were very, very muddy. Here, the World Champ gives us his 7 top tips for riding and racing in the mud.
Charlie's guide to racing in the mud
The question of whether the bike is going to work and be strong enough, since the very start of Atherton Bikes it’s never entered my mind, from the beginning strength has been an absolute priority.