On a now dry World Cup Downhill Observe in Leogang, Thibaut Daprela of the Commencal Muc Off staff can be trying to higher the fifteenth place end he secured in Lenzerheide final weekend.
As a junior in 2019, Daprela took the win right here in Leogang, however his newer ends in the Elite Males’s subject have been a combined bag. In 2020 we noticed him place eleventh at his first World Championship, and in 2021 he bettered that by a major margin, lacking out on the highest step by simply over a second to winner, Troy Brosnan. Final yr, a crash in finals put Thibaut again in 59th. Fingers crossed this yr he’ll keep on his bike; clearly the younger french man has unfinished enterprise right here within the Austrian Alps.
After deep dusty situations for follow, excessive winds and heavy rain put a halt on proceedings proper in the course of the Junior Males’s Finals. By the point the Elite Males’s qualies rolled round, the moisture had taken its toll on some sections of the observe leaving riders with some unpredictable floor situations to handle. Regardless of such adversity, Thibaut produced a powerful run, qualifying nineteenth for right now’s semi-finals, through which he positioned eighth – see full outcomes right here.
Forward of the massive day, we grabbed Thibaut’s bike to study extra about his most popular settings from Commencal Muc Off head mechanic, Maxime Auguin.
Thibaut Daprela’s Commencal Supreme DH V5
At 177 cm (5ft 8.5″) tall, Thibaut Daprela is using the massive Commencal Supreme DH V5 within the shortest attainable attain place of 484mm, with the 200mm Fox 40 Manufacturing unit fork at a head angle of 63.5°. The air spring is pressurized to 85-90 PSI with 2 or 3 tokens depending on the observe.
The bike is a devoted mullet with rear-center size adjustable via 12mm through a three-position flip-chip on the dropout. In Leogang this weekend, Thibaut is working the bike within the center setting.
There are extra changes obtainable elsewhere, making the Supreme DH V5 versatile sufficient for the total spectrum of World Cup Downhill Tracks. A four-position flip-chip on the decrease shock mount permits for 2 attainable development settings, and two attainable backside bracket heights. In Lenzerheide final weekend, Thibaut ran the upper of the 2 BB positions, however has switched to the decrease setting right here in Leogang.
With an air shock within the type of the Fox Float X2, Thibaut prefers the bike configured within the extra linear of the 2 attainable settings. Its air can is dwelling to 255-260 PSI and three quantity spacers. Like the remainder of the Commencal Muc Off staff, Thibaut likes to run rebound totally open for a brilliant quick return.
This weekend, the staff is working the 6-bar linkage seen on the manufacturing Supreme DH V5, however mechanic Maxime Auguin tells us they do have some not-so-stock hyperlinks ready within the wings, able to be switched onto the bike if the observe and situations demand it. Not proven (apologies) is a seat keep brace, of which there are three choices. Thibaut runs the “medium” brace that delivers… medium rear-end stiffness.
This being a excessive pivot design, an loafer pulley routes the chain near the primary pivot place to handle the consequences of chain progress on the habits of the suspension. There are three attainable mounting positions for the loafer; Thibaut prefers the setting that reduces pedal kickback however doesn’t get rid of it fully.
Thibaut’s bike is rolling on 30mm inside width carbon rims from Enve which are nonetheless beneath improvement. We’re informed they strike an excellent steadiness between stiffness and compliance. These are laced to Chris King hubs through 28 spokes – entrance and rear. The rim of the entrance wheel has a weight secured to it, a hack that’s stated to enhance the bike’s dealing with within the air.
Seated onto these carbon rims is a “First Experience” tire from Schwalbe with an all-new tread sample. Thibaut runs the Tremendous Downhill casing entrance and rear, with a Tubolight EVO DH insert within the rear for much more safety. Populating the rear tire is round 1.7- 1.8 bar (24-26 PSI), with 1.5 bar (~22 PSI within the entrance).
Within the cockpit, Thibaut runs a 780mm vast Enve M9 carbon bar (with ODI grips). It has a 30mm rise. The Commencal Muc Off staff bikes are outfitted with a prototype saddle from Fizik, with a brief rear finish and a ribbed design topped with a cheesy rubber to scale back slippage between rider and saddle. Mechanic, Maxime, tells us this saddle actually helps the riders have an excellent consciousness of their positioning on the bike.
TRP DH-R EVO Brakes maintain pace administration, with prototype 220mm rotors entrance and rear.
Good luck to Thibaut in right now’s finals run. Sadly, Thibaut is the one rider from Commencal Muc Off on observe right now with Myriam Nicole nonetheless sidelined with concussion signs, and the 2022 World Cup DH Total Winner, Amaury Pierron, out with a fractured C5 sustained in Lenzerheide final weekend – as revealed by staff supervisor Thibaut Ruffin in an interview with FullAttack.
We want each Myriam and Amaury full and speedy recoveries.
