New bike and continuity: how Thömus maxon is starting the new season

The Swiss mountain bike team “Thömus maxon” launched the new season yesterday, Thursday, February 29, at the Swiss Bike Park in Oberried. In the presence of numerous media representatives and partners of the team, the importance of 2024 and the major goals associated with it were discussed. Thömus also presented a new cross-country bike, the “Lightrider R3 Worldcup”. A bike that sets new standards in many respects.

Thömus maxon relies on continuity. Team boss Ralph Näf’s squad will start the season with the world number 1 Mathias Flückiger, Alessandra Keller, Lars Forster, Vital Albin and Luke Wiedmann in an unchanged formation. Kathrin Stirnemann is still part of the team in the E-MTB division. In addition to the Olympic Games in Paris (end of July), the big goals for the season are the World Championships in Andorra (end of August) and the entire World Cup, which starts in mid-April with two races in Brazil.

While there have been no changes in the team lineup, two new partners have been acquired: TimeTool and SHORLEY. Confident and highly motivated, Ralph Näf spoke about the ambitious goals: «We want always to get better and better. Under the motto “One Team, one Spirit”, we are setting our own bar even higher. We are relying on our strong partners, our experienced staff and are tweaking many small screws so that we can improve by the decisive percentage points together with the athletes.»

New Thömus bike sets new standards

The new XC bike from Thömus presented yesterday will be an important piece in the mosaic of success. The “Lightrider R3 Worldcup” sets unprecedented standards in the field of cross-country bikes. The “Lightrider R3 Worldcup” impresses with an unbeatable ratio between weight and stiffness. The frameset, including DT Swiss shock, weighs just 1876 grams. Thanks to the use of ultra high modulus carbon fibers, the stiffness of the bike is increased at the same time as the massive weight reduction.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Lightrider, the latest model presents itself with a completely revised geometry and kinematics. A virtual pivot point on the rear triangle and the associated more flexible seat stay reduce the unsprung mass and ensure less overall weight and therefore better suspension sensitivity. The Lightrider’s center of gravity is even lower, its cornering ability even more radical. The new down tube is tapered and optimized so that less dirt sticks to it.

Conclusion: The race DNA of the racing team characterizes the new “Lightrider R3 Worldcup”. Thömus maxon will start the new season on Sunday, March 17, at the first race of the CIC Swiss Bike Cup in Gränichen (AG) with a lot of tailwind.