The uncompromising cross-country racer, Titouan Carod, stops at nothing in pursuit of performance.
'Known as one of the best descenders on the MTB World Cup circuit, and a core member of the BMC MTB Racing Team, it was no wonder that he was excited when we introduced him to the latest version of the world’s most accomplished XCO bike. “For a long time cross-country mountain bikes felt a bit like a compromise. A bike could be great on the climbs but it just wouldn't perform as well on the descents," he shrugs, “not any longer though.” As a former engineering student, Titouan had en educated, insider view of the Fourstroke's most recent developments: "This bike takes it to the next level. There's a lot of technology in it, but the design language is so stylish that there's also some mystery."
Titouan raced the Fourstroke for the first time at the 2018 World MTB Championships in Lenzerheide, a track that many feel is a complete cross-country circuit – all of the climbs, descents, drops, roots and rocks that make it a genuine challenge. Lenzerheide is where the French National MTB Champion got his best elite result to date: "It’s as fast up as it is down, which is something that I really enjoy. Modern cross-country mountain biking is really technical, meaning that bikes and riders need to be both physically and technically at the top of their game. Lenzerheide was the ultimate test and I think we're there."
Every second matters