Welcome back to the #1 MTB newsletter brought to you by ReconMTB.com, the MTB store where every $1 you spend is an entry to winning a new bike every month.

On today’s run:

• 🏁 Loudenvielle World Cup Preview

• 🇦🇺 Crankworx Cairns Report

• 🚨 Gear Patrol: New EXT Shock

👇 Quick Picks

🏁 XCO World Cup Nové Město Recap

Nové Město delivered chaos, comebacks, and killer sprints in round 3 of the 2025 XC World Cup. Puck Pieterse looked dominant until a flat ended her run. With her out, Mona Mitterwallner edged Samara Maxwell in a gritty sprint. MVDP’s return ended with a crash and a fractured scaphoid. On the men’s side, Christopher Blevins launched a late solo attack and held on for a massive win. Watch highlights.

🐣 Is Camden Rutherfurd MTB’s Newest Prodigy?

At just 14, Camden Rutherfurd is throwing massive whips and turning heads. A former BMX racer with unreal bike control, he’s following the path of Finn Iles and Jackson Goldstone — landing huge whips at McGazza Fest and winning the U17 Crankworx Canadian Open against future World Cup racers. With both style and speed, Camden’s looking like the next downhill phenom.

🦸 Mysterious Moves: Shimano & Rheeder Tease New Drops

Both Shimano and freeride legend Brett Rheeder are playing the mystery game right now. They're dropping cryptic-but-hype video teasers on social, giving zero details but max vibes. Rheeder's hyping up his new brand Signature, while Shimano is flashing a secretive briefcase and hinting at a big reveal. No one knows what's coming—but the internet's buzzing, and so are we. 2025 seems to be an exciting year for MTB fans!

RACING

🔥 Loudenvielle Is About To Get LIT

The UCI DH and Enduro World Cups hit Loudenvielle this weekend — and all eyes are on Bruni in his home country. It’s Round 2 for DH, Round 3 for EDR, and the Pyrenees are primed for action.

Nestled in the French Pyrenees, Loudenvielle has quickly become one of the most anticipated stops on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar. Known for its breathtaking alpine views and technical, natural terrain, the venue offers a challenging mix of steep gradients, off-camber sections, and slick conditions that test even the world’s best riders.

First introduced to the World Cup DH circuit in 2023, Loudenvielle has gained a reputation for unpredictable weather — often swinging between dry dust and torrential mud — adding an extra layer of chaos to an already demanding course.

Who’s Racing:

• Elite Men: 98

• Elite Women: 38

• Junior Men: 55

• Junior Women: 20

Two big names from the U.S. — Dakotah Norton and Aaron Gwin — are back in the mix, looking to stay relevant against a stacked Euro field.

🔁 Flashback to Loudenvielle 2024

• Junior Women: Erice Van Leuven dominated start to finish.

• Junior Men: Max Alran won by 1.6s on home soil.

• Elite Women: Myriam Nicole came back in a big way, taking the win over Vali Höll in front of her home crowd.

• Elite Men: It was a mud fest. Benoit Coulanges thrived, Reece Wilson slid into 2nd, and Andreas Kolb stayed upright for 3rd.

Asa Vermette, then in rainbow stripes, had a brutal crash and will be looking for redemption.

​The weather forecast for Loudenvielle this weekend (May 31–June 1, 2025) suggests variable conditions that could influence the World Cup Downhill event - we are still waiting for a dry race, but it is not likely to be a mud fest in the Pyrenees.​

🌦️ Weather Outlook

• Saturday, May 31: Partly sunny with a couple of showers in the afternoon. High around 20°C (68°F), low near 11°C (52°F).

• Sunday, June 1: Cloudy with a thunderstorm possible in the afternoon. High approximately 20°C (68°F), low about 8°C (46°F).​

For information on where and how to watch the world cup from whatever country you live in see the UCI’s website.

CRANKWORX

🌴 Rumble In The Jungle: Crankworx Cairns

Crankworx Slopestyle came crashing back into the jungle in Cairns, Australia.

On a freshly redesigned course carved deep into the rainforest, some of the world’s best riders stepped up to throw down, proving once again why Crankworx remains the crown jewel of slopestyle.

This year’s course, the result of a creative collab between the trail wizards at Flux and World Trail, marked a big shift in design.

Moving away from the traditional wood-heavy features we’ve seen in the past, the 2025 build leaned hard into the natural vibe. Think more sculpted dirt, less scaffolding—huge booters, rollers, and step-downs that looked like they grew out of the ground. It was raw, fast, and full of flow, pushing riders to adapt and get creative with their lines.

Our very own Allan Cooke (co-host of the RECON MTB podcast) announced the event coverage for Red Bull TV!

The Lineup

The lineup was stacked with hungry rookies and returning legends like Alma Wiggberg, Emil Johansson, David Godziek, and Erik Fedko.

But not everything went to plan. Emil Johansson, a rider who’s practically redefined what’s possible on a bike, suffered a tough crash on his first run breaking his collarbone and a rib.

Men’s Finals: Bringer Brings It Home

With Emil out of the running, the door was wide open—but rising to the top under pressure is easier said than done.

French rider Tim Bringer, who is not sponsored by a bike brand, made it look easy. Following up on his Crankworx Rotorua win earlier this year, Bringer pieced together a mind-blowing run filled with amplitude, style, and technical precision with double flip combos and his signature tech tricks with a lot of spins.

His score of 92.37 wasn’t just enough for the win—it stamped his authority on the entire Slopestyle season so far, now a bike company should sign him!

The “hulk” as his friends call him is now the only rider still on the hunt for the triple crown as Whistler Joyride awaits.

Women’s Finals: Alma’s Triumphant Return

In the women’s field, Alma Wiggberg made a huge comeback, landing backflip and 360 combos for a confident, technical run that scored 90.5 and took the win. Patricia Druwen rebounded from a crash to earn second with an 84.25, while Natasha Miller claimed third with stylish, big-rotation tricks that showed she belongs on the big features.

TECH RADAR

🇮🇹 Built Like a Ferrari, Priced Like a Fiat

Usually, when something’s handmade in Italy, you expect it to cost a fortune. But not this time.

EXT — the brand behind elite shocks like the Storia and Arma V4 — just launched the Vecta, a compact, race-ready coil shock that delivers premium performance at a more wallet-friendly price.

Built on a slim Monotube design, the Vecta offers 3-way adjustability (hi/lo-speed compression + rebound), a hydraulic bottom-out system, and intuitive tuning with standard Allen keys. It’s packed with high-end features: wear-resistant coatings, EV2S oil, polymer bushings, and a bladder reservoir for consistent damping. The 14mm piston adds stiffness, while negative spring preload sharpens small bump sensitivity.

It’s also climb-friendly thanks to the Lok 2.0 lever, and fully tunable via EXT’s RideMaster app, which helps riders dial in a baseline setup straight from their phone.

Weighing 477g (210x55mm) and starting at €749, it fits a wide range of modern trail and enduro bikes — and it’s backed by a 5-year warranty.

Recon’s Take: Don’t let the price fool you — the Vecta isn’t a watered-down version of EXT’s elite shocks. It’s light, smart, tough, and built to rip.

🎥 Video Of The Week

Epic MTB cinema action with beautiful nature and great riding!

🎧 Podcast Of The Week

One of our most popular podcasts yet! Guest host Adrian Galamba joins to talk shop.

🚵‍♀️ New Giveaway Bike

Our newest giveaway bike is a Forbidden Dreadnought 3 MX. Entries are now open on ReconMTB.com! Read more about the bike.

This newsletter is written with ❤️ every week by Nic Bean, Michael Sikand, Justin Rausch, and Marc Brodesser