Welcome back to the #1 MTB newsletter brought to you by RECON, mountain biking’s fastest growing media brand and online store.
On today's ride:
🏁 More than a Business move: SRAM Aquires Ochain
🍟 New ground: La Thuile DH & EDR 2025 Report
🍎 Overall winner: EDR La Thuile Race Report
👇 Quick Picks
🤖 I’ll be back - The Terminator AKA Tom Pidcock is back!
Tom Pidcock is back on the mountain bike, racing this weekend’s XCO World Cup in Andorra — his first MTB race since last year’s Worlds at the same venue. The Olympic champion had a busy road season, so his fans are hyped for his surprise MTB comeback. He’ll start from the back on Sunday, but knowing Pidcock he will fight for the win. Make sure to watch the XC racers live on Discovery!
🦸Hard MTB League with new Funding Partners & Big Plans
The fresh format Hard MTB League has announced new funding partners, who bring the skills and resources needed to support the league’s growth. New partnerships will enable the league by Braydon Bringhurst to move forward over the next three years. The focus remains on supporting riders, creating engaging live events, producing inspiring media, and developing opportunities for future athletes.
🏁 iXS EDC #5 Spicak 2025 – Dust Fest in Europe
The 3rd stop of the iXS DH Cup dropped at Špičák, Czech Republic, on July 6 – with classic rocky, technical terrain under scorching, dusty summer conditions 🔥 Elite Men’s crown went to Jan Cepelak, and the track delivered pure speed, raw tech, and mad finals energy. Alizes Lassus could win the Elite Women category, congrats!
TECH
🚨 SRAM + Ochain: A New Era of Ride Feel
This Isn’t Just a Business Move — It’s a Shift in MTB Performance
The future? SRAM believes in OCHAIN! Photo: SRAM
This week, something big just went down: SRAM has officially acquired Ochain, the small-but-mighty Italian brand behind one of the smartest drivetrain innovations in years. This isn’t just a headline. It’s a sign that SRAM is leaning hard into improving how bikes feel — not just how they measure up on paper.
Let’s dig into what just happened — and why it could completely change how your next bike rides.
🔧 What is Ochain — and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?
If you haven’t spotted it yet, Ochain is a palm-sized device that sits between your crank arms and chainring, letting the chainring rotate slightly — up to 12 degrees — without moving your cranks.
Why does that matter? On rough descents, suspension compression can tug the chain, causing dreaded pedal kickback. Ochain decouples the drivetrain and suspension just enough to keep your feet relaxed and your bike stable. You still get full power when pedaling, but coasting through chattery terrain feels smoother and more controlled.
It’s like riding chainless — only better.
Real benefits: ✅ Less pedal feedback → smoother ride ✅ Better traction through corners ✅ Reduced rider fatigue ✅ Quieter, more composed bike feel
And it’s not just hype: Ochain is already trusted by top DH and Enduro teams like YT Mob, Atherton Racing, and Canyon CLLCTV.
OCHAIN - a small product with huge benefits!
🧪 Why SRAM Wanted In
SRAM didn’t stumble into this.
According to Flynn George, one of SRAM’s product leads, the company has been laser-focused on ride feel — not just wattage, stiffness, or suspension curves. So, they went full mad scientist. The team built a test rig with over 20 high-precision sensors, tracking everything from frame torsion to crank torque, vibration damping, drivetrain drag, and suspension movement — all in real time. Their goal? Understand how the drivetrain and suspension interact under load on real trails.
What they found lined up with what racers have been feeling for years:
Too much feedback from the drivetrain can destabilize the bike. Decoupling that force — even just slightly — improves control, speed, and confidence.
SRAM tested internal prototypes and third-party solutions. But one system consistently rose to the top:
👉 Ochain.
It was refined. Proven. Modular. And it didn’t require reengineering the entire bike.
The company OCHAIN has huge goals! Photo: SRAM
🤝 What Happens Now?
Ochain is now part of the SRAM family, joining other high-end brands like RockShox, Zipp, Time, Quarq, and Velocio. But Ochain isn’t disappearing. Founder Fabrizio Dragoni is staying on as brand lead, with a new R&D HQ opening in Northern Italy. The vision that started with hand-cut elastomers and CNC’d prototypes in 2019 has now become a full-fledged brand with global reach. And here’s the kicker:
“I told my team: give me five years, and we’ll be part of SRAM.”
That was Dragoni in 2019. It’s 2025. Mission accomplished.
OCHAIN is a common sight on World Cup race bikes! Photo: SRAM
🎤 Final Thoughts: A Win for Ride Feel
This isn’t just a strategic buy. It’s a signal from SRAM that they’re serious about improving how bikes ride — not just how they look in spec sheets. While drivetrain brands often focus on power transfer, efficiency, and weight, Ochain is all about rider experience. It makes your bike feel smoother. Quieter. More confident. It’s the kind of upgrade that disappears under you — because it just works.
With SRAM’s resources and Ochain’s creativity, we’re betting this tech becomes mainstream fast.
RACING
🔥 Jackson Goldstone’s Win Streak Hits Four
And the winner is… Jackson Goldstone - AGAIN! Photo: Whoop UCI Worldseries
Jackson. Just. Won. Again.
La Thuile Turns Brutal — But Jackson Keeps Flying: The fifth stop of the DH World Cup just wrapped in La Thuile, and it brought the heat — in more ways than one. Brutal conditions, high-speed carnage, and nail-biting margins across every category.
🥇 Elite Men: Goldstone Goes 4 for 4
Jackson Goldstone is now officially on one of the greatest World Cup runs in recent history. His win in La Thuile marks four consecutive victories — a streak in Men Elite not seen since Aaron Gwin in 2012 . Important fact: Rachel Atherton did win 13 World Cups in a row from 2015 to 2017. So if Jackson takes the win next weekend in Andorra? He’ll make World Cup history as the first elite man to win five in a single season. He will attack in Andorra and then enjoy his holidays and not be starting at Red Bull Hardline Wales!
But La Thuile wasn’t an easy victory. Jackson still with his 1,8 kg extra weights on his bottom bracket took big risks, held savage lines, and threw down classic Goldstone hucks — fast, loose, and bold. His run was messy in places, but it was relentless. His margin? Just 0.604 seconds ahead of the reigning World Champ Loris Vergier, who had been chilling in the hot seat for over an hour and looked set for a redemption story. Loïc Bruni brought it back to the podium, now he aims on beating Jackson!
Loic Bruni will go FULL SEND to beat Goldstone after La Thuille! Photo: Whoop UCI Worldseries
👑 Elite Women: Nina Hoffmann is Back
Talk about a comeback. Nina Hoffmann returned after a brutal, crash-heavy start to 2025 — and absolutely crushed it. Dropping in fifth-to-last, she put down a run that was equal parts power and precision, crossing the line 7 seconds ahead of the current leader. No one got close. Afterward, Nina downplayed the run, saying it didn’t feel like anything special — but the finish line crew’s reaction told the real story. It was domination.
Vali Höll had another solid ride but ended up nearly 3 seconds back in second place. That’s her third second-place finish this season — and you could feel the frustration bubbling. Gracey Hemstreet thrived on the steep, sketchy sections early on but lost time in the final sectors, still landing third and keeping her title hunt alive.
Fun is fast - Nina Hoffmann did not get tired in her run and WON! Photo: Whoop UCI Worldseries
🔥 La Thuile Recap: Rising Stars & Records Ahead
France’s Till Alran stole the spotlight in Junior Men, becoming the first rider to dip under 3:30 with a disciplined run, while Asa Vermette signaled a return to top form in second. Aletha Ostgaard finally grabbed her first World Cup win in Junior Women, leading wire-to-wire and ending Rosa Zierl’s unbeaten streak, with Matilda Melton third.
As the 2025 DH World Cup hits halfway, the overall battles heat up: Jackson Goldstone chases a historic five-for-five in Andorra, Loïc Bruni wants to dethrone him, Nina Hoffmann is resurging just in time for big-mountain tracks, and Vali Höll is fast but not dominating. Both junior fields are tightening up, promising even more fireworks on the high-speed tracks to come.
RACING
🌑 Enduro World Cup #6 – Drama in the Dark
Big rocks, flash lights and a wild crowd - La Thuille delivered! Photo: Whoop UCI Worldseries
Big Crashes, Tight Gaps & a First-Time Winner in La Thuile: This weekend’s Enduro World Cup stop in La Thuile was pure chaos — in the best way possible. We’re talking alpine drama, huge time gaps vanishing in seconds, and a night stage finale that pushed riders and visibility to the absolute limit.
In the end, Simona Kuchyňková scored her first-ever World Cup win, and Sławomir Łukasik walked away with the men’s overall title after one of the closest finishes we’ve ever seen.
Happy overall winners - this Duo can already celebrate! Photo: Whoop UCI Worldseries
🔥 Kuchyňková’s First Win Under the Lights
Simona Kuchyňková (Cube Action Team) turned her weekend into a career breakthrough. After losing five seconds on the opening stage, she clawed back the lead on Col Croce and carried a slim 2.6-second gap into the final night stage. Midway through the rocky run, she crashed hard, risking it all, but quickly remounted and hammered to the finish. Moments later, Ella Conolly crossed the line but struggled with visibility in the dark, dropping her to seventh on the stage.
In the end, Simona held on for her first-ever win by just 2.08 seconds. Despite the narrow defeat, Conolly secured the overall women’s title with one round left and praised Simona’s fight after a dramatic night under the lights.
Elite Women – Top 5 (La Thuile): 🥇 Simona Kuchyňková (SVK) – 31:13.339 🥈 Ella Conolly (GBR) – 31:15.419 🥉 Mélanie Pugin (FRA) – 31:30.340 4. Morgane Charre (FRA) – 31:48.305 5. Winnifred Goldsbury (NZL) – 31:48.740
👑 Łukasik Seals the Title — By Half a Tenth?!
If you thought the women’s race was tight, the men’s result was wild. Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox) came into La Thuile needing to hold off Charles Murray to secure the overall — and did it by just 0.050 seconds. Not a typo. Half a tenth. The two were essentially tied heading into the final stage, separated by only 0.2 seconds, with Murray holding the slight advantage.
Under the floodlights, Łukasik didn’t just ride safe — he sent it, finishing 4th on the stage and grabbing both the day win and the series crown by the narrowest of margins. Murray was visibly gutted but gracious in defeat. Jesse Melamed rounded out the podium and keeps his shot at second in the overall standings alive.
These rocks are NO JOKE and claimed some victims! Photo: Whoop UCI Worldseries
Elite Men – Top 5 (La Thuile): 🥇 Sławomir Łukasik (POL) – 27:08.758 🥈 Charles Murray (NZL) – 27:08.808 🥉 Jesse Melamed (CAN) – 27:12.548 4. Adrien Dailly (FRA) – 27:14.083 5. Daniel Booker (AUS) – 27:16.340
🚀 Final Round Incoming: Haute-Savoie + World Champs
There’s just one more stop left in the 2025 Enduro World Cup before we switch into World Championship mode — and it’s all happening in Haute-Savoie.
Conolly and Łukasik have already secured the series, but there’s still plenty on the line:
• Podium battles in the men’s standings • Momentum going into Worlds • And one last shot at redemption for riders like Ellecosta, Melamed, and Murray
You don’t want to miss this one.
🎥 Video Of The Week
The GOAT of XCO needs some big rivalry - great insides in his new video:
🎧 Podcast Of The Week
We talk about fresh content and urban MTB riding in our Podcast:
🚵♀️ Current Giveaway Bike
Our newest giveaway bike is a Forbidden Dreadnought 3 MX. Entries are now open on ReconMTB.com! Read more about the bike. USA customers only are eligible to win.
This newsletter is written with ❤️ every week by Nic Bean, Michael Sikand, Justin Rausch, and Marc Brodesser
