CAPE EPICWINNING SCOTT SPARK 900 RC

Since its debut midway through the 2016 World Cup XCO season, Scott’s all- new Spark dual- suspension race machine has been an absolute revelation, with Nino Schurter achieving what could be called the first ‘ Triple Crown’ of mountain biking by winning – consecutively – the 2016 XCO World Championships, Olympic gold, and most recently, his and Scott’s first- ever Cape Epic title.

Wheels & tyres: RELIABLE Though suspension duties have shifted to RockShox, the team’s wheels are still supplied by DT Swiss. Schurter rocks a set of black DT Swiss XCM 1200 Spline carbon 29 rims running on 240S hubs, both of which sport gold decals that perfectly suit the Spark’s aesthetics – gold can be crass in the wrong hands, but Schurter’s wheels are classy.

We all know tyre reliability is crucial at the Epic, so a standard set of Maxxis Aspen 29x2.25” tyres with Maxxis EXO protection makes perfect sense. Schurter usually runs a lightweight version of the Aspens, but for the Epic he opted for the heavier – but more resilient – 120 TPI.