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New Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tyres shave weight and rolling resistance
Vittoria has expanded its cotton Corsa Pro tyre range with the new Corsa Pro Speed. It says that the new tyres save 2% in weight over the standard Corsa Pro while reducing rolling resistance by 5%.
They have been in development for three years and have already been put to good effect by Vittoria’s sponsored pro riders, including Jonas Vingegaard when he won the 2023 Tour de France Stage 16 time-trial in blistering fashion.
The new tyres are claimed to shave up to 45g off the weight of the standard Corsa Pro and are priced at £89.99 / $104.99 / €94.95 per tyre.
New tread pattern and rubber compound
The new Corsa Pro Speed tyres share their cotton construction (and tan sidewalls) with the standard Corsa Pro, as opposed to the more normal nylon carcass. Vittoria says that it has designed the tyres to maximise speed, grip and control, with a new formulation of its graphene/silica rubber compound that it claims is fast without sacrificing grip in either dry or wet conditions.
As with the standard Corsa Pro tyres, the Corsa Pro Speeds have a tread that tapers into the sidewall and is electrically bonded to the carcass. This is instead of glueing, as was the case with the previous generation Corsa tyres.
The Corespun 320tpi cotton casing remains, but Vittoria has changed the tread pattern on the new tyres, with a wider slick section at their centre and closer grooves for improved cornering grip and a more supple ride. The tread is also thinner than on the standard Corsa Pros, but similar to the previous generation Corsa Speed tyres.
Vittoria has removed the standard tyres’ puncture protection layer to save weight – a common approach in time-trial tyres, although Continental did keep a puncture protection layer in its GP5000 TT TR tyres. Vittoria’s Bead Shield is retained to reinforce the beads.
The Vittoria Pro Speed tyres were Jonas Vingegaard’s secret weapon when he beasted the Stage 16 time-trial in the 2023 Tour de France, beating Tadej Pogačar‘s time by 98 seconds and effectively ending the latter’s bid for a third Tour win. The tyres were also used by Wout van Aert to win the Belgian national time-trial in the rain and by Jos van Emden to win the Dutch title.
Widths, weights and price
The Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tyres will be available for 700c wheels in three widths:
- 24mm, with a 225g claimed weight per tyre (versus 265g for the standard Corsa Pro)
- 26mm with a 230g claimed weight per tyre (versus 275g for the standard Corsa Pro)
- 28mm with a 250g claimed weight per tyre (versus 295g for the standard Corsa Pro)
All three widths are tubeless ready, although Vittoria states that only the 28mm width is compatible with hookless rims. There’s no tubular option.
The Corsa Pro Speeds are priced at £89.99 / $109.99 / €94.95 per tyre, the same as the standard Corsa Pros.
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