Pro bike: Kevin Pauwels' Ridley X-Night

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Belgian World Cup leader Kevin Pauwels' Ridley X-Night. After winning the first World Cup cyclo cross race outside of mainland Europe, we grabbed Pauwels' bike fresh from the jet wash, which meant some evidence of the day's race before its final clean(Image credit: Robin Wilmott / Immediate Media)

This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Kevin Pauwels is having perhaps his most consistent season since 2011-2012, with wins in two of the toughest Superprestige races at Zonhoven and Spa-Francorchamps, and now the Milton Keynes World Cup event in the UK this past weekend. In the first World Cup cyclocross ever to be held outside of mainland Europe, Pauwels started the race as World Cup leader, after second places in Valkenburg and Koksijde, and defended his overall lead with the race win.

Riding a stock Ridley X-Night, Pauwels chose to stick with his familiar cantilever machines, even though he had disc brake-equipped bikes on hand too. The competition take up of disc brakes among Europe's elite ‘cross racers is still limited, but they are slowly becoming more commonplace. Last season the Sunweb team bikes featured a full complement of Ridley's house brand 4ZA's finishing kit and brakes, but this year, Shimano CX70 cantilevers with SwissStop pads have replaced them.

Many Shimano-sponsored riders choose Di2 electronic shifting, and Pauwels too has a Dura-Ace 11-speed setup, only interrupted by Rotor's 3D+ crankset. Gearing for a truly brutal course was 46/39 up front, with an 11-28 cassette, which with the heavy conditions is testament to both Kevin's strength and low weight. At 60kg, he's just 2kg heavier than Lars Van Der Haar, despite being 8cm / 3in taller.

A Rotor chain catcher has been added below the front derailleur to prevent dropped chains getting stuck inside the crank, which are notoriously hard to free with a Di2 setup – as shown by Sven Nys on the day. The advantages of Di2 are shift certainty, and better protection against constant washing, which soon degrades mechanical cable operation. Increased weight due to the battery and motors is a trade off most riders seem happy to live with, although the same can't yet be said of disc brakes.

Dutch brand Fast Forward's F4R tubular wheels are Pauwels' preferred choice, the 45mm deep carbon rims shod with Dugast Rhinos on this bike, although unusually, one of his three race bikes was fitted with Challenge Limus tubulars. Usually a rider will compete with the same tyres on every bike for consistency throughout a race, so the fact that Pauwels switched from 32mm Rhinos to 33mm Limus, each with different block patterns and characteristics, and still won, is quite impressive. With his low body weight, no real obstacles on the course that could cause impact punctures, and heaps of slick, off-camber riding, Pauwels started with just 1.2 bar or 18psi in his tubulars.

Shimano XTR pedals are a common choice, and the remaining finishing kit is all from 4ZA, with a carbon seatpost, carbon railed Cirrus Pro saddle, carbon Cirrus Pro bar and aluminium Cirrus Pro 120mm stem. Ridley are one of the few manufacturers who have stuck with a conventional horizontal top tube frame design, but it does make shouldering the bike easier than a more compact sloping frame. This X-Night's total weight, albeit with mud tyres and a thin coating of muck, was a very reasonable 7.54kg / 16.62lb, which is another shouldering bonus.

Complete bike specification
Frame: Ridley X-Night, HM/HR unidirectional carbon
Fork: Oryx Pro, carbon monocoque, tapered steerer
Headset: FSA integrated 1 1/8- 1 1/2"
Stem: 4ZA Cirrus Pro aluminum 120mm
Handlebar: 4ZA Cirrus Pro carbon 42cm
Tape: 4ZA cork, black
Front brake: Shimano CX70 cantilever
Rear brake: Shimano CX70 cantilever
Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed
Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-28t 11-speed
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
Crankset: Rotor 3D+ with 172.5mm cranks and 46/39t rings
Bottom bracket: Rotor for BB30 frame
Pedals: Shimano XTR M980
Rims: FFWD F4R 24 hole rear/20 hole front, 45mm depth
Front hub: DT Swiss 240S
Rear hub: DT Swiss 240S
Spokes: Bladed J-bend Sapim CX-Ray
Front tyre: Dugast Rhino 1.2 bar
Rear tye: Dugast Rhino 1.2 bar
Saddle: 4ZA Cirrus Pro with carbon rails
Seatpost: 4ZA Cirrus Pro carbon, 27.2mm diameter
Extras: Cable ties across cantilever springs on one bike