Maxime Marotte is impressive on a mountain bike. The Team BH Suntour KMC rider was throwing shapes alongside Scott's Nino Schurter as the two duked it out for most of the race at the very technical Olympic test competition staged last season in Brazil. BH is better known for its road racing heritage, so we'd excuse anyone for not being familiar with their Ultimate 29 XC race bike - a sleek hardtail designed as a pro-level race weapon that has recently been upgraded with a longer front center and a slightly slacker head angle to keep in step with the increasingly technical courses on the XCO World Cup circuit.



Maxime's Ultimate 29 is decked out for the La Bresse XCO with a one-by drivetrain, powered by a Shimano Di2 XTR shifter and derailleur, while its brakes, crankset, seatpost and cockpit items are almost entirely carbon bits by FSA. Up front, the fork is SR Suntour's Axon Werx 29, with carbon and magnesium lowers and a handlebar-remote lockout. Maxime's BH underscores the surprisingly diverse component selections seen on the World Cup XC circuit today.



- Pedro Cury photo