The paint on Julie Bresset's BH Ultimate 27.5 is true art(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Not a cross-country bike, but this is what the Santa Cruz Syndicate guys use for XC(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A BMC Team Elite TE01 29er carbon hardtail for Absalon(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Absalon had this neat little mudguard to keep him a bit cleaner(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A Tune Princess Skyline front hub for Ghost Factory Racing team rider. This hub is claimed to weigh just 99g at a rough retail price of €295!(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Just about everyone in XC is either on tubeless or tubular. With Nino Schurter away racing road for Orica GreenEdge, we didn't see a great deal of tubulars(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The clouds cleared, giving the track a chance to dry on the eve of the cross-country race(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
An Australian U23 rider on a Stevens Sonora SL - looked light(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Trek Factory Racing showed us a pre-production XR-0 with a super low profile tread. Not surprisingly, the wet conditions meant these didn't see much use(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A new version of the XR-2 (name TBC) was also out being tested. With a taller center knob height, it should have plenty of bite in looser conditions(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The current XR-2 up against the new (possible replacement) model(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The legend - Julien Absalon - is certainly back on form after a rather disappointing 2013 season. Two out of two so far this year(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Absalon was using 9000 series XTR brakes and ESI grips(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A single ring with 10-speed out back for Absalon. A super light carbon top-mount chainguide holds the chain in place(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
27.5in wheels for the Syndicate when they're not racing downhill(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The big Australian - Paul Van Der Ploeg - wearing his Eliminator World Champion stripes for the first time(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Paul Van Der Ploeg played a big part in Australia's promotion for the Cairns world cup round. He didn't disappoint the crowd, with a third place finish in the slick mud(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A new RockShox RS-1 fork getting a little attention(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Paul Van Der Ploeg is a massive guy. This Giant Contact SLR stem likely has a hard life(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
This guy was just gunning it around the pits. Cool to see the local enforcement so behind the sport(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Julien Absalon doesn't look like he's giving up that number(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Spy shot - as a Shimano sponsored rider, Absalon probably shouldn't be riding rims that appear to be Stan's No Tubes Race.(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cannondale Factory Racing U23 rider Keegan Swenson was the only team rider on a Scalpel dual suspension bike. Is this perhaps a new 2015 colour?(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Salcano - a Turkish brand(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
We're shocked by how much pressure is in Emily Batty's suspension. That's certainly got to take its toll on the body through the rock gardens(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The Focus XC Team were on the Focus Raven 29R(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Sponsored by Crank Brothers, the Focus XC Team use Cobalt XC lock-on foam grips(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
This Focus rider's pedals had seen better days. Rubber tread around the pedal for additional pedal stability, shorter titanium spindles and super free feeling bearings - plenty of time has gone into the setup(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
First time we've seen the new Astute saddle brand in the mountain bike world. Certainly a high-end saddle considering its likely going to meet a rock or tree at some point(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Julie Bresset's team mate - Hanna Klein - opted for a dual-ring setup on the front. Team sponsor KMC supply its superlight and rather bling X10SL Ti Nitride chain(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Julie Bresset uses Magura MT8 superlight brakes and an SR Suntour handlebar mounted remote lock-out lever(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cairns is rather remote and so teams must travel with the bare minimum. This hire people-mover didn't afford a lot of room for one of the top XC teams in the world(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The pits were bustling and busy leading up to the downhill event. Even before the cross-country races kicked off, the SRAM support guys were done(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Both Emily Batty and Bec Henderson were proudly wearing these team issue shoes. They're bright for sure!(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Further weight is reduced with this minimal seat clamp(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
New 9000 series XTR brakes and a rather special bolt-up 15mm thru-axle - the only reason for this axle upgrade is to reduce weight
(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Emily Batty rode strong on the technical course and finished second, an amazing result for the Canadian National Champion. Her bike is quite similar to ‘Bec Henderson's, with a few fit differences(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Matt of Trek Factory Racing gets Emily Batty's bike tuned before the race. Looks like it worked perfectly (Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The Trek Factory Racing team uses Bontrager's XXX alloy wheels(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Trek Factory was using a wet lube for longevity. Given the atrocious pit conditions, we surprised when most riders were saying the course was rather dry (Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Emily Batty is rather petite, so she uses a steeply dropped stem to overcome the additional height of her 29er (Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The 29er bike of last year's U23 world cup overall winner, Rebecca Henderson. Henderson seems to have made a successful jump to elite women's, finishing in a very respectable 10th place in her home country's race(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Even more radically, Bec Henderson uses a -40 degree stem for her Trek SuperFly 29er. Now that is bar drop! (Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Emily Batty prepares for a battle in the jungle(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Emily Batty was using the fast-rolling Bontrager XR-1 tread(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The Ghost Factory Racing team is lucky to be sponsored by German companies Tune and AX-Liteness. Weight-weenies rejoice!(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Round 2 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup was held in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Consistent and heavy rain turned the pits into an absolute mess, and most cross country teams did their pit work back at the hotels.
The day before the big race, the sun finally came out and so did the cross country whippets. Cyclingnews was there to see what's new and exciting.
Some highlights include Julien Absalon's BMC, Emily Batty and Bec Henderson's Trek Factory bikes, a new Cannondale Scalpel paintscheme, Bontrager pre-production treads and shoes, and a bunch of other random bits from the shoe-destroying pits.
Take a scroll through our gallery and see the latest gear used by the world's fastest cross country riders.
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