Mastering Leogang: How Orbea Factory Racing Weathered the Storm with SILCA

Last weekend’s round of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Saalfelden Leogang was defined by precariously muddy conditions. Shifting wet alpine weather caused traction issues for riders on the course, leading to high-profile crashes and mechanical failures during both the XCC and XCO events. 

Simon Andreassen of the SILCA-sponsored Orbea Fox Factory Team mastered the slick terrain to secure a spectacular victory in Friday's Short Track (XCC) race, using a specialized mud setup set up by team mechanic Emil. On the women’s side, Rebessa Henderson crossed the line for Orbea in a commanding performance for 5th in XCC. 

Behind the scenes, Emil's preparation and use of SILCA products proved crucial in navigating the Leogang environment. To combat the heavy rain and mud during the XCC race, the mechanic team layered a mix of Silca Synergetic Lube with wax to keep the drivetrain fast and lubricated from start to finish. 

Prior to the start of XCO racing the following day, they packed every bike bearing with Silca Synergetic Race Grease. Additionally, while other riders suffered race-ending punctures on the unforgiving, rock-laden course, the Orbea team concluded the weekend with zero flat tires, a success Emil directly attributes to their use of Silca Ultimate Tubeless Sealant.

We caught up with Emil after the race to learn more about his team’s approach to bike preparation and maintenance during mud-laden race days. 

The conditions in Leogang this weekend were very tricky. As it is located in a valley in the middle of the mountains, the weather can seem almost bipolar. One second it’s pissing down, and the next, the cloud cover gives way to blue skies and sunshine. No matter how many weather forecasts you look at, they never seem to agree on when and where the rain is coming.

It had been raining a lot the day before our first course practice, so the hillside was pretty soaked. However, the gradient of the slopes, the wind, and the occasional sunbeam were drying the course out throughout the day. Simon likes to train during the late training slot, as there are fewer people on the course, and especially in conditions like these, some ruts might have started to form on the downhills. 

By the time he got on course, it had dried out enough that we found intermediate/dry tires were the best option for the track at that time. However, we also knew that if the forecasted rain arrived, we would need to switch to mud tires instead.

So, for the XCC race on Friday, I prepared two separate setups. A “dry” setup with a stiffer set of wheels mounted with 2.4 Maxxis Recon Race tires, a chain waxed with Secret Chain Blend with a Speed Chip added, and a normal seat post (not a dropper). The “wet” setup consisted of a more compliant set of wheels fitted with Maxxis 2.25 Severe tires, a chain lubricated with Synergetic lube, and the dropper post that we normally run in XCO races.

On Friday afternoon, just as the races were about to start, so did the rain. We therefore ended up going with the “wet” setup, and it worked very well. Not only did Simon cross the line first, but the chain was still as well lubricated and fast when he finished as it had been when he started the race. For very wet conditions like these, we have found that Synergetic lube is a good choice, even though I swear by hot waxing in almost all other conditions.

After a semi-wet practice day and a very wet XCC race, it was time for a complete rebuild and refresh of the bike on Saturday. Because of the ever-changing conditions and weather, Simon didn’t feel the need to go on track for Saturday’s training. So, after a spin on the road in the morning, he dropped his bike off in the pits so I could get to work.

Every bearing on the bike was fully cleaned, degreased, and packed with Synergetic Race Grease. The suspension was serviced, and two chains were prepared: one waxed and one lubricated with Synergetic. This meant we once again had both the aforementioned “wet” and “dry” setups ready, just as we did on Friday, although this time with a dropper post on the bike regardless of conditions.

Sunday morning, the weather was as bipolar as ever, switching from rain to sunshine every ten minutes. Right as the U23 men were starting, the heavens opened. The same happened at the start of the women’s race, but throughout the race the sun came out and the mud became increasingly sticky.

Right before the start, we were still unsure which tire choice would be ideal. However, as we could see that the riders with the most control on the downhills during the women’s race were running mud tires, we decided to play it safe and go with the wet setup.

The race didn’t go exactly as planned. At the start, everything was good and Simon was at the front. However, on a downhill during the first lap, the bike slid out on a slippery section. In a corrective move to save the crash, Simon overstretched his inner thigh and tore the muscle. He tried to keep riding, but the leg simply wouldn’t cooperate. After a few attempts, the decision was made to pull out, assess the injury, and hopefully increase the chances of recovering in time for the next World Cup this coming weekend.

Looking back on a weekend with both massive highs and unfortunate lows, we can conclude that none of the riders on the team experienced any punctures, or at least none that they noticed, during a race weekend where many other riders suffered punctures. I believe this is thanks to our use of Silca Ultimate Tubeless Sealant.

Lastly, our suspension setup changes quite a bit depending on the conditions, but we have spent the offseason establishing a baseline setup that we work from. In muddy conditions, we usually run a smaller tire, which results in less damping from the tire itself, so we have to add more rebound damping. We do the opposite in dry races, where we run larger tires.

Every track is different, so depending on the track and conditions, we usually adjust the air pressure in the suspension by ±5 psi. However, it’s not only the suspension that we adjust. As described earlier, we also play around with wheel stiffness by adjusting spoke tension depending on the track and conditions.