New Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed time trial tyre is 5% faster and waves goodbye to tubulars

Vingegaard’s Tour de France TT tyres are now available to buy

By Simon von Bromley

Published: Thursday, 01 February 2024 at 12:00 PM

Vittoria has unveiled its next-generation time trial tyre, the Corsa Pro Speed TLR.

Claimed to weigh only 250g in a size 28c, Vittoria says the new Corsa Pro Speed TLR exhibits five per cent less rolling resistance than the outgoing model, the Corsa Speed TLR G2.0.

While the Corsa Pro TLR and Corsa Pro Control TLR were launched in spring last year, Vittoria has kept the faster, time-trial specific variant under wraps until now.

In the meantime, though, Jonas Vingegaard used the unreleased tyres to crush his rival, Tadej Pogaçar (and the rest of the field), in the decisive time trial on stage 16 of the 2023 Tour de France.

With a price of £89.99 / €94.95 / $104.99, Vittoria has announced the Corsa Pro Speed will only be available in tubeless form, with no clincher-only or tubular variants available.

Built for speed

The Corsa Pro Speed TLR is Vittoria’s next-generation time trial tyre. – Vittoria

The new Corsa Pro Speed TLR is built using a 320 TPI (Threads Per Inch) Corespun cotton casing, with the tread seamlessly attached using the same ‘light vulcanisation’ technique Vittoria debuted with the Corsa Pro range.

According to Vittoria, this construction method offers the best of both worlds, with the supple casing of a traditional cotton tyre and the durability of a vulcanised tyre.

The tread uses an updated rubber compound infused with silica and graphene (Vittoria has been using Graphene in its tyres since 2015).

Vittoria hasn’t offered specific details, but it says the compound formulation is optimised for speed, while still retaining “very high” levels of wet grip.

The central slick area is now wider than before, too, while the parallel grooved tread on the shoulders is retained to improve cornering confidence.

Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR casing render
The Corsa Pro Speed TLR uses a lightweight tubeless casing and thin tread, with no puncture protection belt. – Vittoria

As with previous versions, tread thickness on the Corsa Pro Speed is reduced compared to the Corsa Pro TLR and Corsa Pro Control TLR, and there’s no puncture protection belt underneath the tread.

The result of these changes is claimed to be a five per cent reduction in rolling resistance and a two per cent reduction in weight, compared to the outgoing model.

Vittoria points to Jonas Vingegaard’s dominant performance during the time trial on stage 16 of the 2023 Tour de France as evidence of the tyre’s effectiveness.

In contrast to the previous version (which was only available with black sidewalls, in TLR form), though, the new Corsa Pro Speed TLR is only available with tan sidewalls.

Jonas Vingegaard riding a Cervélo P5 time trial bike at the 2023 Tour de France
Vittoria says Jonas Vingegaard’s dominating performance at the 2023 Tour de France was made possible, in part, by the Corsa Pro Speed TLR. – Vittoria

Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR details and availability

The Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR is available in 700×24, 26 and 28c sizes and costs £89.99 / €94.95 / $104.99.

As noted, the Corsa Pro Speed TLR is only available in tubeless-ready form with tan sidewalls. There are no tubular or clincher-specific variants available (though it can be paired with an inner tube if desired).

Vittoria says the largest, size 28c variant is compatible with hookless rims, to a maximum tyre pressure of 72psi / 5 BAR.

Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR specification