The bikes of the pros: The Transition Repeater PT by Yannick Pontal
At 38, Yannick Pontal is one of the most experienced riders on the World Cup scene. But Pontal is no ordinary racer. As a test rider on Sram's "BlackBox Test Pilot Programme", he is above all an important sparring partner for the American company's development department.
Pontal lives on the Côte d'Azur, in Nice to be precise, which is also home to several other world-class bikers. And there are good reasons for this. Nice lies on the southern edge of the Maritime Alps. And just a stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of the Mediterranean metropolis, a dense network of trails runs through the surrounding hills. These trails have been used by mountain bikers since the 1980s and offer ideal conditions for training all year round.
About the person: Who is Yannick Pontal?
- Nationality: France
- Age: 38
- Team: Sram BlackBox Test Pilot Programme
- Greatest success: EWS-E overall victory in 2022
Yannick Pontal discovered his passion for bike racing at a young age and travelled through various disciplines, from cyclocross to cross country and downhill. He finally found his calling in enduro racing. In addition to his enthusiasm for sport, he is particularly fascinated by technology. As a passionate racer and tinkerer, Pontal enjoys exploring different set-ups, swapping parts and adjusting his bike settings.
This passion makes him an outstanding and sought-after test pilot and gives him the privilege of often having the latest developments, prototypes and pre-production products at his disposal. His role in the development of the Eagle Powertrain system was crucial, as his racing experience validated the system's performance under extreme conditions.
With this unique combination of racing experience, technical riding skills and always up-to-date technology, Yannick Pontal finally won the overall E-EWS title in 2022 - on a Transition prototype. At the time, only a few insiders knew that this bike was fitted with the previously highly secret SRAM Eagle Powertrain drive. In the future, too, you can be sure that Yannick Pontal will always be equipped with the latest technology from the Sram development kitchen - whatever may come next.
Transition Repeater PT: Yannick Pontal's race bike
Already in series production Transition Repeater with the Sram Eagle Powertrain drivetrain an extremely exciting e-mountainbike. At first glance, the solid full carbon frame resembles the familiar Transition repeater with Shimano drivetrain. The decisive difference: the battery is permanently installed in the Repater PT. This eliminates the large hole in the down tube in favour of lower weight and greater rigidity.
There is a flipchip under the shock that can be used to adjust the geometry of the e-bike to a small 27.5-inch rear wheel, which is also Yannick's choice. He rides his Transition Repeater PT in frame size M. The geometry dimensions are sporty with a 455 reach and 635 stack in this frame size. At 78.5 degrees, the seat angle is steep, the chainstays are on the longer side at 455 millimetres and the head angle is very slack at 63.5 degrees.
- Suspension travel: 170/170 mm
- Weight: 23.1 kilos race-ready
- Motor: Sram Eagle Powertrain
- Battery: 630 Wh
The Sram Eagle Powertrain is based on the Brose Drive SMag, which Sram operates with its own software. Even though this motor has been around for a few years, it is still one of the most powerful e-MTB motors on the market. Special feature: The Sram motor only has two support levels, Range and Rally, which can be fine-tuned via the app. On Pontal's bike, the Eagle Transmission drivetrain is not powered by a cable from the main battery, but by the optional mini battery, which sits directly on the rear derailleur.
The details of Yannick Pontal's transition
As Yannick is a clever tester and tinkerer, he puts every component and every detail to the test and also tries out extreme set-ups. The cranks, for example, are extremely short at 150 millimetres. The most important components on Yannick Pontal's Transition are of course all made by Sram.
The Rockshox suspension is adjusted depending on the route. Pontal often only decides after the training day whether to use a coil shock or the Rock Shox Vivid Air with air suspension at the rear. Yannick also adapts the reach of the frame to the routes. For the EDR-E final in Les Gets with its many fast descents, he had offset headset shells in his bike, which extend the reach of the frame by six millimetres.
Of course, Pontal always chooses Maxxis tyres according to the conditions. He rode a Maxxis Minion DHR II on the rear wheel in Les Gets, albeit as a prototype in a special width of 2.5 inches for more uphill traction. On deeper terrain, he switches to the Maxxis Shorty.
Instead of a solid standard protector, the chainstay is only protected with a special PU foam to optimise weight. With this setup, Yannick Pontal is probably on the lightest bike in the EDR-E rider field. 23.1 kilos despite the solid downhill features is quite an announcement.
Latest news: For the 2024 season, Yannick Pontal will be riding a Propain Ekano CF, also with SRAM's Eagle Powertrain.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
