If you’ve been following the early road season, you’ve definitely noticed cotton-side wall tires float around the peloton. Cotton usually means tubulars, and for many teams on the World Tour, that’s business as usual, but not for long.
For teams like Team Jumbo Visa, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Education First-Easy Post, Team DSM, and many others, the cotton side wall tires are tubeless. This mystery tire has been unveiled to be the all-new Vittoria Corsa Pro.
Vittoria has often used ” Corsa, ” but this is the first to have “Pro” attached. What does that entail? The reports are in, and the new Vittoria Corsa Pro line is fast, harnesses a tubular feel, and rethinks tubeless road. This tire is the same version the pro-tour teams have used over the classics and the previous year, now available for consumers.
What is it — Vittoria Corsa Pro and Corsa Control Tires
Vittoria calls these tires “the most advanced cotton road tire ever made,” They are amassing quite a palmares; 22 stage wins and 12 one-day races at the World Tour level since the start of the 2023 season…so they may be on to something.
What makes this tire and casing different is the updated casing. When Vittoria set off to update the Corsa, they wanted to increase speed, wet and cornering grip, puncture resistance, and comfort.
The new Corsa Pro line uses Vittoria’s latest developed graphene and silica compound, and a new electrical vulcanization process, allowing a seamless tread application to the casing. This application is paired with a slight thickness change in the tread as it fades to the side wall, giving the Corsa an excellent corning feel.
The new Corsa Pro line is now the pinnacle tire on the road for Vittoria; the line will be available in tubeless clinchers and tubular tires.
Vittoria Corsa Pro Two Treads to Rule
The new Vittoria Corsa Pro tires come in two tread options; Corsa Pro and Corsa Pro Control. The names are very clear about the application, but let’s dive in more.
The Corsa Pro tread is nearly identical to the current Corsa Speed, offering predictable grip in dry and slightly damp conditions, emphasizing speed and minimal rolling resistance.
The Corsa Pro Control offers a slight tooth to the Corsa Pro line. This new tread mixes what looks to be the older Vittoria Pave tread and an updated complex chevron design. I spent the most time on this tire in my wet review rides and can attest to the wet cornering quality — but more on that later.
Casing for Comfort
It’s no surprise that tire manufacturers chase the ride quality of an expertly crafted tubular. Most of that ride quality comes from cotton, and has superior ride qualities compared to nylon. It delivers that supple, more flexible, and springy feel we think of when considering race tires.
Vittoria went all in, looking to capture the ride quality of its tubulars in a clincher (tubeless) model. Vittoria engineers incorporated the rubber tire tread with the cotton casing through a new and more sustainable electrical vulcanization.
The rubber (tread) is completely embedded with the casing in this process. This process creates a 100% seamless tire, giving this clincher tire a tubular ride without the glue. The casing is 320 TPI cotton, but now with a beefed-up construction that doesn’t affect the ride quality.
Added Protection
All Corsa Pro tires feature a puncture protection belt. It’s a high-density/low-weight layer between the tread and the casing. This casing is applied bead to bead to shield from flats and improve protection.
Hookless Compatibility
The new Vittoria Corsa Pro tires are hookless compatible, BUT the narrowest version is NOT. So the Corsa Pro 24mm tires are not hookless compatible, but 28-32mm sizes are. The same goes for the Corsa Pro Control, the 26mm size is not tubeless compatible, but the 28-34mm sizes are.
Vittoria Corsa Pro Details
- Sizing: Corsa Pro (24-32mm), Corsa Pro Control (26-34mm), Tubular (23-30mm)
- Weight: Corsa Pro: 260g Corsa Pro Control: 312g
- Casing/TPI: Cotton 320 TPI
- Pricing: $100 (clincher, tubeless) and $136 (tubular)
- Availability: Now at your local bike shop
Vittoria Corsa Pro — First Impressions
I’ve ridden the predecessor to the Vittoria Corsa Pro for a while now. The ride quality is excellent, the tubeless compatibility was always not the best, and puncture protection could improve. Many others seemed to be in the same headspace, and Vittoria got to notes; this tire addresses all that and more.
The setup was ok, but I needed to put more air in the tires initially to keep them inflated the first time around. After a sturdy seal was created with a spin in hand, the tires were good to go.
For most of my riding, I used the Corsa Pro Controls tires, the weather has been super rainy, and I liked the idea of rolling on a performance wet weather tire. On the pavement, the Corsa Pro Control doesn’t feel like a wet weather tire; it feels like a fast tubular. It’s pressure-sensitive, much like a tubular but even at higher (75 PSI) pressures, it still has some bounce. I attribute this ride feel to the casing and the cotton construction.
We are currently riding the 28mm version, and it’s a great size for general road riding with fine gravel. The tire performed flawlessly on the open road and through the unmaintained side roads. In the corners and down sweeping descents, the grip was excellent. Now — I wasn’t pushing like a madman, but I did let off the brakes in a way that I trusted the tire, and I had the sensation of more rubber on the road.
I look forward to more time on the Corsa Pro now that the rain has subsided. Look back for a full in-depth review of the Vittoria Corsa Pro and Corsa Control tires shortly.
For more information, check out: Vittoria.com
