Just days before the first round of the Enduro World Series in Punta Ala and Nico Vouilloz reveals that he’s going to be running 27.5 (or 650b if you like) wheels on this new prototype Lapierre Spicy Team.

We can’t wait to see which rider is going to take the win at this first ever Enduro World Series race, and it’ll be very interesting to see what size wheels they’re running. Fabien Barel showed the other week that it’s still more than possible to win a race like this on 26″ wheels, but with the strong possibility of some extremely close racing maybe choice of wheel size will become a deciding factor.

Anyway, here’s the official press release on this new bike…

Spicy Team 27.5 … En route for Punta Ala !

The first round of the Enduro World Series at Punta Ala offers a teaser of what to expect from Lapierre in 2014. Nico Vouilloz will be using his new steed for the first time : the Spicy Team.

A honed race machine specced to perfection : e:i shock with the new Monarch Relay, the new 160mm Pike, straight out of the BlackBox programme, SRAM XX1 groupset, new SRAM wheels… in 27.5 !

This bike gives a little taster of the Lapierre 2014 range…

Like all Enduro racers, Nico Vouilloz is impatient to attack the Enduro World Series. He will be joined by the Team Lapierre Gravity Republic riders (Loic Bruni, Sam Blenkinsop, Emmeline Ragot), who are taking part as a preparation for the coming DH season.

Nico will also be wearing his new race kit, specially produced by Troy Lee Designs.

So what do you lot think, is wheel size going to make a difference to the results? Or would you just be shitting yourself about racing against the legend that is Nico no matter what size wheels he’s running?