Vittoria's cobble-proof Corsa Pro Control race tyre now stretches to 38mm and 42mm — a direct play for the one-bike, road-and-light-gravel rider — and the first independent lab numbers are already in.
What Vittoria changed — and why now
Vittoria has stretched its Corsa Pro Control — the rugged, Roubaix-proven sibling in its flagship Corsa Pro race line — into two unmistakably gravel-adjacent widths: 38mm and 42mm. Until now the Control topped out at 34mm, so this pushes a single casing platform from 26mm all the way to 42mm (Bikerumor, Cyclist).
The pitch is one tyre for tarmac, pavé, cobbles and 'light or compact gravel' without committing to a dedicated gravel tread. Vittoria keeps the supple 320 TPI cotton-corespun casing and graphene-silica race compound, then layers on the Control hardware — a tread patch 30% thicker and 13% wider than the standard Corsa Pro, plus a centre anti-puncture belt and an abrasion bead shield. CMO Vanessa ten Hoff says the move responds to 'how riders actually use modern road and gravel-race bikes today' (Cyclist).
Vittoria is arguably following a trend it didn't start: BikeRadar reckons it arrives 'slightly late to the wide pro-level tyre party,' after Schwalbe's 40mm Pro One Allroad and Pirelli's 40mm P Zero Race TLR (BikeRadar). The new sizes are tubeless-ready, hookless-compatible, sold in tan sidewall only, and reached shops in April 2026.
Corsa Pro Control: pick your width
| 700×26c | 700×34c | 700×38c | 700×42c | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimed weight | 285 g | 360 g | 420 g | 480 g |
| ETRTO | 26-622 | 34-622 | 38-622 | 42-622 |
| Tubeless / hookless | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Specs: Vittoria (official spec)
How fast, how heavy? The lab numbers
The 42mm on the test rig
Source: Bicycle Rolling Resistance
View data table
| Rolling resistance (W) — lower is faster | |
|---|---|
| Control 34mm (44 psi) | 21.8 W |
| Control 42mm (36 psi) | 18.2 W |
Independent lab Bicycle Rolling Resistance has already rolled the 42mm version. At a gravel-friendly 36 psi it drew 18.2 watts per tyre and weighed 433g — lighter than Vittoria's 480g claim — and the testers called it 'a faster rolling tire than the 34 mm version' they'd measured earlier, helped by the bigger air volume.
The catch is durability. BRR flagged that 'puncture resistance of both the tread and sidewalls has decreased' versus the smaller Control — a known trait of big cotton tyres, where more of the sidewall is a single, thinner ply. So the wider sizes buy speed and comfort, but you give a little back on protection per millimetre of casing.
What the testers found
Independent verdicts from across the cycling press — follow each link for the full review.
On the narrower TLR: brilliant once fitted, fiddly to seat
“impresses on the one hand, and disappoints on the other”
Read the full reviewFastest cotton tyre at this size, with softer sidewalls
“a faster rolling tire than the 34 mm version”
Read the full reviewThe narrower size left the lab cold
“simply doesn't impress in our tests”
Read the full reviewThe case for and against
- Famously supple cotton ride — soaks up cobbles, chip-seal and corrugations
- Reinforced Control tread, anti-puncture belt and bead shield aimed at pavé and light gravel
- Lab-fast for its size: 18.2W on the 42mm, rated faster-rolling than the 34mm
- Tubeless-ready and hookless-compatible right across the range
- Bigger cotton sizes have thinner, more vulnerable sidewalls (per BRR)
- Corsa Pro Control tyres can be tricky to seat tubeless (BikeRadar)
- Premium price (~£90 (~R2 000) / €96 (~R1 800)+) and tan sidewall only
- Heavy for its width: 480g claimed for the 42mm
Tap to vote — see how readers lean
Rider questions
What's the difference between Corsa Pro and Corsa Pro Control? +
Both share the 320 TPI cotton casing and graphene-silica race compound. The Control adds a tread patch 30% thicker and 13% wider, a centre anti-puncture belt and a bead shield — built for cobbles, broken tar and light gravel rather than pure smooth-road racing.
Are the 38mm and 42mm tubeless and hookless compatible? +
Yes. Vittoria lists the whole Corsa Pro Control range as tubeless-ready and hookless-compatible. One caveat from Vittoria: do not use sealants containing ammonia.
Will a 42mm tyre fit my road bike? +
Check frame and fork clearance first. Many modern endurance and all-road frames clear 40mm+, but classic race frames often cap out around 32–34mm. Note that BRR's 42mm sample measured about 38mm on its test rim, so real-world width depends on your rim.
How much do they weigh? +
Vittoria claims 420g for the 38mm and 480g for the 42mm, up from 360g for the old-widest 34mm. Bicycle Rolling Resistance weighed its 42mm sample lighter than claimed, at 433g.
When are they available and how much do they cost? +
They reached shops in April 2026. RRP sits around £90 (~R2 000) / €96 (~R1 800)–€102 (~R1 900), with US listings quoted between roughly $106 (~R1 700) and $119 (~R2 000) depending on source and retailer. For live South African pricing, use the price-match panel above.
Sources & further reading
- Vittoria Corsa PRO Control Road Tires Gain Wider 38 & 42 Sizes — Bikerumor
- New Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 38mm & 42mm — is this where road tyres are headed? — BikeRadar
- Vittoria adds 38mm and 42mm widths to its Corsa Pro Control range — Cyclist
- CX/Gravel Tire Test: Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR 42 — Bicycle Rolling Resistance
- Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR tyre review — BikeRadar
- Corsa PRO Control Tubeless-Ready — official spec — Vittoria
The wider Corsa Pro Control isn't chasing a knobby gravel tyre — it's a fast, supple race casing toughened just enough for pavé, broken tar and hardpack, now in the 38–42mm widths the one-bike crowd actually wants. The early lab data is encouraging on speed, with the usual cotton caveat on sidewall protection at size. If your 'road' rides keep finding gravel, it's a compelling single-tyre answer — just confirm your frame clearance and budget for the premium.
