It may only have be a short while since Mavic unveiled its 2009 wheels, but from this sighting at Eurobike, it’s clear the company is busy working on its next big product development.

These prototype wheels, spotted on Roel Paulissen’s bike, look to borrow technology that Mavic debuted for our road cousins last year. The road going R-SYS wheelset revolutionised the humble wheel, with its use of hollow carbon spokes. Dubbed TraComp from Traction Compression, unidirectional carbon fibre is moulded into 3mm thin tubes, with a 1mm hole down the middle, and the unique concept of the spokes is their ability to work under tension and compression.

The development continues into the rim, which support tubular tyres. Cannondale’s tyre sponsor Vredestein has willingly obliged and supplied some proto tubular tyres, which glue into place on the rim. Time will tell whether this wheels make it into production, but we wouldn’t be surprised if an announcement is forthcoming in 12 months time.