It is a market segment with a somewhat unreliable history – heavier than tubulars, inconsistent braking and the risk of catastrophic failure due to overheating.

But Mavic, cycling’s best-known wheel manufacturer – have completed three years of development to dip into the carbon clincher market for the first time with the Cosmic Carbone 40C.

So we put their new wheelset through its paces, and what better way to do so than by riding the Etape du Tour?

See what we made of what Mavic call the ‘world’s first reliable carbon clincher’ after L’Etape and four months of further testing in our review.