Challenge Tires always has exciting new product news to announce at the Eurobike trade show.

These include an update to the popular "Gravel Grinder" gravel tire, a new width "Strada Bianca," and a brand new high performance tire for racers, the "Criterium RS."

For the latter, Challenge says the Criterium RS tire aims to "enhance the perfect mix of speed, grip, and durability" while offering "refined control and shock-absorbing performance with handmade construction." There are two construction options: the first is a tubular, and the second -- no doubt more relevant to most people reading this -- is a tubeless clincher with hookless support. This tire is constructed with Challenge Tires' proprietary "Smart Prime" rubber compound with a 350 TPI (threads per inch) core spun cotton casing.

The high TPI provides a supple ride, but it also has the disadvantage of being prone to wear and punctures. To counter this, the Criterium RS uses "PPS Ganzo" fabric. This fabric is described as a highly flexible, closely woven fabric placed under the tread to provide puncture resistance without losing supple ride comfort.

The result, Challenge claims, is one of the lowest rolling resistance tires on the market, making it the best road bike tire for criterium racers, available in 25mm and 27mm with black or white sidewalls, priced at $94.99 per tire / 84.90 euros.

Next, a wider option has been added to Challenge's popular Strada Bianca handmade tubeless ready (H-TLR) tire. Already available in 30mm, 33mm, 36mm, and 40mm widths, Challenge has added a new 45mm width to its lineup to keep up with the trend of increasingly wider tires.

The Strada Bianca name translates as "white road," as the tire is supposed to be designed for rough pavement, cobblestones, sandy and hard-pack fields, and dry rocky terrain. This is a reference to the terrain of the unpaved Italian gravel roads for which the tire was originally designed, as seen in the popular Strade Bianche World Tour race held each spring.

Other than width, there are no changes to the existing Strada Bianca options, which include the Smart Plus compound with a gravel-specific herringbone tread pattern, 260 TPI polyester casing, Corazza armor for sidewall protection and stability, and the same PPS Ganzo puncture protection strips as the Criterium RS above.

The 45mm Strada Bianca weighs 550 grams per tire, is available with black or tan sidewalls, and costs €77.90/$88.90. Like the Criterium RS, it will be available in October.

The third and final announcement of the day comes in the form of an update to Challenge's popular gravel tire, the Gravel Grinder, which is also featured in our Best Gravel Tire Guide.

The center strip of the diamond-shaped tread remains the same, but the transitions on both sides and the shoulder knobs have been enlarged and stiffened.

This tire has many of the same features as the Strada Bianca above. These include the same 260 TPI polyester, SmartPlus compound, Corazza Armor, and the same PPS Ganzo strip puncture protection fabric.

The Gravel Grinder will be available in September and comes in 33, 36, and 40mm with a choice of black or tan sidewalls. Priced at $89.99/€77.90.