CX/Gravel Tire Test: Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR 38

NOTE: This Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR 38 was tested as a CX-Gravel tire at low air pressures. You can also find tests of the 28 mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR in the road bike section.

Road bike and gravel bike tires continue their steady growth trend, yet Vittoria still caught us off guard by releasing the 38 and 42 mm sizes of the Corsa Pro Control. Adding these high-volume options to their flagship tubeless-ready cotton line is great news for riders who demand the unique ride quality of high-thread-count cotton, serving as a direct main-brand alternative to boutique offerings from Rene Herse, Ultradynamico, and similar niche suppliers.

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Alongside the expanded size range, Vittoria also refreshed the aesthetics with updated graphics that align the Corsa Pro Control with the rest of their current tire lineup. We also spotted a tweak on the packaging: the compound is now labeled as "Race Formulation Graphene + Silica". We're not sure whether this represents a true compound revision or refreshed marketing terminology for the existing mix. Luckily, our tests will quickly reveal if there are any performance shifts.

Underneath the rubber, the construction appears to carry over from the standard model. It retains Vittoria's second-generation tubeless-ready cotton casing, complete with reinforced beads for hassle-free tubeless seating and a fully vulcanized tread cap that minimizes flex between the casing and tread. However, as sizes scale up, the single-layer sidewall area of cotton tires naturally grows larger. On a cotton tire of this volume, that leaves the sidewalls feeling relatively thin to the touch—a structural characteristic inherent to wide cotton casings that leaves them more vulnerable to cuts.

We put the new 38 mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Control through our standard test protocol to see how it performs, comparing it directly to the smaller 34 mm size, the larger 42 mm size, and a selection of competing 35–40 mm road and fast gravel tires.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Vittoria
Model	Corsa Pro Control TLR
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	11A00834
EAN	8022530044257
TPI	320
Compound	Race Formulation +Silica
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	38-622
Specified Weight	420 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	79
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	26-622 (700x26c) 28-622 (700x28c) 30-622 (700x30c) 32-622 (700x32c) 34-622 (700x34c) 38-622 (700x38c) 42-622 (700x42c)

Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR 38 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	420 grams
Measured Weight	426 grams
Measured Width Casing	34 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	33 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	3.50 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width	34 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (50 psi / 3.4 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (40 psi / 2.8 bar)	18.5 Watts CRR: 0.00555
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (30 psi / 2.1 bar)	Pro Data
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	60 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	3.50 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	78 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The 38 mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Control doesn't roll as fast as the 42 mm size, but it does offer better tread puncture resistance. When we look more closely at the test results, these differences can be explained by the relatively high weight of the 38 mm sample (426 actual, 420 specified) and the extremely low weight of the 42 mm sample (433 actual, 480 specified).

The higher actual weight of the 38 mm Corsa Pro Control mostly comes from its 3.5 mm tread thickness, while our 42 mm sample had a tread thickness of just 3.2 mm. The thicker tread also explains why the 38 mm size scores better in the tread puncture test, as thicker treads perform better in this test.

In the wet grip test, the 38 mm Corsa Pro Control confirms the improved wet grip over the smaller 34 mm size we tested back in 2024.

It looks like the latest editions of the Corsa Pro Control that feature the "Race Formulation +Silica" compound are a good upgrade over the older "Graphene +Silica" versions of the same tire. For the 38 and 42, it looks like it's going to come down to the individual samples, as there seems to be some variation in tread thickness and actual weight.

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RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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