A tire defining a radial direction, an axial direction and a circumferential direction, the tire comprising: a pair of opposing bead portions; a pair of opposing sidewall portions connected to the opposing bead portions; a crown portion connecting the opposing sidewall portions; at least one carcass extending between the bead portions and through the sidewall and crown portions; and a pair of toe guards positioned around at least a radially-innermost section of each of the bead portions and extending radially outward toward the sidewall portions, wherein the toe guards are formed of a rubber composition based upon a cross-linkable rubber composition, the cross-linkable rubber composition comprising, in parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr): between 40 phr and 70 phr of natural rubber; between 30 phr and 60 phr of a synthetic rubber component selected from the group consisting of a polybutadiene rubber (BR), a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), a polyisoprene rubber (IR) and combinations thereof, wherein the synthetic rubber component includes the BR in an amount that is between 25 wt% and 100 wt% of the total weight of the synthetic rubber component; a reinforcing filler; a methylene donor and a methylene acceptor reinforcing resin system; and a sulfur curing system comprising sulfur and one or more accelerators, wherein a ratio by weight of the sulfur to the one or more accelerators is less than 1. a pair of opposing bead portions; a pair of opposing sidewall portions connected to the opposing bead portions; a crown portion connecting the opposing sidewall portions; at least one carcass extending between the bead portions and through the sidewall and crown portions; and a pair of toe guards positioned around at least a radially-innermost section of each of the bead portions and extending radially outward toward the sidewall portions, wherein the toe guards are formed of a rubber composition based upon a cross-linkable rubber composition, the cross-linkable rubber composition comprising, in parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr): between 40 phr and 70 phr of natural rubber; between 30 phr and 60 phr of a synthetic rubber component selected from the group consisting of a polybutadiene rubber (BR), a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), a polyisoprene rubber (IR) and combinations thereof, wherein the synthetic rubber component includes the BR in an amount that is between 25 wt% and 100 wt% of the total weight of the synthetic rubber component; a reinforcing filler; a methylene donor and a methylene acceptor reinforcing resin system; and a sulfur curing system comprising sulfur and one or more accelerators, wherein a ratio by weight of the sulfur to the one or more accelerators is less than 1. between 40 phr and 70 phr of natural rubber; between 30 phr and 60 phr of a synthetic rubber component selected from the group consisting of a polybutadiene rubber (BR), a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), a polyisoprene rubber (IR) and combinations thereof, wherein the synthetic rubber component includes the BR in an amount that is between 25 wt% and 100 wt% of the total weight of the synthetic rubber component; a reinforcing filler; a methylene donor and a methylene acceptor reinforcing resin system; and a sulfur curing system comprising sulfur and one or more accelerators, wherein a ratio by weight of the sulfur to the one or more accelerators is less than 1. <EOS>