After months of moves and speculation, there were a handful of big switches announced ahead of the UCI’s team registration deadline. The transfers are more important than ever, with athlete’s individual UCI points determining which teams will receive WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status.
The mountain biking off-season is a time for riders to rest and recuperate before building their fitness ahead of the start of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing come spring.
But for some athletes, the last few months has also seen big overhauls as they’ve moved teams – meaning new bikes to get to grips with, coaches to work under and teammates to gel with.
While the transfer window saw a lot of activity towards the end of last year and at the start of 2025 in both Endurance and Gravity, there was still time for a few final swaps before the UCI announced the teams that have officially registered for the 2025 season.
Now, the next step is to determine which of the 101 UCI registered teams from 22 countries will be granted WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status (1st division).
New for the 2025 season, a total of 20 teams across Endurance and Gravity disciplines will secure a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status, guaranteeing entry into every round of their respective formats. Of these 20 teams, the top 15 in the UCI team rankings will automatically be selected. The remaining five spots will be open for application by UCI Mountain Bike teams.
The UCI team rankings are determined by the UCI points of the four highest-ranked riders of each team (regardless of whether they are Elite, Under 23 or Junior) before the season begins.
This has made the off-season transfer window particularly interesting, as a rider’s individual ranking points can significantly impact the status of the team they’re joining or leaving.
From a fresh start for a reigning UCI World Champion to a whole new team, here are the final transfers of the 2024-2025 off-season.
GRAVITY: VERGIER AT HOME IN ANDORRA AND NEW LOOK FOR TREK FACTORY RACING
One of the biggest announcements of the off-season was that the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier would be leaving Trek Factory Racing. The 28-year-old Frenchman had been with the American outfit for four years, securing the rainbow bands in Andorra’s UCI Downhill World Championship last September. While there were a few weeks where it wasn’t clear where he’d end up, it was announced at the end of January that he’d be joining compatriots Amaury Pierron and Myriam Nicole at Andorran outfit Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction.
Vergier’s old Trek teammate Reece Wilson was also let go at the end of 2024, with the Scottish pinner launching his own team for this season – AON Racing. The 2020 UCI Downhill World Champion’s squad has unveiled its roster, and it’s packed with exciting talent. Reigning UCI Enduro World Cup series winner Harriet Harnden, Monika Hrastnik and Henry Kerr will be joining Wilson in the Elites, but it has an eye on fostering talent too – three-time Junior UCI Downhill World Cup winner Heather Wilson and Stan Nisbet are part of the development team.
Wilson and Vergier’s old stable Trek Factory Racing meanwhile has revealed a whole new look – Junior rider Sacha Earnest the only athlete still with the team. The up-and-coming New Zealander has been joined by compatriot Lachlan Stevens-McNab, 2020 UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner Matt Walker and Ollie Davis, with Chris Hauser and Ella Svegby joining the development wing.
Mondraker Factory Racing meanwhile has expanded its team, adding Veronika Widmann and Greg Williamson to the fray alongside Ronan Dunne, Dakotah Norton and Ryan Pinkerton.
In addition to Widmann, another Italian star of women’s downhill has been on the move – Gloria Scarsi joining Sebastian Holguin and Valentina Roa Sánchez in moving to MS Racing.
Scarsi’s old team – Canyon CLLCTV Pirelli – has replaced her with the promising US rider Aletha Ostgaard, who will compete in the Junior class, while Henri Kiefer has earned himself a spot on the Canyon CLLCTV Factory team after a successful year in the development squad.
Elsewhere, there has been a big focus on the future. Elsie Empsey, Luke Wayman and George Madley are the latest riders to go under Gee and Rachel Atherton’s wings at Continental Atherton; and Gavin Tomlinson is joining Aaron Gwin’s Gwin Racing.
ENDURANCE: MITTERWALLNER ON THE MOVE
In January, it was announced that Mona Mitterwallner would be lining up for the UCI Women’s WorldTour team Human Powered Health on the road in 2025. But the reigning three-time UCI Cross-country Marathon World Champion wasn’t content with one team move for the off-season – the Austrian leaving Cannondale Factory Racing to become part of the new Mondraker Factory XC Team. It’s the Spanish manufacturer’s first foray into the UCI Cross-country World Cup, and Mitterwallner is joined by Tamara Wiedmann, Nadir Colledani and Sebastien Fini in the Elites, while Alex Garcia will represent in the Under 23s.
Another new outfit for the 2025 season, Origine Racing Division, has unveiled its roster – Martina Berta the standout signing for the French team alongside Mathis Azzaro, Knut Røhme and Ronja Eibl.
Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team meanwhile signalled their intention for the 2025 season, adding the Italian XCO Elite Champion Luca Braidot and Juri Zanotti to its men’s Elite line-up alongside the reigning European Cross-country Olympic Champion Simone Avondetto. It isn’t a completely Italian affair though, with the squad also signing up-and-coming Canadian U23 rider Ella McPhee.
Finally, the promising Swiss rider Janis Baumann has joined BIXS Performance Race Team.
