It may be the off-season, but there’s still plenty of action happening behind the scenes across the mountain biking world, from the buzzing transfer market to new bikes in action.
In big news, mountain bike star and Paris 2024 Olympic mountain bike champion Tom Pidcock has departed Ineos Grenadiers and will race for Q36.5 Pro Cycling next season. The multi-disciplinary sensation signed a three-year contract – but in a unique twist, he will ride on two different bike models during his spell with the team.
Tom Pidcock will switch to riding Scott bikes on the road, as the brand has a partnership with Q36.5. But interestingly, he’ll have a different bike set-up for his off-road campaign. Continuing on from his time at Ineos, the Brit will ride Pinarello bikes off-road, having been instrumental in developing three different frames for the brand – including the Dogma XC which he rode en route to Olympic gold earlier this year.
The Italian manufacturer has provided bikes for Ineos Grenadiers since the team’s inception as Team Sky in 2009, and Pidcock’s relationship with it will continue for the same duration as his Q36.5 contract.
Tom Pidcock said: “Working with Fausto and the team at Pinarello over the past four years has been a privilege, and a really enjoyable experience. I am so happy I get to stay working with them on everything off-road moving forwards.
“So far, we have developed three cyclo-cross and XC MTB frames together and all of them exceeded expectations from the moment I sat on them, I could not have asked for more. I felt so confident on them that I was able to race and win after the first couple of rides.
“To me, our relationship feels more like a partnership than a sponsorship. I’m looking forward to the next three years of racing and developing more great bikes with Pinarello.”
With the 25-year-old expected to carry on racing across all disciplines, it may not be long before we see him back in action on knobbly tyres.
Elsewhere, the transfer market has been buzzing, and nowhere has been busier than over at Trek Factory Racing. Earlier this month it was announced that Reece Wilson, Bohdi Kuhn, and 2024 UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier will leave the American squad, with no word yet on their next destinations.
Trek Factory Racing said: “Today we say goodbye to Loris Vergier, Reece Wilson, and Bohdi Kuhn, who are embarking on new adventures after incredible highs and helping forever shape one of the rowdiest sports on Earth.”
The team also shared highlights of the three riders’ spells with the team.
“Over the course of four seasons with Trek, Loris [Vergier] solidified himself as one sport’s all-time greats. He won four UCI World Cups with Trek, and finished on the podium of the men’s UCI World Cup overall for three straight years. But of all his incredible feats, there was nothing like winning a UCI World Championship this past August. Loris laid down a perfect run in Andorra to sew up the rainbow jersey by a razor-thin margin. No one has ever been smoother on a session than Loris, nor humbler about his talents.”
“Reece [Wilson] is a legend at Trek, flat out. He raced on a Trek as far back as 2015 and was a founding member of the brand new TFR DH program in 2019. On Oct. 11, 2020, he rocked the sport, winning a UCI World Championship as an underdog on a mud-caked course in Leogang. No one is more resilient than Reece, who repeatedly came back from setbacks and crashes to reassert himself at the top of the sport. (We may have teared up a little when he returned to the UCI World Cup podium in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes this year.) Riders don’t come more inspiring or entertaining than Reece Wilson, and we can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings.
“In two-plus years riding out of the TFR pits, Bodhi [Khun] proved himself to be one of the most consistent and steeliest riders in the field. As a junior, he was a Top 5 staple, and scored a breakout UCI World Cup win in Val di Sole in 2023. Then as a first-year elite in ‘24, he rose to the challenge by qualifying for finals in five straight UCI World Cups before injuries slowed him down. Bodhi will be a force in the men’s field for years to come," the team wrote.
It’s all change on the Cross-country side of things at Trek too. Gunnar Holmgren – brother of terrific Canadian twins Ava and Isabella Holmgren, who have shone in all disciplines this year – will be the squad’s newest recruit. 25-year-old Gunnar will join his sisters, who ride for Lidl-Trek, under the Trek umbrella at the start of next year after a strong season which saw him earn a spot in Canada’s Olympic team.
Going in the other direction are veterans Jolanda Neff (Switzerland) and Anton Cooper (New Zealand), who have ridden for Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC for a combined 14 seasons. Neither rider has yet confirmed where they will go next.
The team paid tribute to both in a farewell post, writing: “Anton Cooper was a consummate competitor and teammate throughout his time with Trek, and one of the most well-respected riders in the field. He dominated the New Zealand and Oceania Championships, winning seven titles in each. No cyclist is more associated with the iconic silver fern kit, which he wore for most of his Trek tenure as he flew around UCI World Cup tracks.
“Jolanda Neff needs no introduction. UCI World Champion. Olympic Champion. Thirteen-time XCO World Cup winner. Four-Time European Champion. And Three-time UCI World Cup overall champ. As Neff racked up titles, she also earned a reputation for being one of the friendliest and most recognizable riders in the sport, while also tearing up the cyclocross and road circuits from time to time. There may never be another rider quite like her.”
Elsewhere, more riders are on the move. French star Loana Lecomte said farewell to Canyon CLLCTV, sharing the news on social media that she’ll be moving on in 2025, alongside a video of her achievements with the team.
Loana Lecomte wrote: “Thank you very much for these 3 years! Thanks for believing in me to set up this big project in 2022, for supporting me through good times and bad, for always doing your utmost for the athletes and staff. It was 3 years with a lot of success, victories, hard times with rebounding and especially unbelievable moments.”
And over at YT Mob, Kasper Woolley will stick with the team but switch from Enduro to Downhill racing next season. The 25-year-old finished 18th at his first UCI Downhill World Cup in 2024, in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), and he’s clearly caught the Downhill bug. In the upcoming year he’ll change focus entirely to the Downhill discipline and will race the full UCI World Cup calendar.
Kasper Woolley said: “I have always been interested in racing downhill. When I first signed with the YT MOB, the possibility of shifting disciplines was a big reason for my decision. I am so excited that this opportunity came up and that I was in the right position to jump on it. Racing enduro has helped to develop my skills through riding a variety of different trails around the world, so I’m excited to apply my learnings to the world of downhill!”
Over at Thömus Maxon, U23 rider Luke Wiedmann is departing for pastures new after four years with the team. The Swiss team will continue to be led by former U23 UCI World Champion Alessandra Keller, Tokyo 2021 Olympic silver medallist Mathias Flückiger, two-time European Champion Lars Forster, and Vital Albin, who have all extended their contracts.
And Simone Avondetto will continue riding in Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team colours for at least another four seasons, as the team announced a contract extension until 2028. The talented rider from Piedmont joined in 2022 when he was still racing as an U23 rider and bagged the impressive set of Italian National Cross-Country Champion, European Champion, and UCI World Champion jerseys that year. As an Elite rider he’s won the Italian Cross-country Short Track title, finished on the podium at two UCI World Cup rounds, and won the European Cross-country title.
Simone Avondetto said: “For me, Wilier-Vittoria is like a second family, the perfect place to continue growing step by step, just as I have so far. Since joining this amazing team, I’ve achieved some great results, but I’ve also faced tough moments, like the seemingly endless battle with mononucleosis in 2023. During that time, the team always stood by me and provided everything I needed, which made me realize I was truly in the right place. I can’t wait to repay that trust with strong performances on racecourses around the world.”
With plenty of time until the start of the 2025 season, watch this space for more transfer news, team changes and rider updates as preparations begin for another brilliant year of racing at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
