Cross Country
In 2021, the Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte (22, pictured above with her personal entourage) caused a sensation with four consecutive XCO World Cup victories and deservedly took the overall win. In 2022, she will switch from Massi Bikes as a shooting star to the new Canyon CLLCTV XCO pro team. By the way: CLLCTV stands for collective at Canyon and refers to the mountain bike community sponsored by the company.
Also in the team are her compatriot Thomas Griot (27), currently number 15 in the UCI ranking, and the 2021 German MTB marathon champion, Luca Schwarzbauer (25). Canyon has announced the addition of another prominent female rider for February. You will soon find out which one it will be here.
Milan Vader and Victor Koretzky are not only leaving KMC Orbea, but are also getting out of mountain bike racing completely for the time being. In 2022, Dutchman Vader will try his hand at road racing with superstar Wout van Aert's Jumbo-Visma team. World Championship bronze medallist Koretzky will compete in road races for the French B&B Hotels-KTM team. Thomas Litscher is also leaving the KMC Orbea team after three years. The 32-year-old Swiss rider will start for the Polish Kross Orlen Cycling Team in 2022.
The U23 world champion Mona Mitterwallner will be racing for Cannondale in 2022. The 19-year-old Austrian rode a perfect season in 2021 and won every World Cup race, as well as taking the U23 title at the European Championships and becoming elite marathon world champion. Read more about this in the news >> Mona Mitterwallner to Cannondale <<
The Austrian KTM Factory MTB Team gets reinforcement from Germany and signs Leonie Daubermann For the reigning German champion, it will be her first full year in the elite category. Daubermann has already regularly finished on the podium in the U23 World Cup. The crowning glory of the 2021 season was the national championship title in the elite category. Her two sisters Antonia and Luisa Daubermann will be wearing the jersey of Trek-Vaude.
Vlad Dascalu leaves Trek Pirelli, switches to Trek Factory Racing and thus becomes a team-mate of Jolanda Neff and world champion Evie Richards. The 24-year-old came seventh at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, finished fourth at the World Championships in Val di Sole, narrowly missing out on the medals, and the Romanian champion and XC specialist took second place at the final World Cup of 2021 in Snowshoe.
In return, the Frenchman is leaving after two years Stéphane Tempier the Trek Factory Racing Team. The 35-year-old and 2019 World Championship bronze medallist is set to announce his destination in early February.
Georg Egger and Luca Schwarzbauer leave the Lexware mountain bike team after many years. Georg Egger founds together with Lukas Baum its own team, called Speed Company Racing. Which jersey and bike 25-year-old Luca Schwarzbauer (here in a short interview) next season was only announced late in the day: From now on, he will be racing for the new Canyon CLLCTV pro team together with superstar Loana Lecomte. His goal: consistent race results and top 10 in the world.
Lisa Pasteiner leaves the Ghost Factory Racing Team. They are replaced by Finja Lipp. The 18-year-old came third in the German U-19 Championships and wants to really take off in the World Cup. The young rider joins Caroline Bohé, Nicole Koller, Nadine Rieder and Anne Terpstra and completes the Bavarian bike manufacturer's five-strong factory team.
The two German marathon and cross-country riders Martin Frey and Niklas Schehl leave Team Bulls. Schehl (23) will start alongside Julian Schelb in Team Stop&Go in 2022. It is not yet known where Cape Epic runner-up Martin Frey will move to after nine years with Team Bulls.
It is now also clear where the Short Track World Champion Christopher Blevins changes. The 23-year-old World Cup winner from Durango is joining forces with young hopeful Haley Batten from Trinity Racing to the works team of Specialised. The two Americans will join Laura Stigger from Austria, Sina Frei from Switzerland, Gerhard Kerschbaumer from Italy and Jordan Sarrou from France.
Downhill
Laurie Greenland leaves the MS Mondraker team and moves to the Santa Cruz Syndicate. But leaves Luca Shaw the Santa Cruz downhill team. He will be replaced by the young talent Jackson Goldstone. With the young, fast Brit Greenland and the super-talented Goldstone, world champion Greg Minnaar will have two first-class team-mates for the 2022 season. Germany's fastest downhill rider Nina Hoffmann has surprisingly said goodbye to her own team. The 25-year-old will be racing for Santa Cruz Syndicate together with Minnaar, Greenland and Goldstone.
YT Industries will no longer be fielding a works team in 2022. But the Forchheim-based supplier makes it clear: they will be back. David Trummer, Dakotah Norton and young talent Oisin O'Callaghan have probably already found new teams.
It is unclear whether and how the Commencal 21 team will continue. Because with Alex Marin, Angel Suarez and Pau Menoyo all drivers are leaving the team from Andorra. New riders are not yet known.
Enduro
EWS top driver Martin Maes announced his departure from his long-standing sponsor GT last year. Now it is clear: the Belgian is moving to Orbea.
Ines Thoma has parted ways with the Canyon Collective Enduro Team. It is still unclear whether she will be competing in enduro races in 2022. The German Enduro Champion Raphaela Richter has said goodbye to most of its sponsors and announced major changes.
