Top transfers 2023 in mountain bike racing
Although no major events such as the European Championships or the Olympic Games are scheduled for the 2023 MTB racing season, there is a lot going on among professional bikers and mountain bike racing teams. The big rider carousel started back in November, when the Brazilian Henrique Avancini says goodbye to Cannondale after eight years Factory Racing. But even in mid-January, it was still not known under which flag and on which bike Avancini would be riding this year. Since 19 January, however, it has been clear that the Brazilian will be racing with his own MTB team on the world's circuits in 2023. However, several other top transfers of professional bikers have already been finalised and officially announced at the end of 2022. We provide an overview of which professional mountain bikers will be riding for new teams in 2023.
Henrique Avancini 2023 with his own racing team with bike sponsor Caloi
It was announced on 19 January that Brazilian rider Henrique Avancini will be racing with his own team from 2023. The four-man mountain bike team is called Henrique Avancini Racing and will be riding bikes from Brazilian manufacturer Caloi. Avancini was already riding Caloi bikes, which belong to the Pon Group like Cannondale or Santa Cruz, in his early days when he surprisingly won the MTB Bundesliga race in Münsingen in 2013. In addition to the Brazilian cross-country champion Avancini, the Brazilian U23 champion Sabrina Oliveira and two other young up-and-coming racers from the South American country also ride for the racing team.
Maxime Marotte new captain of the Rockrider Racing Team
36-year-old Frenchman Maxime Marotte is returning to his roots and will be riding for the Rockrider Racing Team in 2023. The mountain bike racing team, which rides the bikes of mail-order giant Decathlon, has only been in the top league of mountain bike racing since last year. Following the retirement of Stéphane Tempier, Marotte will be the new figurehead of the French team in 2023. However, the Frenchman Tempier is still on board as team manager. In addition to three-time French champion Marotte, 25-year-old Greta Seiwald will also be joining the Rockrider Racing Team 2023. Like Marotte, the Italian rode for Santa Cruz FSA last year.
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Vidaurre and Koretzky at Specialized Factory Racing
Only short-track specialist Christopher Blevins (USA) remains from the men's squad at Specialized Factory Racing. Two newcomers will ride the US manufacturer's bikes in the UCI MTB World Cup alongside him in 2023: The young Chilean Martin Vidaurre and the French World Cup winner Victor Koretzky. Vidaurre dominated the U23 World Cup last season and is regarded as one of the future stars of MTB racing. The 22-year-old 2021 U23 World Champion comes from the German Lexware mountain bike team, for which German cross-country ace Max Brandl rides.
I am happy and very excited to be part of the Specialized Factory Racing Team. There were so many factors that influenced my decision. But Specialized is a racing brand, one of the best out there, and I'm sure I've made the best decision for me. The bikes have a successful history and the team knows how to win. On the other hand, there is the big Specialized community in South America. It will certainly not be easy. There is a lot to learn, but I will keep my style and try something crazy. I don't have a lot of pressure, so it's time to take my chances and gain more experience. My goal will be to ride consistently throughout the season. - Martin Vidaurre.
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With Victor Koretzky, Albstadt World Cup winner from 2021the switch to Specialized probably only came about at relatively short notice. After all, it only became clear late in the year that his road team B&B Hotels-KTM would not continue in 2023. As a result Team Bora-Hansgrohe Victor Koretzky under contract for 2023 taken. However, as Koretzky will continue to compete in the MTB World Cup and Bora-Hansgrohe is known to ride Specialized racing bikes, the former junior world champion in cross country will compete for Specialized Factory Racing. Koretzky's declared goal is the 2024 Olympic mountain bike race in Paris. The women's squad at Specialized Factory Racing remains unchanged: Haley Batten (USA), Sina Frei (SUI) and Laura Stigger (AUT) will represent the traditional team from the USA in cross-country and marathon races.
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I'm delighted to be part of the Specialized Factory Team for 2023 and beyond. The decision was made very late after my last team couldn't fulfil their commitments. But I'm happy to have signed with a team where I can pursue my dreams. I'll be riding for Bora-Hansgrohe on the road and we'll be targeting some one-day races. My goal is to be in good shape at the beginning of the season and do well in these road races before turning to MTB. The World Championships in Scotland are important to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and I will give my all to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join the team at the last training camp. But I know all the riders and I'm looking forward to meeting them in person soon. - Victor Koretzky
Lars Forster to Thömus Maxon
Two-time European MTB champion Lars Forster joins the Thömus Maxon team. The Thömus racing team from Switzerland is thus entering the 2023 season even stronger and even more broadly positioned. With the signing of the 29-year-old Forster, team boss Ralph Näf's team will be competing with three riders in the men's elite category for the first time. Mathias Flückiger and Vital Albin will have a strong man at their side with the three-time World Cup winner Forster.
We are delighted that we have been able to sign Lars Forster. Despite his two European Championship titles, his 2019 World Cup victory in Snowshoe and other international victories, Lars still has great, untapped potential. He also fits into the team very well on a personal level. - Ralph Näf, Thömus-Maxon Team Manager
Filippo Colombo at Schurter's side at Scott-Sram
News from Thomas Frischknecht's Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team for 2023: While Lars Forster is leaving the team for Thömus Maxon, Frischknecht is delighted with the arrival of 25-year-old Swiss rider Filippo Colombo, who joins from the Absolute Absalon BMC Racing Team and completes the team alongside Nino Schurter, Kate Courtney and Andri Frischknecht. It is fair to say that Filippo Colombo had a convincing MTB racing season in 2022. Vice world champion in the short track race, two short track World Cup victories, a second place at the XC World Cup in Mont Saint-Anne and a bronze medal at the European Championships speak for themselves. His strong season brought Colombo to 5th place in the UCI world rankings, just one place behind world champion Nino Schurter.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot at Ineos Grenadiers
Already on 12 October French MTB superstar Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has announced that she will be riding for Ineos Grenadiers from 2023. Alongside super all-rounder Tom Pidcock, the four-time 2022 MTB world champion has already been racing cyclocross in the Ineos jersey and on Pinarello bikes since November. It will be interesting to see which mountain bikes the Frenchwoman (and Pidcock) will be riding in her UCI MTB World Cup races in 2023. With her switch to Ineos-Grenadiers, Ferrand-Prévot has already announced that her big goal is the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. There, the ten-time UCI cycling world champion in the elite category (road, cyclocross, MTB) wants to win the title that is still missing from her collection, namely the Olympic title.
Nadine Perks from Ghost to jb Brunex Superior
After two years, the German cross-country biker Nadine Perks (formerly Nadine Rieder) will no longer be riding for the Ghost Factory Racing Team in 2023, but for the Swiss team jb Brunex Superior.
Ondrej Cink 2023 on Mondraker
Czech Ondrej Cink is switching from the Polish Kross pro team to Mondraker. Alongside Rebecca McConnell, the Czech champion will represent the colours of Primaflor-Mondraker-Genuins in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. It is a return for the 32-year-old two-time World Cup winner Cink. Cink already rode Mondraker bikes for a year in 2018.
Isla Short switches to Ghost Factory Racing
Isla Short is the new face of the Ghost Factory Racing Team. The 26-year-old Scot has already ridden for an international team in the past before deciding to pursue her own project for a few years to see how far she can go with it. The two-time Scottish champion has tested her limits and is now hoping that the Ghost World Cup team will provide the support and cohesion that she has lacked in recent years.
New top team for 2023: Orbea Factory Team
The new Orbea Factory Team is making the leap into the premier league of cross-country mountain bike racing in 2023. With new riders and a new team structure, the team will be heading to the UCI World Cup circuits and the most important stage and one-day races of the season. The press release for the team presentation states: "The Orbea Factory Team will contribute to spectacular races, make the sport more attractive and bring more fans to the tracks." Four professional riders will be part of this UCI mountain bike team in 2023 on the new Orbea Oiz be on the road: Belgian Pierre de Froidmont (26) and Dutch rider Anne Tauber (27) will be taking part as experienced MTB pros. The 22-year-old Spaniard David Campos will complete his first season in the highest racing category and the Frenchman Luca Martin (20) will ride in the U23 category. In addition to the cross-country team Lukas Baum and Georg Egger (Speed Company Racing) in marathon racing on Orbea bikes.
Lapierre Mavic Unity: New cross-country MTB team for 2023
Eleven years after withdrawing from elite mountain bike racing, Lapierre is returning to the world elite of cross-country racing with the Lapierre Mavic Unity team. Less than two years before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the traditional French bike manufacturer is once again equipping top bikers with its new Racefully Lapierre XR out. Together with Mavic, another iconic French brand, as a co-partner. The 2023 MTB team consists of three riders, many of whom are familiar faces and have already been successful in recent years:
- Malène Degn (Denmark)
- Annie Last (Great Britain)
- Isaure Medde / U23 (France)
- Sebastian Fini Cartensen (Denmark)
- Thomas Litscher (Switzerland)
- Erik Haegstad (Norway)
Team BMC: works team in cross country MTB racing 2023
BMC has been at the forefront of mountain bike cross-country racing for more than a decade, winning World Championships and World Cups, securing European and national titles and being the most successful team in the UCI MTB XC World Cup for several years in a row. For 2023, the Swiss bike label will be represented in the premier league of MTB racing with its own factory team. Team BMC is now ushering in a new era for the Swiss bike company.
The 5 MTB racers in Team BMC 2023
Steffi Häberlin (25)
Steffi Häberlin from Switzerland, a top ten athlete in the World Cup with impressive performances in the cross-country marathon, is also aiming for top 10 results in the XC World Cup in 2023 while studying medicine.
Titouan Carod (28)
The bronze medallist at the 2020 World Championships and World Cup winner from France has proven himself to be an outstanding all-rounder.
Jordan Sarrou (30)
World champion on BMC, Cape Epic winner and one of the strongest riders in the XC World Cup. Jordan Sarrou returns from Specialized to BMC bikes.
Yuri Zanotti (24)
Juri Zanotti is a real racing talent from Italy who competed in his first elite year in 2022. In 2021, he won the Italian championships and silver in the U23 class at the World and European Championships.
Janis Baumann (20)
The Swiss MTB talent has already proven his skills with several medals at world and European championships. Baumann's goal is to continue to develop as a rider. He has ridden for Wilier-Pirelli for the last two years.
