The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is still four months away, but fans can still have plenty of fun during the off-season transfer window.
Source: press release
DOWNHILL
The most anticipated transfer of the 2025-26 offseason was that of Vali Hell After YT Mob disbanded at the end of the 2025 season following YT Industries' insolvency, the reigning champion found herself without a team. However, after months of speculation, it was finally confirmed that she will join the French team. Commençal Schwalbe by Les Orres for the 2026.
In the same context, his compatriot also Andreas Kolb has secured a new home, joining 2025 Elite Men's overall winner Jackson Goldstone to the Santa Cruz Syndicate , with the British Laurie Greenland which seems to give way to the Austrian winner; Oisin O'Callaghan move on to Trek Unbroken DH and the enduro rider became downhill Kasper Woolley move on to MS-Racing .
Another team that is making moves during the offseason is the Mondraker Factory Racing DH The Spanish factory team has renewed its three-year agreement with Ryan Pinkerton, while Oli Clark was rewarded with the move from MS-Racing after a solid season among the youth, which included a UCI World Cup victory in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburg (Austria).
Clark will replace Dakota Norton , who will join the wildcard team in 2026 Scott Downhill office , with the aim of reviving the Swiss manufacturer's fortunes on the world stage. The New Zealand-based company also Jess Blewitt she passed by Cube Factory Racing.
Finally, one of the most important transfers is the passage of Aaron Gwin at Frameworks Racing / TRP The icon and five-time overall champion led his team Gwin Racing in the last two years, but moves to the US team together with Anna Newkirk e Asa Vermette , where it is hoped that he will contribute to competitive results and also act as a mentor to the rest of the young team.
ENDURO
The impact of the YT Mob shutdown was not limited to Downhill: Jack Moir e Christian Textor both compete for the team in the UCI Enduro World Cup. While Textor had announced his retirement at the end of the 2025 season, Australian Moir has just announced his, concluding a successful career that spanned both the Downhill than in Enduro.
They are not the only two pilots who will not be present in the new series: also Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV) , runner-up in 2026, has partially retired from racing: the Canadian has announced that he will not be present at every round of the new season.
CROSS COUNTRY
The biggest news of the off-season cross-country was that of Samara Maxwell The 2025 UCI XCO World Cup overall champion has announced a contract extension with Decathlon Ford Racing until 2028, before confirming that he will take a sabbatical in 2026 rather than defend his title.
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The other important news is the closure of the Ghost Factory Racing After 15 years of activity, the German team hosted Anne Terpstra, Nicole Koller e Caroline Bohe , but it is expected that all the teams will be acquired by other teams, with announcements imminent.
Somewhere else, Nina Graf she passed by Lapierre Unity Racing to the Trek – Unbroken XC after some impressive top 10 performances in 2025, while Madigan Munro e Gunner Holmgren they will leave the official American team.
Tyler Orschel he joined of the KMC Nukeproof MTB Racing Team : Canadian private pilot joins the team Bart Brentjens after almost abandoning the sport at the end of the 2025 series.
Looking at the Under-23 category, the UCI XCO World Cup champion and Cross-country Under-23 Men's Short Track (XCC), Finn Treudler, he extended his contract with Cube Factory Racing until 2028, while moving up to the Elite category.
