The Trek Future Racing program is succeeding at World Cups and perfecting sustainable rider development
Trek Future Racing has built one of the most expansive, data-driven, holistic, and successful mountain bike development programs in the world. The team took home five podiums and 10 Top 5 finishes at the first two World Cup races in Brazil. It now counts 1,000 young riders in its extended network who were identified through rigorous scouting and receive advanced data and personalized training plans in hopes of taking on World Cups themselves.
Such a sophisticated system could in theory be rigid. But team manager and owner Bernd Reutemann’s first principle is rider wellbeing. And rider wellbeing means knowing when to relax and celebrate your success. Always.
Emilly Johnston has three podiums in four World Cup starts this season.
“We prepared cocktails after the first round, and we sat together and we had a party at the pool,” Reutemann said. “And that’s also a thing, we celebrate the good results. Don’t forget to celebrate. Never get used to saying, ‘OK, it was just a podium.’ No. It’s nothing to take for granted. We had no technicals. Nothing. Everything went very smooth.”
Under-23 riders Emilly Johnston from Canada (three podiums in Brazil), Bjorn Riley from the U.S. (two podiums) and Giuliana Salvini Morgen from Brazil (three Top 10 finishes) have led the way for Trek Future Racing through two World Cup rounds.
Morgen in particular exemplifies the team’s ethos. She was identified by the team after applying through its Trek Talent program. And not only did she prove to have incredible racing talent, her personality neatly fit the values that the team embodies. According to Reutemann, Morgen has been hard working, humble and giving with her time since joining the team for 2024.
Bjorn Riley is one of the top American U23 men's riders.
The World Cup rounds in Brazil put Morgen in the spotlight. According to Reutemann, she was treated like a rockstar by fans everywhere the team went. She helped the squad at a scouting event held in Brazil before Round 1 of the World Cup. Approximately 75 athletes showed up for testing in front of Bernd and Trek Future Racing staff, who gave them coaching and advice on how to build their futures in cycling. Morgen served as an example of what those young riders could accomplish.
“As a person, she is running her own business, a gym. So she’s not only a good athlete, she’s also a good role model to bring together performance sports,” Reutemann said. “And on the talent days it was very important to show the local riders, ‘Hey, look, Giu Giu managed to get a spot on our team. Follow the path. Stay calm. Trust the process. Join our community. It may be a small one, but all of you have a chance to earn a spot. You don’t have to be from the United States or Europe.”
The Trek Future Racing Supercaliber.
The biggest thing Reutemann stresses to athletes is sustainable development. Trek Future Racing features riders as young as 18 years old on its roster. The team is happy to celebrate wins and podiums in the short term, but those successes shouldn’t come at the cost of overexertion, or burning out riders’ love of the sport.
“The main thing we learned is we have to show them not to overdo it. Don’t start scaling the oats in the morning,” Reutemann said. “And it’s very hard because in the World Cup, 60 riders want to be on the podium. We will not always be on the podium, but you can do your best and we can always be a positive presence in the market. For the kids, they love cycling. That’s the story.”
Giuliana Salvini Morgen after a hard effort in Mairiporã.
Reutemann hopes to expand the Trek Future Racing network to 5,000 young riders, with software to handle all the bespoke data they need to improve in a sustainable way.
Reutemann also wants to make sure that all materials provided to the riders is translated into their native languages, whether that be English, Polish, or Portuguese. He wants Trek Future Racing to be a truly global enterprise. Meeting athletes where they are is one of the “big little details” that Reutemann is so fond of. All together, they add up to one of the most ambitious programs in cycling, period.
Trek Future Racing is more than a development squad. Reutemann and company are aiming to change the way young athletes are identified and built up within what can often be an overwhelming environment. World Cup podiums are only the start.
