Gunnar Holmgren is joining Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC and expanding the family empire

Gunnar Holmgren is joining Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC, and extending a family legacy in the process.

If that last name sounds familiar, then you may have heard of his younger sisters — twins Isabella and Ava — who have been lighting up the road and the trails as members of Lidl-Trek. Isabella is coming off a blisteringly successful XC racing season that included short track AND XCO U23 world championships.

Gunnar, 25, is the oldest of five Holmgren children, in fact. Their parents both raced bikes and coached themselves. Unsurprisingly, it was a competitive household growing up — “If we’re playing a board game or cards, no one wants to lose,” Gunnar says.

There was also a lot of love. Getting the chance to race alongside his sisters in the Trek ecosystem will be a longtime dream come true. 

“Ava, Bella and I, we’ve never been on the same team. Just because we’re six years apart, we’re never at the same stage,” Gunnar says. “It’ll just be nice to travel with family. And they gave me a bit of insight to what the team is like behind the scenes. That everyone gets along. They just think it’s a great atmosphere, and everyone’s really motivated and focused on the racing, but they also take the time to have some fun together.”

Gunnar is an accomplished racer himself, with an eighth-place finish at the XC World Cup race in Nové Město this past year. The race was one of the most competitive of the year, one of the last major races to rack up points for Olympic qualifying. The result helped Gunnar earn a ticket to Paris as part of Team Canada.

With TFR XC, he’s looking to level up his game, with the help of an even more dialed-in support system, from the equipment, to the mechanics, to the coaches, to team management.

“It’s a big change next year. Almost everything is new,” Gunnar says. “But I’m confident it’s gonna work out really well. I achieved my goals that I set last year, so it’s time to upgrade a little, and I set the goal of getting a podium next year. I want to stand on the podium in a Trek jersey.”

Gunnar will officially become the newest member of TFR XC on Jan. 1, 2025, but he’ll be racing on a Trek shortly as he takes part in his local cyclocross racing scene. Keep an eye out for the crafty Canadian, and in the meantime get to know him a little better in the Q&A below.

You recently got to meet your new teammates at a team camp at Trek Headquarters in Waterloo, Wisc. What were your first impressions from that trip?

Gunnar Holmgren: It was pretty quick after the last race, popping in the car and going to the airport with the teammates. 

It was cool to find out who else was on the team, because I had no idea going into it, and meet the downhill riders, of course. We went to the factory, which was super impressive. I didn’t realize how many people and how much effort went into all the behind the scenes stuff. So that was really inspiring to see. And I’ve been to the headquarters before for Trek CX Cup, but I’ve never been inside. A ton of fun to get to know who will be supporting the team for next year. 

How did you come to be a part of Trek?

Holmgren: That started last year. I was looking for a team. Had a great season and I just reached out to have a chat some time. There was no room for me then, but I stayed in contact, because you never know what’s gonna happen, especially after the Olympics, when everyone’s contract is up. And it ended up working out, which is pretty sweet. I think it’s a big step up for sure for myself, having a team that’s so dialed in on every aspect.

Say more. Why was TFR good fit for you? What aspects of support are you really looking forward to?

Holmgren: The whole team is so dialed. You guys have the full package, like coaching and doctors, nutrition, tech coach, mechanics. Everyone’s talking to each other and figuring out the best plan all around, which is really helpful when you have many people thinking towards that.

It’s been a big role and dream for a while, because I grew up at Hardwood Ski and Bike, which is where Emily Batty is from. And she was with you guys for quite a while, and she was sort of the star rider in the area. So all the young kids would be looking up to her team and the Trek brand at all the races. And you guys sponsored the local club (I think you still do) for a really long time. I’ve never even owned a Trek, but it’s come full circle now.

Obviously you have two sisters that are already in the Trek ecosystem. Were they a resource for you as you were considering moving over to Trek?

Holmgren: We travel a lot together, and we live together in Toronto, so I think just being on partly the same schedule, even though they’re on the road a lot, when we’re going to the mountain bike races, it should be pretty similar. It’ll just be nice to travel with family. And they gave me a bit of insight to what the team is like behind the scenes. That everyone gets along. They just think it’s a great atmosphere, and everyone’s really motivated and focused on the racing, but they also take the time to have some fun together.

You come from a big family of bike racers, and you’re all competitive, so what was that like growing up? How has that shaped you? 

Holmgren: It definitely helped. We’re all pretty competitive in the family,  even if we’re all not racing. But I think just being on a bike from a young age, just riding with the family or doing the fun weekly race series, just made riding fun, apart from the racing itself. So when you get to combine the two, it’s extra fun.

Was there a lot of fighting over mashed potatoes?

Holmgren: If we’re playing a board game or cards, no one wants to lose. 

You’ve been racing for a long time now. Who are you as a racer? What are you like on the bike? 

Holmgren: Not many people know that I did all three disciplines [MTB, road, cyclocross] for a while. And then I focused on mountain biking a bit more for U23s; I just didn’t have the resources to do all three. That’s a goal going ahead. But as a racer, I think I’m calculating. I like to pin it. I don’t like waiting around too long. But I’m also thoughtful, thinking about where I want to lead, where I want to attack, or where I want to slow down a bit, or to have some fun. 

You mentioned racing multiple disciplines. I know you’re racing some ‘cross this winter. Was that a draw to you, knowing that Trek takes its cyclocross very seriously?

Holmgren: That was one of the big motivators. It’s been, I think, four years now that I haven’t done Christmas ‘cross, and I’d done it for a long time, so I was quite sad that I missed out on it, and I’m really stoked to get that opportunity again. I think I’ll have the support for that. 

I think it brings a lot of performance to the table. You get taught to ride in all sorts of conditions that you wouldn’t necessarily get the chance to train for. And it’s just super fun, all out racing from the gun.

What about off the bike? What’s something people don’t know about you that they might be surprised by? 

Holmgren: That’s my least favorite question [laughs]. I still don’t know how to answer it. 

I worked as a barista for many years, so I’m quite into coffee culture. I try and visit a cafe everywhere I go, which has been fun to learn about the area and just hang out with everyone. 

I also like to cook a lot. I think I’m an OK cook. I enjoy being outside, going hiking, motorcycling a bit, running, skiing. And then the easy one would be that I’m bilingual. I speak French as well. 

Ooh, let’s hear more about those culinary pursuits. 

Holmgren: I figured out how to make risotto pretty well, a few variations on that. That would be my specialty. But I’m always wanting to try to make different things and taste new things, using different ingredients wherever we’re going. Like when we go to Brazil, it’s fun to go to the grocery store to see what’s different. There’s a ton of different exotic fruits and stuff you can cook with.

Back to racing. What have been some of your most memorable performances to date?

Holmgren: Definitely Nové Město last year. Besides being the Olympic Qualifier, it was just my best race ever, really. But it was special because there was so much pressure that I had to perform on that day, no matter what, so a lot of work and thought went into it. It was like I was on autopilot, and I just had a ton of fun getting to race with the guys. 

My dad and coach was there, and my other sister, working for another team, was there. That was a highlight, for sure.

Like you said, that was a particularly high-pressure race for a lot of people. Why do you think that was such a good day for you? Was it the course? Was it just the preparation and how it came together?

Holmgren: I always have a good race in Nové Město. I’ve just figured out the track, and it suits me really well. So I knew last year that that was my only chance. There were no other races in the year, based on the criteria that Cycling Canada wrote, for me to qualify for the Olympics. So I put a lot of pressure on it, and I do well under pressure like that. We had been preparing for it since November last year, and everything just came together.

Looking ahead to 2025, what are your goals with TFR, and do you have any concrete aims?

Holmgren: It’s a big change next year. Almost everything is new: new equipment, new coach, new team, new management, all of that. But I’m confident it’s gonna work out really well. I achieved my goals that I set last year, so it’s time to upgrade a little, and I set the goal of getting a podium next year. I want to stand on the podium in a Trek jersey.

Going back, what is your impression of the team environment overall, and what does it mean to you to have strong teammates in a largely individual sport?

Holmgren: It’s cool that we’re all quite similar in age, I think. And we all have quite a bit of experience, and we’re all pretty open on sharing it. So it’ll be great to get out there with Riley [Amos] on course and share some lines. And Evie [Richards] has a ton of experience knowing how to win races when the time comes, so just getting to chat with her. They’re also just fun to hang out with and not talk about bikes [laughs].

Any final thoughts? Anything you’re most looking forward to?

Holmgren Ava, Bella and I, we’ve never been on the same team, really, ever. Just because we’re six years apart, we’re never at the same stage. Like when they were on the club team, I’d moved on by then. So that’s been kind of like a background goal for a while to have the family all together, extended family, too. Ian Ackert he’s on Trek, too. And then my dad’s team that he runs is sponsored by Trek as well. So there’ll be a home garage full of Trek bikes, and I can’t wait.