Trek Factory Racing capped its most productive season ever with a brilliant technical display. Catch up with photos and our recap.
Trek Factory Racing closed the MTB World Cup season in Mont-Sainte-Anne with six top five performances. The most technical venue on the circuit set the perfect stage for a grand finale, with a rainy Sunday adding an extra dash of drama to the proceedings.
The team also had five riders who earned overall podiums after eight rounds of racing — six, including Hattie Harnden, who took third overall in the women’s enduro World Cup standings three weeks ago. Across every discipline and level of mountain biking, TFR shined, displaying depth unlike any other team in the sport.
Before mountain bike racing goes into hibernation, enjoy the highlights, one last time, from the weekend that was.
Riley Amos won his second World Cup XCO of the season.
Madigan Munro turned in her best performance of the season.
Riley Amos and Madigan Munro stand out
TFR XC’s young guns starred for the second weekend in a row. Amos took third in men’s under-23 short track and won the men’s U23 XCO for a double-podium weekend. His XCO win was his second of 2023 to go along with Andorra. He edged out second-place Adrien Boichis by 16 seconds.
Munro took eighth in women’s under-23 short track and third in XCO. Her XCO podium was her best finish of the year, and best ever U23 result outside of her second place in Mont-Sainte-Anne last year.
“The race was super epic,” Munro said. “So muddy and a lot like a cyclocross race. There was so much running and getting off your bike and adapting to the conditions, so I tried to just ride super steady the whole race and keep moving forward consistently. That was my biggest goal.”
Champagne to help clean off the mud.
For two young riders, a strong close to the season could signal big things for the future. Amos finished on both overall podiums — third in short track, and second in XCO. Both he and Munro are two to watch in 2024 and beyond.
“It definitely feels like a great way to go into my final year as a U23, having some extra confidence and knowing I can be up with those girls,” Munro said. “Obviously there’s still a ton to learn and a lot to work on. But thankfully you have all the offseason and a really great team behind me to help me do that. So I am super stoked on it and can’t wait for more next year.”
Loris Vergier speeding into the finish line.
Loris Vergier is always a crowd favorite.
Loris Vergier takes third on the men's DH overall
Loris Vergier was the most consistent rider in men’s downhill racing this year. In Mont-Sainte-Anne he continued the trend, taking fifth in qualifying and 10th in semi-finals and finals. For the season, he finished in the top 10 in 19 of his 21 World Cup race runs.
That sort of consistency in the most punishing and unpredictable discipline in cycling is downright jaw-dropping, and was good for a third place overall finish on the final podium. Vergier has now finished on the final overall podium three years in a row, taking second in 2022 and third in 2021.
Vergier is one of the smoothest and most technically sound athletes you will ever see on two wheels. He has plenty more greatness in store.
Jolanda Neff showed out on her favorite World Cup track.
Always golden.
Jolanda Neff closes the season with a podium
Jolanda Neff struggled to find her rhythm at times this season, but a fourth-place finish in Mont-Sainte-Anne — her second straight XCO podium, after taking fifth in Snowshoe — showed that the reigning Olympic Champion knows how to close strong.
She took the podium with a powerful performance to overcome a slow start. After the first full lap, she was in 16th place in the field, 1:26 behind then-leader Puck Pieterse. Over the course of four additional laps, she gradually plucked her way up to the leading group, finishing fourth at 1:18 behind winner Loana Lecomte.
Neff has called Mont-Sainte-Anne her favorite course. On Sunday she showed why. Everyone who watched was treated to a stunning demonstration of why Neff is one of the most technically skilled cyclists in the world.
A whole team effort.
The coveted yellow plates.
TFR XC named Best Women's Team
Neff, Evie Richards and Gwendalyn Gibson were on a mission all season to be named the Best Women’s Team on the World Cup circuit. On Sunday, they finished the drill. Despite Richards being forced to miss the XCO event due to illness, they did everything they needed to edge out Specialized Factory Racing by 28 points.
Richards did her part by finishing fourth in short track, ultimately finishing third overall in the event. Neff added a 12th place finish in short track, and Gibson finished seventh in short track and 18th in XCO.
Together, Neff, Richards and Gibson were named the best team at a World Cup event three times — in Lenzerheide, Val di Sole and Andorra. The yellow plates they earned as a result represent a season of incredible grit across five months of racing.
Bodhi Kuhn had an excellent first full season with TFR.
Bodhi Kuhn finishes third overall despite missing Mont-Sainte-Anne
Bodhi Kuhn had one of the most anticipated race runs of Mont-Sainte-Anne as one of a handful of Canadian contenders. Unfortunately, he couldn’t race because of a rough crash in practice, but despite being forced to sit, he still managed to finish third overall on the men’s junior DH standings.
Kuhn was able to take the podium on the strength of four podiums in five finals runs, including a win in Val di Sole. He’ll be entering the elite ranks beginning in 2024. He’s on an upward trajectory to impress.
