The Wilier Vittoria MTB Factory Team announces a strategic decision for the future: it will focus all its efforts on Cross Country, the most important discipline in mountain biking.
This decision, taken in collaboration with main sponsor Wilier Triestina, is based on the desire to invest in a discipline that is constantly growing, both in terms of sporting performance and media attention. Cross Country embodies the essence of off-road competition in a highly competitive environment.
The goal is to channel our efforts more decisively in a single direction: becoming a benchmark UCI MTB World Series Elite Team. This strategy, coinciding with the expiration of current contracts, marks the end of an extraordinary chapter for our Marathon Team—a squad that has written unforgettable pages of success and achievement.
This remarkable journey has been made possible by the talent and dedication of exceptional athletes such as Fabian Rabensteiner, Samuele Porro, and Daniel Geismayr, as well as the tireless efforts of a world-class technical staff.
The number of victories and results achieved over the past three years is remarkable. Rabensteiner, in particular, has stood out by winning the overall classification of the last two World Cups, with stage victories in Nove Mesto in both years. The South Tyrolean athlete also claimed the European Championship title in 2022 in the Czech Republic and shone at the Cape Epic in South Africa, securing two stage wins in both 2022 and 2023. This year, he also triumphed at the Andalucia Bike Race alongside Porro, who himself had an outstanding season, crowned by a victory at the Dolomiti Superbike, further enriching the team’s already impressive record. Adding to this are the national titles of Rabensteiner and Geismayr—who together won the Swiss Epic in 2022—bringing even more brilliance to an unforgettable three-year period.
«The decision to focus all our resources on Cross Country for the 2025 season is a strategic choice for Wilier Triestina. Cross Country is a discipline that offers enormous global visibility, embodies the excellence of off-road racing, and is perfectly aligned with our vision for growth in the off-road world. This commitment reflects our ambition to become a reference point on the international stage. We would like to express our deep gratitude to Massimo De Bertolis, without whom Wilier's entry into mountain biking would not have begun nearly 10 years ago, as well as to Fabian, Samuele, Daniel, and all the staff who, over the years, have brought prestige to our brand with memorable victories and unforgettable moments», said the Gastaldello family.
The ambitions of the Wilier Vittoria MTB Factory Team are growing for the new season, with a highly talented roster that will be accompanied by a new brand identity.
«A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this extraordinary journey possible. A thank you that starts over 10 years ago, with Damiano, Ivan, Gioele, Walter, Michele, Johnny and Alexey and continues through the most recent seasons with Fabian, Samuele, and Daniel. Together, we have achieved incredible milestones, sharing unforgettable emotions. It has been a privilege to have athletes of this caliber in our team, not only for their extraordinary sporting abilities but also for their human values. While the sporting chapter may be closing, the human connection remains alive and strong: these guys represent a second family to me. A heartfelt thanks also goes to the staff, the silent engine behind the scenes that made these successes possible. Together, we have written a memorable chapter in the history of the Marathon. As for the future, the 2025 race calendar is being finalized, with some exciting changes and a clear goal: to aim even higher», said Team Principal Marco Trentin.
With preparations for the new season already in full swing, we look forward to seeing you at the beginning of 2025, when we will unveil the new roster of riders ahead of the official presentation at Vittoria Bike Park.
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