The Orbea FOX Factory Team season comes to an end

After an intense season of the UCI XC World Cup, the Orbea FOX Factory Team face the final challenge of the year.

In this seventh episode of Beyond the Tapes, the team travels to North America to close out a historic year, full of effort, learning, and emotions on and off the track.

Lenzerheide marked the end of the European season, with all the comfort of the team truck and paddock ready to support the riders.

As soon as the last race wrapped up, the team began preparing for the journey to North America, pushing their luggage capacity and logistics to the limit.

The final two rounds of the World Cup would be very different: Lake Placid (New York) offered a completely new track for everyone, while Mont-Sainte-Anne (Quebec) is an iconic classic on the calendar. For both riders and staff, there were four more chances to make their mark and push their limits.

In North America, Garen and Geoff from Orbea North America set up the pit and all the infrastructure, creating a true home away from home while the team truck stayed behind.

Lake Placid welcomed the team in full autumn glory: the trees turned the track into a postcard, though riders barely had time to look around.

Simon battled a slow puncture and still finished just outside the top five, proving that his mind and body are once again working in perfect harmony.

For Rebecca, the results weren’t what she hoped for, but she’s keeping a positive mindset and already thinking about putting in the work over the winter to come back stronger next season.

Meanwhile, Pierre wrapped up the year with the same consistency he’s shown all season and will no doubt keep training with ambition through the winter.

The cold mornings and mud demanded the best from everyone, a reminder that it’s the challenges that make us grow.

Blink and you might have missed it: it feels like just yesterday the team gathered in Spain ahead of the first World Cup in Brazil. Now, it’s time to look ahead to winter, preseason training, and the feeling of a year filled with learning and achievement.

We want to thank all the riders, staff, and fans for making our first year as the Orbea FOX Factory Team something we could have only dreamed of. It’s been a year of discovery, growth, and unity. If this season taught us anything, it’s that great results come when you chase excellence together.