New Canyon CLLCTV XCO Team is going for gold in 2022

With a roster that features some of the world’s most talented mountain bike riders, the new Canyon CLLCTV XCO team enters the cross-country scene with lofty goals and the athletes to back them up. Leading the squad is Loana Lecomte. Last season the 22-year-old French rider set the World Cup on fire with dramatic solo wins and the overall UCI title. In 2022, she’ll be even better equipped as she fights for the podium with her new Canyon Exceed and Lux. Alongside her will be fellow countryman and regular top-ten finisher, Thomas Griot, as well as reigning German XC Marathon Champion, Luca Schwarzbauer. Aside from staying at the pointy end of World Cup races, the team is determined to make waves at the XCO World Championships on French soil in Les Gets.

Even in the junior ranks, Loana Lecomte (pictured above with her Canyon Lux) was a force to be reckoned with. In her first season she took gold at the French Junior XCO Championships before going on to ride for silver at the Junior European and World Championships the following year. In 2021, hardly any other rider could best her. After four consecutive World Cup wins, she all but cemented her claim on the UCI overall title. Loana is thrilled to be riding for the new team and is training hard for this year’s World Championship on her home turf.

Thomas Griot, 27, of Annecy, France finished off 2021 with a third place at the Copa Catalana Internacional BTT in Girona and is fired up for the season and the new team. “I’m super excited about the switch to Canyon. It’s a great chance for me and I believe that with Canyon’s commitment to their athletes, we’ll be able to compete at the highest level.” Girot plans to step it up in 2021 by racing for more top-five spots in World Cup races and securing the French National Title. With a top-ten overall ranking in the 2021 World Cup as well as a fourth place at the Leogang race, Girot is in a great position to build off of his success and make 2022 a year to remember.

When Luca Schwarzbauer isn’t studying industrial engineering at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, the 25-year-old German is training for his next cross-country race. Fourth place at the German XCO Championships in 2020 and up on the top spot of the podium at the German XC Marathon Championships in 2021, the groundwork has been laid for Luca to take a step into the spotlight. Luca said of his new team: “It’s a big leap for me. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity. I’m certain that I’ve got what it takes to race with the best and the team structure and training is going to play a big role for me to push on to that next level and compete with not just the best in Germany, but the best in the world.” Luca plans to pick up in 2022 where he left off the year prior: fighting for consistent results and a top-ten overall placing.

Just as the racers are driven to perform at their absolute best, Canyon is committed to providing the team with all the resources they need to succeed. Canyon designers and engineers work closely with the best riders in the world to gain valuable feedback that can be used to continuously push the envelope and develop Championship-winning bikes. The results speak for themselves: Countless national and international wins continue to tally up next to World Championships, major stage victories and Olympic medals. The new Canyon CLLCTV team of Loana Lecomte, Thomas Griot, and Luca Schwarzbauer is sure to add to that palmarès. There’s even another rider announcement coming in February. Stay tuned!

More information on the new Canyon CLLCTV Team is available at canyon.com.