Loana Lecomte headlines Canyon CLLCTV XCO Team

2021's standout XCO rider, Loana Lecomte, has signed onto the Canyon CLLCTV XCO Team. Their roster features some of the world’s most talented mountain bike riders and the new  team enters the 2022 Cross-Country race season with some big goals.

Loana Lecomte will be leading the squad, ending the most popular phrase for those watching the women's XCO World Cup in 2021: 'Who are Masi?'

Last season the 22-year-old French rider set the World Cup racing scene alight, with back-to-back solo wins and the overall UCI title – all in her first year in the Elite ranks. For 2022, Lecomte will race aboard both a Canyon Exceed hardtail, and the popular Canyon Lux full suspension bike.

Fellow countryman and regular top-ten finisher, Thomas Griot, as well as reigning German XC Marathon Champion, Luca Schwarzbauer will also be on the Canyon CLLCTV XCO squad. The World Cup is a major goal, but the squad want to make sure they are part of the front of the race at the XCO World Championships in Les Gets this year. 

Loana Lecomte (pictured above with her Canyon Lux) has been a force to be reckoned with since racing in Juniors. 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.

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.”

Griot is aiming for more podium spots in World Cup races in 2022, and securing the French National Title. With a top-ten overall ranking in the 2021 World Cup as well as a podium position at the Leogang race, Griot is ready to launch for the 2022 season.

Luca Schwarzbauer studies industrial engineering at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, and the 25-year-old German fits XCO training around his studies. With 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.

Canyon is committed to providing the team with all the resources they need to succeed. Their designers and engineers work with the best riders in the world to gain valuable feedback that can be used to continuously develop Championship-winning bikes. While this is often touted, the evidence is there: 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!