Cannondale says goodbye to Factory Racing with an emotional video celebrating Avancini, Fumic, Marotte and other MTB legends

After more than three decades competing at the highest level of mountain biking, Cannondale Factory Racing has reached its end. The American brand wanted to bid farewell to one of the most recognizable teams in XCO history with What We Leave Behind, a video that recaptures some of its best memories and pays tribute to the riders and professionals who built its legacy.

Cannondale Factory Racing puts an end to over 30 years of history

There are teams that are remembered for their victories and others that become part of the identity of a sport. Cannondale Factory Racing has achieved both, and now, after announcing its departure from the World Cup circuit, the brand has released a farewell video that reflects on its legacy.

What We Leave Behind is the fourth and final episode of the Fresh Dirt series and condenses in about six and a half minutes a story that began in 1994, with the legendary Volvo-Cannondale.

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For those who have followed XCO over the last decade, the video also serves as a reunion with some of the most characteristic names of the team. Henrique Avancini, Manuel Fumic, and Maxime Marotte represent an era when Cannondale Factory Racing became a regular reference in the World Cup.

They are joined by other riders who have been part of its history, such as Marco Aurelio Fontana, Alan Hatherly, Simon Andreassen, or Mona Mitterwallner, as well as historical figures like Tinker Juarez and the latest generation led by Luca Martin, Charlie Aldridge, Cole Punchard, and Jolanda Neff.

But Cannondale wanted its farewell to go beyond the big names and results. The documentary also focuses on the mechanics, coaches, and staff who accompanied the team during thousands of kilometers of travel and competitions.

In its official farewell, Cannondale reminds us that the legacy of Factory Racing is not limited to victories, but also lies in personal relationships, knowledge passed down through generations, and innovations developed over all these years.

A team that also marked the evolution of XC bikes

The history of Cannondale Factory Racing is directly related to some of the most recognizable bikes and technologies in mountain biking. For decades, its riders competed with the different generations of the Cannondale Scalpel and its characteristic Lefty single-sided fork.

The team served as a testing ground to develop and perfect components under the most demanding conditions of the World Cup, making their bikes almost as recognizable as the riders themselves.

And the most striking thing is that its disappearance comes when it was still achieving great results. In its last season, Luca Martin won the overall World Cup, while Charlie Aldridge added the European title and a victory in the XCO of Lake Placid, precisely the team's last event.

The farewell thus marks the end of a structure that remained competitive until its last race.

The end of Cannondale Factory Racing and the future of its riders

The disappearance of the team is part of a broader reorganization of Cannondale, which also includes the closure of its historic U.S. headquarters and a change in its sports strategy.

The brand will maintain its presence in mountain biking through Cannondale Rogues, a new project planned for January 2027 that will bring together athletes, ambassadors, and content creators, but will not directly replace its World Cup structure.

Meanwhile, its riders have already begun new chapters. Luca Martin and Cole Punchard will compete with Decathlon Ford Racing, Jolanda Neff will join Fenix-Premier Tech, and Charlie Aldridge will race for Thömus maxon, accompanied by part of the technical staff that worked at Cannondale.

The video closes with an idea that summarizes the brand's message: Once CFR, Always CFR. A farewell that reminds us that, although the team disappears from the starting grids, its riders, their bikes, and their innovations will continue to be part of the history of MTB.