Decathlon renews the number 1 in XCO until 2028

Decathlon Ford Racing has secured the continuation of one of the current great references in women's XCO. Samara Maxwell has extended her contract with the team until the end of the 2028 season, prolonging a relationship that was initially signed until 2026 and began in September 2023.

Samara Maxwell renews with Decathlon Ford Racing until 2028

The New Zealand rider has become a key piece of the team's sports project, with constant growth that peaked in the 2025 season, in which she was crowned the overall winner of the XCO World Cup and reached number 1 in the UCI ranking, a historic milestone for the structure.

Maxwell has not hidden her satisfaction with the renewal and has highlighted the human and sporting environment she has found in the team: “I have found a second family, a home away from home. The support, stability, and routines I have here have allowed me to grow and learn a lot, even just in the last year. For me, it was an easy decision to stay in this environment.”

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The New Zealander has also emphasized the importance of personal well-being within the project, ensuring that she feels supported both on a sporting and human level, a key factor for her long-term continuity.

From the team's management, Samuel Roces, General Manager of Decathlon Ford Racing, explained that the contract extension responds to a clear medium- and long-term planning:

“Sammie had a contract until the end of 2026, but for us, it was evident to confirm our plans for the next three years. We are proud that she trusts us to continue building her career until 2028.”

Roces also insisted that the team's project prioritizes the athlete's well-being, something they consider essential to continue aspiring to even more ambitious sports goals in the coming years.

The numbers of Samara Maxwell with Decathlon Ford Racing

Since joining the team, Samara Maxwell's results have been simply outstanding:

1. Overall victory in the XCO World Cup 2025, the first in the team's history.
2. World elite runner-up in Crans-Montana.
3. Three World Cup victories with the team: one in U23 (Snowshoe 2023) and two in elite (Araxá 2025 and Pal Arinsal 2025).
4. Five complete seasons defending the team's colors (2023–2028).
5. Her “worst” result of the season in the World Cup was a sixth place.
6. Seven consecutive podiums in the first seven World Cup events.
7. Eight national titles achieved with the team.
8. Twelve podiums in World Cups in 2025: nine in XCO and three in XCC.
9. 18 total victories since joining the team in September 2023.

With this renewal, Decathlon Ford Racing consolidates one of the most solid projects in current women's XCO and ensures the continuity of a rider who is already a world reference, looking ambitiously towards the Olympic cycle and the upcoming World Cup seasons.