Fabio Puntener: from being left without a team and asking for help to becoming the great revelation of the XCO World Cup 2025

The Swiss Fabio Püntener has become the great revelation of the 2025 season in the XCO World Cup, after a year full of obstacles and a sports progression that already places him among the top five in the General Classification.

Fabio Püntener: from being left without a team to stardom in the 2025 XCO World Cup

Fabio Püntener's story this season is worthy of a movie. After closing a good campaign in 2024 —where he was already showing promise by breaking into the top-15 in some World Cup races— the Swiss announced in November his departure from BIKE TEAM SOLOTHURN, the team he had been competing with since 2020. In an emotional farewell posted on social media, he thanked the five shared years and revealed that for 2025 he would be joining a new team.

"It's time to take the next step. Next season I will race for a new team. It has been an unforgettable stage. Thank you for everything, Biketeam Solothurn!", he wrote on November 15, 2024.

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However, the dream step towards a more ambitious project was unexpectedly thwarted. Just a few weeks before the start of the season, the team he was going to sign with fell apart due to financial problems. He communicated the news himself on February 4, revealing that suddenly, he was left without a team, without support, and without guarantees to face the 2025 season.

"A complicated situation when at the end of January you are left with nothing. Luckily, there are people I can trust. I am glad to be able to continue for another year with Biketeam Solothurn," he explained, also asking for help to be able to compete. "Since, of course, no budget was calculated for me, now I have to find other solutions on how I can complete the season as planned. If you have ideas, contacts, or possibilities to support me, I would be very happy." He said in the same post on February 4, 2025.

But the setbacks did not end there. Despite his efforts to prepare for the season, Fabio suffered a collarbone fracture in February while training, which prevented him from having the planned preparation for the season.

Alone, without a support structure, and with the occasional help of BMC, Püntener heroically started his campaign in Brazil. In the opening race of the XCO World Cup in Araxá, he achieved a commendable 20th place. A week later, he was already 8th, showing up at the front of the race.

With the start of the European calendar, Püntener confirmed that his performance was not a coincidence. He was 5th in Nove Mesto, climbed onto the podium for the first time in Leogang with an impressive 3rd place, and repeated the same result in Val di Sole this past weekend.

The Swiss is not only one of the standout names of the season, but he has already climbed to 5th place in the General Classification of the World Cup. At 25 years old, Fabio has shown that, with talent and determination, you can shine even when circumstances are adverse.

Today, his name is on the agendas of several teams looking to secure the services of the revelation rider of 2025. There is no doubt that his story has only just begun.