Fabio Püntener signs with SCOTT-SRAM and will debut immediately with his new team

The SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing team opens a new chapter in its history after the retirement of Nino Schurter, and does so with two key moves: the immediate addition of Fabio Püntener, current number 2 in the UCI ranking, and the renewal of the contract of Filippo Colombo, Swiss national champion, until the Olympic year 2028. Thomas Frischknecht will continue to lead as team director at least until Los Angeles 2028.

SCOTT-SRAM begins a new era with Fabio Püntener and the renewal of Filippo Colombo until 2028

At just 26 years old, Fabio Püntener has been the protagonist of one of the great stories of MTB in 2025. After being left without a contract at the beginning of the season due to the disappearance of his first professional team, and after suffering a collarbone fracture in February, he seemed doomed to obscurity. However, his former team, the Bike Team Solothurn, gave him a second chance, and the Swiss rider is having a spectacular year with two podiums in the World Cup, fourth in the final standings and currently second in the UCI ranking.

His arrival at SCOTT-SRAM, a reference team in the discipline, is immediate. Püntener will already compete with the team colors in the last two rounds of the 2025 World Cup, in Lake Placid (USA) and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada).

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“I am living a dream. At the beginning of the year I had no contract and now I am part of one of the most iconic mountain bike teams. I am very excited about what is to come in the next three years,” Püntener declared.

Frischknecht has also shown his enthusiasm for this signing: “Fabio is a rider with a huge engine and a very intelligent mind. His technical skills are exceptional even with his 1.92 m height. With the team's support, I am convinced he will take another step in his progression”.

Filippo Colombo and Thomas Frischknecht renew until 2028

The other big announcement is the renewal of Filippo Colombo, current Swiss champion and winner of the Cape Epic, who extends his contract with SCOTT-SRAM for three more seasons. Colombo, who aims to achieve his first World Cup victory in 2026, will be one of the team's pillars until the Los Angeles Olympics.

Although he could not compete in Lenzerheide due to a concussion in training, Colombo will be present in the final rounds of the World Cup. “At SCOTT-SRAM, I have everything I need to keep growing. I am grateful to Frischi for his trust and happy to be able to plan my future with Olympic goals in mind,” commented the Ticino cyclist.

The third big news is the continuity of Thomas Frischknecht as team director. Founder of the project in 2002, when it was launched as Swisspower MTB Team, Frischknecht has been the key figure behind the longevity and consistency of SCOTT-SRAM.

Now, after Nino Schurter's farewell, the Swiss will focus on leading a new generation of talents. “It's like closing a circle. We started 24 years ago with young promises like Nino, and now we do it again with Fabio, Colombo, Emilly Johnston, or Bjorn Riley. The future lies in the team spirit and in continuing to build a great family”.

A renewed team, with an eye on the future

Schurter's departure marks the end of an unrepeatable era, but SCOTT-SRAM faces the transition with ambition. With the arrival of Püntener, the consolidation of Colombo, and the commitment to young talents like Johnston and Riley, the Swiss team is rearming to continue being a protagonist in international MTB.

The goal is to maintain the essence and legacy built in the last two decades, but with the energy and talent of a new generation that is already thinking about 2026 and the great horizon of Los Angeles 2028.