Ford comes to the World Cup with Rockrider

When a car brand is interested enough in mountain biking to sponsor a team, it's always good news, and that's exactly what has just happened with Ford. The car manufacturer will be one of the main sponsors of the Rockrider team in 2023.

Ford joins the Rockrider team

We recall that for 2023 the Rockrider Racing Team has undergone a major renovation in which big names have arrived to the team, such as Azzaro, Seiwald, Blunk, Onesti or the new leader of the formation, Maxime Marotte. In addition, they will also debut a new full suspension Rockrider that we have already been able to see up close. All this makes it sure to be one of the most powerful teams in the XCO World Cup that will soon begin and that has attracted the attention of new and powerful sponsors, such as Ford that enters fully into the name of the team.

This is how Samuel Roces, manager of the Rockrider Ford Racing Team, commented on the move: "The adventure began a year and a half ago when I presented my team project to Rockrider's management. I wanted to open this new challenge to a partner outside the cycling industry. And this desire was fully shared by Rockrider. We have always worked in this direction. The team, this magnificent sport of mountain biking, and the athletes who trusted us were a great motivation. For almost twenty-five years, in different roles, I have had the privilege of experiencing beautiful emotions thanks to this discipline. Today I have the feeling of being at the beginning of a beautiful story. I am very happy and honored to welcome Ford. Since our first exchanges, in view of our common enthusiasm to bring the best to this sport, joining forces was an easy choice. Thanks to Rockrider and all our partners who make this project a daily reality. Fifteen months ago, the page was blank. Now we are writing history together every day in the most beautiful way".

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For his part, Louis-Carl Vignon, President of Ford France, added: "I am extremely proud to associate the Ford brand with the Rockrider Racing Team. This new collaboration is further proof of Ford's commitment to supporting high-performance sports and driving innovation around the world. Performance, spirit of adventure and self-improvement are common values that we will carry throughout the competition. All Ford France employees are very excited to support the team and each of the seven athletes in their quest for victories in the most prestigious races."

Great news for MTB

As Roces pointed out, the arrival of external sponsors to mountain biking is always good news for this sport, which is far away from the years in which big brands, outside of MTB, were interested in sponsoring teams.

In addition, Ford's arrival could be the first sign that some of the changes being pushed by the UCI and Discovery could be making mountain biking more attractive to brands that want to benefit from the increased visibility they have promised for the new MTB World Cup.

In a few months we will see if this is just a one-off case or just the first of many.