Presented a renewed and powerful Orbea Factory Team 2023 that makes the leap to the UCI World Cup

Orbea Factory Team 2023 has just been presented with a radical change in the formation. It arrives with new signings, structure and ambitions. From the brand they assure that their goal is to be the benchmark project of modern XC, but they will not forget the communicative aspect with which they have reached so many people in recent years.

New Orbea Factory Team 2023: Anne Tauber, David Campos and Pierre de Froidmont 

In a total renewal, Orbea Factory Team takes a radical turn to evolve towards the highest level of competition. New riders, new structure and a calendar that includes the entire UCI XC circuit as well as major stage and day races. “Competition is in our DNA, and we aspire to be the benchmark project for modern XC. We want to lead the transformation of the category to make it more widely recognized and bring it closer to spectators,” says Iñaki Ucín, Orbea’s Sponsoring Manager.

As we said, the project will attend the best competitions in the world, such as the XCO World Cup, but it will not lose sight of the characteristic that has differentiated it since its foundation; cycling told from within. “Races create stories, and stories are for sharing. The team has always shared this vision, putting words and images to their races and experiences,” comments Iñaki.

Campos joins OFR

The team arrives with a solid, young and powerful squad composed of Pierre de Froidmont, Anne Tauber and Spaniard David Campos, in the Elite category, and Luca Martin in the U23 category.

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Belgian Pierre de Froidmont arrives from the disappeared KMC-Orbea and already knows what it's like to be on the podium of the XCO World Cup and is expected in 2023 to continue his upward progression of the last two seasons.

“It is an honor for me to continue my collaboration with Orbea by joining their factory team. It is an important step in my quest for performance and my Olympic dream. For the 2023 season, I want to confirm my performance on the World Cups, fighting as much as possible in the top 10. I would love to experience the joy of finishing on the podium of a world cup again, it would be great for me and for the team”.

Dutch Anne Tauber is one of the most talented riders in the World Cup, which has earned her podium finishes in several races and a place in the top 5 of the UCI rankings in the past. This new project could be the definitive push towards victory.

“I am incredibly happy to be part of the Orbea Factory team this year. It is really special to see how this new and high level team builds up. Staff and riders alike are dedicated to make this project a success. I have a lot of faith in this team and I am grateful to get the chance to improve myself with the support of Orbea’s professional staff and equipment”.

“It feels very special to be able to race this beautiful and fast Orbea Oiz in the near future. I feel this bike is very well designed and highly competitive. I am looking forward to this summer and I will do my utmost to make it a very good and successful season”.

“My goal is to improve once again as a rider and to get into a good flow in the beginning of the World Cup season. I am aiming to reach my peak performances during the World Championships in Glasgow. I can’t wait for the season to start!”

David Campos is one of the most promising Spanish cyclists and in 2022 he said goodbye to the U23 category winning the Spanish Championship, being silver medalist in the Elite European Short Track and with three podiums in the World Cup. In 2023 he will make the jump to the Elite category with the colors of the new Orbea Factory Team and here you can read the interview we have done with him after the announcement of his signing.

“For me the category jump to Elite is a new challenge, but I am very excited about this great project and I really want to give my best, looking forward to find my limit”.

“My goal in 2023 is to have a consistent season in the first months, adapting to the new category. When the World Cups begin, I will look for my place and once I am there, let’s see what can I improve day by day”.

Frenchman Luca Martin, also from the extinct KMC-Orbea, will continue in the U23 category where he has already achieved excellent results last season.

“In 2008 I saw Julien Absalon on TV winning the Olympic Games in Beijing on an Orbea bike.
I was 8 years old at the time and that day I said to myself: I want to be like Julien”.

“Next year I'll be riding the Orbea brand team and I hope to take this renowned brand to the top of the world cross country scene. It's a chance for me to join the Orbea Factory Team. Let 's go 2023!”

Zugasti and Jouffroy will continue with Orbea Factory Team

Spaniard Ibon Zugasti and Frenchman Arnaud Jouffroy will stay with Orbea Factory Team, continuing their successful profile as communicators of the project. Both will continue to tell the story of cycling from the inside as they have done so far, but with new experiences and new races. In this section there will be news that the team will communicate soon on their social networks.

The OOLab platform and the development of new competition material

This new Orbea Factory Team will serve the Mallabaia-based brand as the best possible test ground for the development of new products. “We will see the Orbea Factory Team working closely under the OOlab development platform, developing knowledge and researching new solutions and innovations for performance improvement,” announces Ander Corral, Orbea XC Product Manager.

Equipment, allies and staff

The team's two main bikes will be the new Orbea Oiz 2023 and Orbea Alma. The Oiz, in its latest 120mm version, will be the bike with which they will compete in the vast majority of races, while the Alma will be the bike of choice for the faster courses.

Shimano will be one of the main allies of the new Orbea Factory Team, along with three of the company's brands, Hiru equipment, OC components, and the newborn Oquo wheels brand: “Since our first year, Oquo has had the ambition to test and develop our products at the highest level,” says Jean Baptiste D’Abbadie, Oquo’s communication manager.

The team will also be supported by Fox, Maxxis, Met, 226er, X-sauce and Skoda, as well as new brands that will join the project.

The evolution of the Orbea Factory Team was born from the collaboration agreement between MOVACIT, owned by Pierre Lebreton, and Orbea, whereby the brand became the main sponsor with the aim of developing the professional XC team together. “All the riders and sponsors are eager to contribute their performance and knowledge to the team. With our heads in the clouds and our feet on the ground, we dream of reaching the highest level in this long-term project,” says Pierre Lebreton, Team Manager of the Orbea Factory Team.

The structure of the project is completed with the staff formed by the Team Manager Pierre Lebreton together with Jernej Sobocan, Allan Cadet, Andrej Vrcon. Their task will be to organize and plan the season, carefully prepare the material they will use in competition and, in short, to support the riders so that there are no more worries than to give the maximum. Together with them, they will also have a content development and communication team that will be in charge of giving visibility to the Factory's work.

The Orbea Factory Team's journey moves forward in 2023. With a very clear final stop. “We have spoken openly about our objectives: we want to be the benchmark team for modern XC, and the Orbea Factory Team will push itself and its team to the limit to achieve it. Join us on this adventure and inspire your own journey,” concludes Iñaki.

Orbea has created a specific website for the team where you can follow all the news of the Orbea Factory Team.