Thömus maxon makes a major move in the transfer market, signing Charlie Aldridge for 2027

Charlie Aldridge already has a team for 2027. The British rider, one of the major revelations of the last XCO World Cup season, has confirmed his signing with Thömus maxon. The Swiss structure breaks its tradition of exclusively having national riders and faces an important sports and technical renewal.

The closure of Cannondale Factory Racing had left several of the most prominent names in international XCO looking for a team. First, the signing of Luca Martin and Cole Punchard by the Decathlon Ford Racing Team was confirmed, which will compete with Van Rysel bikes, and later the incorporation of Jolanda Neff to Fenix-Premier Tech, the structure linked to Alpecin. Now it is Charlie Aldridge who clears his future and, of the five members of the Cannondale team, only the destination of the Portuguese Ana Santos remains to be known.

Aldridge joins Thömus accompanied by his coach and technical trainer

The 25-year-old Brit joins Thömus maxon after a season in which he became a double European champion, won two silver medals at the World Championships, and closed the 2026 World Cup with a victory in Lake Placid. That triumph was also the last victory of Cannondale Factory Racing before its disappearance as an official team.

His signing represents an important change for Thömus maxon, which until now had built its roster around Swiss riders. But Aldridge does not arrive alone. Two of his regular collaborators also join the team: Phil Dixon, who will take on the role of sports director, and Kenta Gallagher, who will work as a competition coach and material tester.

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"In my first conversations with Ralph Näf, I was clear that I would fit very well into Thömus maxon. The team culture perfectly adapts to my way of training and to the things I consider important, both on and off the bike", explains Aldridge.

"Thömus bikes and the material from the other sponsors are top-notch. Moreover, my coach Phil and my technical coach Kenta are joining the team with me, so we can maintain the dynamic we have built over the last four years", he adds.

Flückiger and Keller renew and Nicolas Halter rises to the first team

The arrival of Aldridge is part of a broader restructuring. Thömus maxon has also confirmed the renewals of Mathias Flückiger and Alessandra Keller, two of its major references, who will continue to lead the sports project.

The roster is completed with the incorporation of Nicolas Halter, 20 years old and U23 XCC world champion, who rises from the Thömus Akros Youngstars training structure. There, he will follow in the footsteps of his sister Monique Halter, who already made the jump to the first team during 2026.

These moves come after the departures of Lars Forster and Vital Albin, who said goodbye to the team at the end of the last season.

The team director, Ralph Näf, justifies the changes by the increasing equality in the World Cup: "The competitive level is constantly increasing and the differences at the front are becoming smaller. To remain competitive, greater investments are needed in the attention to riders, the development of equipment, and the people who work behind the team."

Thömus maxon aims to especially strengthen technical work, material testing, and individual support for its riders, with the goal of having several candidates for top positions in both men's and women's races.

With the incorporation of Aldridge, the Swiss structure adds one of the most prominent riders from the 2027 transfer market and opens a new stage in which it will maintain its national roots, but with a roster and technical team of a more international character.