Laura Stigger Leaves Specialized Factory Racing
After eight years and seven World Cup or Championship wins, the 2026 World Champion's tenure with the team has ended.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Cycling
Specialized Factory Racing has ended its partnership with Laura Stigger after an eight-year tenure, which she disclosed in an Instagram announcement. The 2026 UCI XCC World Champion leaves the team with seven XC World Cup or Championship race wins and 16 podium finishes during her Elite career with the squad.
Why it matters
For followers of elite cross-country mountain biking, the split closes one of the sport's longest rider-team relationships and changes who competes under the Specialized Factory Racing banner. The stub does not state the reasons for the split or Stigger's next team, so those remain open.
The figures come from Stigger's competition record with Specialized Factory Racing, counting World Cup and Championship results across her eight-year Elite career. The stub does not describe any further measured analysis, so the tallies reflect race outcomes only.
The players
Specialized Factory Racing
The elite mountain bike racing team backed by bicycle manufacturer Specialized, which fields top cross-country riders on the World Cup circuit.
Laura Stigger
An Austrian cross-country mountain bike racer and the 2026 UCI XCC World Champion, with seven World Cup or Championship wins in her Elite career.
The details
Stigger won the 2026 UCI XCC World Championship and the UCI MTB World Cup XCO race in Nové Mesto during the 2026 season, according to the record. She announced the end of her tenure in a post on Instagram. The stub provides no information on contract terms or the process behind the decision.
Timeline
2026 season: Stigger won the World Championship title and the Nové Mesto XCO race.
Eight years: Length of her tenure with Specialized Factory Racing, which has now ended.
Health Landscape
Cross-country mountain biking sits within the UCI World Cup circuit, where teams and riders are tied to sponsorship and performance records across multi-year contracts. Stigger's eight-year run with a single team is a long partnership by the circuit's standards, which is why its end is notable for the sport.
For riders and fans following cross-country racing, a change of team can alter training support and race schedules, which is worth watching if you train competitively. Anyone building a cycling routine can treat elite results as a general reminder that consistent training over years supports performance.
The takeaway
Long-term training consistency sits behind the results that define an elite career, and the same principle applies to recreational riders. If you plan a cycling program of your own, discuss your fitness goals and any training load with your physician first.
Further reading
For more on the sport's competitive scene, explore our Cycling coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pinkbike.
