"It was an easy decision for me when the offer came to become part of the BMC team. It's one of, if not the best cross-country team ever, and so it's an honor for me to become part of this great family," enthuses the 20-year-old about his new employer. Until now, Colombo rode in the kit of VC Tamaro, the Ticino club that also rides BMC bikes, where he was able to develop well.

Colombo is currently the overall leader in the Proffix Swiss Bike Cup, Swiss U23 champion and sixth in the European Championships. In Cairns, he won the world title with the relay team. Some great successes, but he is still a little short of the top. Nevertheless, BMC team manager Alexandre Moos is convinced of his potential: "Filippo is only 20 years old and benefits from the support structures of Swiss Olympic and the army. I see a great future for him, starting with the U23s, where he will ride for another two years, as well as in the elite category."

Colombo is also not a new face in the team. As a member of VC Tamaro, which is considered a BMC development team, he was already allowed to train with the team during the winter, and his equipment was also in the care of the team mechanics at the World Cup races.

The BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team is the ideal place for the young rider from Ticino to continue his development over the next few years. But Filippo Colombo is already looking to make a significant leap ahead of the 2018 season, as he says: "My goal is to ride regularly on the podium in the U23 World Cup and, of course, I'm already thinking about the World Championships, which will take place in Lenzerheide."

www.bmc-switzerland.com