The GHOST Factory Racing Team can look back on a very successful season. The highlight of the year was certainly winning the team classification again, which the team earned after a successful XCC and equally successful XCO race at the season finale in Snowshoe. But it wasn't just the sporting successes that were decisive in gaining Maloja as a new renowned outfitter for the team from Waldsassen. "Over the years, the team has built up an excellent reputation and continues to stand out thanks to its outstanding team spirit. This is particularly important to us and one of the cornerstones of our commitment - all the better if we are successful with it and our partners and sponsors also judge and appreciate it," says team manager Thomas Wickles.

After a successful 2019 in which the team won the team classification for the first time in its history, there was no overall classification in the 2020 coronavirus year with the reduced calendar. "For years, our common goal has been to all finish on the podium and win the team classification. In 2019, we managed that in every single race - certainly crazy and unique. 2021 didn't start so well at first, especially when Nadine was out with her foot fracture, we were sometimes far behind. But in Snowshoe everything fell into place, Nicole started from the front row, Nadine rode to her first TOP10 of her career and I made it onto the podium for the first time this season at the finale - together we became the best team of the day and even the year. Nothing is impossible and we're happy to take the momentum into the new year!" says Anne Terpstra looking back on the 2021 season.

Finja Lipp new to the team

All in all, Thomas Wickles had to keep the team and the coaching staff going: "Without exception, we all wanted to continue together. We committed to this early on in the season without making a big fuss. Both the coaches and athletes will remain with us, only Lisa will leave the team at her own request after having to leave the season early. We are delighted to have found a new up-and-coming athlete in Finja, who fits perfectly into our team structure. We were able to meet for the first time in the summer and then got to know each other even better in the fall. All the girls then met for the first time at the end-of-season camp and made a great team together. We are looking forward to our first season together in which Finja's focus is on learning."

Finja, who finished fourth at the European Junior Championships, was also part of the German relay team that won bronze at the European Championships. After graduating from high school, Finja Lipp moved from Rheinfelden to Freiburg, where she found the perfect conditions for combining sport and study with the support of the Olympic Training Center: "It's super cool to be part of this team now and everyone has given me a very warm welcome. We were already able to spend the first week together to get to know each other and had a lot of fun together. I'm looking forward to the support I can now receive at this level, as up to now I've mainly been in the family environment. That will certainly be my biggest challenge, getting used to everything and using the year to learn."

Maloja will support the team from the 2022 season

"We wanted a clothing partner for the future who shares our vision and passion. From our very first conversation with the Maloja crew, it was clear that we would be a very good fit. Our views, philosophies and convictions simply match. When we visited the Maloja headquarters in Bach for the first time, we immediately felt part of the family. It took a little while in this coronavirus year for all the girls to get an impression of the place and for us all to meet up at the beautiful converted farm, but everyone was immediately hooked. Not only because the new kit simply breaks with old conventions, is beautiful and you take it for granted that everything fits perfectly. Of course it does, but the passion for detail and the technology that goes into this equipment is incredible. Ultimately, however, it's the people, the Maloja employees and the fire in their eyes when they talk about the new products and the excitement of being able to equip an all-women's team," says Thomas Wickles, looking back on the development year of the new collaboration.

However, the same euphoria could be felt on the Maloja side right from the start, according to Peter Räuber (CEO Maloja): "We are already involved in the World Cup with Maloja and are delighted to now also be supporting an all-women's team. Function and style go hand in hand for us and the girls' styles make up a not insignificant part of our collection. This means we can also equip the team in the best possible way. The girls should feel comfortable in Maloja and at the same time know that we are a reliable partner when it comes to performance so that they can be at the forefront. We are also looking forward to further developing the bike collection together with the team. What works in the World Cup is also suitable for Maloja customers in an adapted form. And Maloja will not only be seen on the course: It is important to us to dress the entire team. They should also be perceived as a unit off the track and be well dressed in our streetwear. We know how much the athletes and the whole team are on the road and that they appreciate comfortable styles after training. That's exactly what we have the right streetwear for."

After the first fittings and test rides in the new kit, Nadine Rieder was already beaming: "I already had the feeling that people perceived the outfit positively and I was proud to be able to represent the cool design and colors for GHOST and Maloja. I've been a fan of the brand and the products for years, so to be able to help develop my own team kit is super cool. The result is certainly extraordinary and more feminine than anything before, but the design is especially beautiful in the forest - after all, that's where we love to be."

Finja Lipp (D) will therefore be the only U23 athlete in the team next year, while Caroline Bohé (DEN) will be tackling her first elite season. This means that the established elite riders Nadine Rieder (D), Anne Terpstra (NED) and Nicole Koller (SUI) will have another teammate at their side in both short track and cross-country. "It was so cool to see the other three on the track in Snowshoe for the first few laps as the 'GHOST Train'. I can't wait to race with them in the World Cup and hopefully we'll be able to race together one or two more times!" says Caroline Bohé, looking ahead to the new season and the challenge ahead.

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