Sina Frei, Jordan Sarrou and Pauline Ferrand Prevot: these are probably the best-known names that made headlines at the turn of the year with major team changes. These are also a novelty, which is "thanks" to the postponement of the Olympic Games, as hardly any top riders change teams in an Olympic year. Contracts usually last until the end of an Olympic year, so that the athletes can prepare for the major event in their usual structures and in the best possible way.

This would have been no different for the reigning world champions Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Jordan Sarrou, but also for the up-and-coming Swiss athlete Sina Frei. However, the postponement of the Olympic Games in Tokyo due to the coronavirus has now confirmed the exception to the rule. The world champion is switching from Canyon to BMC, the world champion from BMC to Specialized, as is Frei, who is joining the Californian brand from Ghost.

First Swiss woman after Blatter

Cross-country world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot has often been on the road and off-road for the Canyon-Sram team in recent years. Although she was more of a lone wolf in mountain biking, this is where she achieved her greatest successes with Canyon. Nevertheless, her move to the "Absolut Absalon" team, which is ridden by her partner Julien Absalon, comes as little surprise. This not only brings the Frenchwoman closer to the center of her life and closer to her family. With "Absolut Absalon", she once again has a complete mountain bike team behind her.

On the other hand, Jordan Sarrou moved away from "Absolut Absalon". Even before the end of the year, it was rumoured that the reigning world champion would join Specialized. In fact, the Californian cult brand not only snapped up the world champion, but also underwent a complete rejuvenation and is riding into the season with only new riders.
Sina Frei is also contributing to this rejuvenation, as the Swiss rider is one of the most promising female riders on the international scene. After Silvia Fürst and Barbara Blatter, she is only the third Swiss woman to ride in the Specialized colors. Olympic silver medalist Blatter competed in her last races on the mountain bikes from Morgan Hill in 2004.

There is every chance that the 23-year-old will be able to follow in Blatter's footsteps in sporting terms, as she not only has the potential. The 2019 U23 World Champion has had the opportunity to develop steadily at Ghost Factory Racing, one of the most professional teams in the World Cup circuit. And if things couldn't be better from a team perspective, the switch to Specialized should give her a further boost, and Frei's enthusiasm can already be heard: "It's really exciting to be part of Specialized Racing now. I'm already enjoying the new team environment. It's a great group of people to be part of and everything is very professional." The Specialized Racing Team is known for the latter. Early on in its history, the team stood out for its extremely professional approach down to the last detail.
Frei signed a multi-year partnership with Specialized and completes the team with Jordan Sarrou (FRA), Gerhard Kerschbaumer (ITA) and Laura Stigger (AUT).

Ghost team not "Swiss-less"

After the departure of Freis, however, the Ghost Factory Racing Team will not be without a Swiss rider: After leaving the Möbel-Märki team, Nicole Koller has found a new sporting home with the German racing team. "I've already had the chance to get to know the whole team and I'm really looking forward to the new season. It's nice not to be the only woman, to be able to exchange ideas with others and to benefit from each other's experiences. Everyone was very open right from the start and that gives me a great feeling of being in good hands," Koller enthuses about her new sporting environment.