'A crew that may thrive collectively' – Paige Onweller and Toby Røed anchor Trek Driftless off-road crew with three new teammates and a deal with US gravel races

Paige Onweller and Torbjørn ‘Toby’ Røed return to the Trek Driftless ‘all-surface crew’ in 2026, the place the duo will goal repeat podium finishes general on the Life Time Grand Prix collection, during which Onweller completed third two years in the past, and Røed was third final yr.

A trio of versatile riders had been added to the roster this yr – Daxton Mock, Cécile Lejeune, and Cobe Freeburn.

Key departures included Haley Hunter Smith, the primary girls’s champion of the Grand Prix when the collection launched in 2022, and Russell Finsterwald, a three-time top-10 finisher within the collection. Each transfer to privateer assist with MAAP attire and new tools, Smith with Issue bikes and Finsterwald with Look bikes.

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For Onweller, the Mid South in mid-March marks a return to racing after six months of restoration from an incident in Arkansas when the motive force of a automobile hit and injured her. The lingering results from a concussion put a cease to her racing within the remaining three occasions of the Grand Prix, however she made the necessary begin at Huge Sugar to be counted within the remaining standings, although she completed a distant sixteenth.

“I’m blissful to be coming into my fourth yr on the crew and actually grateful Trek has stayed with me via this current harm. If historical past repeats itself, I gained Huge Sugar 2022 after a knee surgical procedure that spring and in 2023, I used to be third at Unbound 12 weeks after ankle surgical procedure – so we hope for a powerful 2026 comeback season,” the all the time optimistic Onweller advised Cyclingnews.

“I am actually excited to have Cecile be part of the crew. We’re each dedicated to open communication and mutual respect; we have already been having fun with coaching collectively this offseason and constructing that relationship and collaboration.

“Manufacturers can convey sturdy riders collectively on a crew, however these riders must be totally dedicated to one another with a whole lot of transparency – this can be a lot tougher to execute and remains to be largely rider dependent since most groups wouldn’t have efficiency administrators. I imagine Trek did a great job making a crew that may thrive collectively this season and I am excited to be part of it!”

Like Onweller, Røed has additionally gained Huge Sugar Gravel, and this yr marks his third season within the Grand Prix. He transitioned from a street focus to gravel in 2024 and scored the win at The Mid South with podiums at Belgian Waffle Journey Arizona, SBT GRVL and Monsterrato that yr.

Trek calls him “a pure diesel engine”, and that was evident with a third-place end at Unbound Gravel 200 and fourth at Leadville Path 100 final yr, in addition to prime 10s at The Traka 360, SBT GRVL and Lauf Gravel Worlds. He pulled off an uncommon Traka double earlier than Unbound, going ninth within the 360km race after which going exterior the highest 100 within the 200km race the following day.

“I will do the Life Time collection [again], it requires a lot focus. They do have the most important races and essentially the most media publicity as properly. It is a good place to be,” Røed advised Cyclingnews throughout the low season, the place the Norwegian spent a lot of his winter in Tucson, Arizona.

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“Kobe and me are fairly good pals. We practice in Tucson and do some racing collectively. He did very well at SBT, which is superior. He is been within the Trek pipeline for some time.

“Very excited to be three guys on Trek subsequent yr, and much more stoked to be joined by two actually good pals. I believe we can have an ideal yr on the street along with Paige and Cecile.”

New teammates

Born in France however dwelling in Arizona, Lejeune raced the final two seasons with the US girls’s street crew, the CCB p/b Levine Legislation Group. The 27-year-old gained three of 5 phases to safe the GC at Oregon Path Gravel in 2024, then had a breakout debut within the Life Time Grand Prix final yr with fifth general, boosted by fifth place within the Unbound Gravel 200.

“Having teammates to journey and race with is one thing I had been lacking final yr, and I do know it’s going to be a game-changer for me,” Lejeune famous on her Instagram account.

“I’m actually trying ahead to studying from each single crew member, constructing one thing sturdy collectively, and seeing how far we are able to push issues this yr.”

Mock, a 24-year-old who grew up close to the Trek headquarters in Wisconsin, used to compete in mountain bike and cyclo-cross for Bear Nationwide Crew as a junior and under-23 rider, incomes bronze medals in U23 ‘cross races at US nationals and Pan-American Championships. Final yr, he gained the Valley of Tears Gravel in Texas.

The youngest within the group at 23 and in addition a former Bear Nationwide Crew rider, Freeburn has gained his Durango hometown race, Iron Horse Bicycle Basic, twice, and final yr had a breakout season on Colorado gravel, profitable Bighorn Gravel and ending third at SBT GRVL. He additionally had a prime 10 at Chequamegon MTB and completed fifteenth at Leadville Path 100 MTB. This yr, when he takes these begins once more, he will likely be a part of the Grand Prix collection for the primary time.

Lejeune and Mock will put on the colorful Santini kits designed by Trek. Freeburn, like Onweller and Røed, can have their very own kits, whereas all are outfitted with Trek bikes. Search for the crew to compete at The Mid South in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the elite races on Friday, March 13. Mock expects to race the week earlier than to defend his title at Valley of Tears.