Announced by the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on 8 October 2026, Van Rysel will enter mountain biking in 2027 with the RCR-XC, its first cross-country race bike. The bike is due to make its series debut with Decathlon Ford Racing Team, with Van Rysel becoming the team’s official bike and apparel supplier from the 2027 season.
Women at the centre
For women’s XC fans, the roster is the sharp end of the story. The announcement lists 2025 UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Samara Maxwell and UCI World Cup winner Savilia Blunk among the riders who will race the RCR-XC. Luca Martin and Cole Punchard are also named in the team line-up.
From road to race dirt
Van Rysel is described as a French brand based in Lille, and this launch marks its next chapter beyond the road programme. The official text says the brand has spent several months building a dedicated mountain bike operation, including established talent from the discipline and a research and development team based in the French Alps.
That development has been shaped by data collected since the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and by the demands of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series circuit. Van Rysel’s team has focused on three areas — speed, power and time — while developing an entirely new range of products for modern cross-country racing.
First season, big stage
No need to crown a bike before it has taken a start. But with Maxwell and Blunk named for the project, the RCR-XC arrives with immediate women’s racing relevance. In 2027, Van Rysel’s first mountain bike is set to move straight from launch language to the top level of XC racing.