When Nino Schurter announced his retirement from World Cup XC racing mid-way through last season, the question quickly became: what now for Scott-SRAM? One of the most successful teams had just lost its most successful rider, and the roster that would take to the start line in 2026 only had a handful of career podiums between them.
While a Schurter-shaped void is almost impossible to fill, Scott-SRAM has quickly adapted to life without the all-time great. Both Fabio Püntener and Filippo Colombo both demonstrated their strength with top-five results across the early World Cup season, with the fluoro-green-and-white jerseys often spotted rolling around inside the top 10.
After an elite debut season in 2025 disrupted by illness and bad luck, Bjorn Riley has emerged as one of the revelations of 2026. Two podiums, a fourth-place finish, and now an XCC win have propelled the 24-year-old American into third in the XCO season overall standings. But perhaps more impressive than Riley’s results is how quickly he has become a rider who is expected to race at the front.
I caught up with Riley between the back-to-back World Cups in La Thuile, Italy and Andorra, during one of the busiest stretches of the season, to talk about his breakthrough campaign, learning to handle the pressures of racing at the front, why La Thuile represents the future of cross-country, and why he believes a World Cup victory is no longer a matter of if, but when.
We didn't have to wait long. Just two days after this interview, Riley claimed his first elite victory in the XCC in Andorra. This week, he'll try for another at the US National Championships in Roanoke, Virginia.
Alex Hunt
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