Tyler Orschel just wrapped the finest stretch of elite XCO racing of his career, capped by 12th at Mont-Sainte-Anne. By his own accounting, that ride stands among the best Canadian men’s Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup results in a decade.
“My friends kind of deep dived on results. For a Canadian elite male, like an elite male, it was the best result since Kabush in 2014. He was 12th… and before that it was Max Plaxton the year before, he was 9th,” he said.
Despite that momentum, Orschel is still without a pro-level contract for 2026.
“I’ve been struggling with taking in that result and it didn’t result in a pro contract yet,” he said. “Yeah, it’s been very weird and strange to process. Getting that result; first top Canadian and then not having a pro contract next year.”
On Instagram, he laid out the emotional cost.
“I didn’t tell anyone this, but starting this season I made a deal with myself that it would be my last year racing World Cups as a privateer, and that I had to land a pro contract for next year or I was done with XCO. Finishing 12th at MSA and that not being enough for a pro ride next year has been very hard to process.”
Results at the sharp end
Orschel’s surge built all season.
“Starting at the very beginning of the year I won in Puerto Rico. Then it picked up in the fall. I did my first top 40, then my first top 30, then my first top 20, and then two top 15.”
He also delivered a career highlight at Lenzerheide riding with Nino Schurter.
“I went like viral! I was with him most of the race. It ended up just being me and him for the last three laps. That’s a career highlight sure.”
At Mont-Sainte-Anne, a 15th in XCC moved him to the second starting row for XCO.
“It meant that I started on the second row, which was pretty damn cool. It make s a massive difference.”
Even then, he had to fight through the scrum.
“I didn’t actually have a great start in Mont-Sainte-Anne. I was probably like 22nd or something, lap one. Then slowly climbed back up.”
Why no contract?
Some of the answer is timing.
“Basically there’s no opportunities because a lot of teams are full. It’s very, very late in the year. Teams have to submit their rosters for next year,” he said.
One hoped-for path closed when his current bike sponsor’s factory team couldn’t add a rider.
“They did give it a try and they asked for more budget to add a rider and the company said no.”
The cost of doing it alone
Orschel…
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