Norco Factory Team closes XC and DH programs

Norco Factory Team athletes had an incredible 2022 season across disciplines. That makes the team’s Friday announcement all the more surprising. Norco sent out a late-Friday press release saying it will close both its XC and Downhill squads at the end of the season.

2022 success

Any team news should start with the athletes. And Norco’s athletes are wrapping up an impressive season.

In downhill, Gracey Hemstreet won numerous World Cups, a world championship medal, a national championship title and the World Cup overall title in the junior women’s category. Lucas Cruz made a big move up the standings to finish 13th in the elite men’s race at the final World Cup in Val di Sole. New hire and secret bike tester Kirk McDowall landed some fast finishes as well.

In cross country, Peter Disera recaptured the Canadian XCO national championship title. Carter Woods won another XCO World Cup in under-23 men. And, most notably, U.S. team member Gwendalyn Gibson won an XCC World Cup, finished second at Mont-Sainte-Anne XCO World Cup and third in the elite women’s race at world championships in Les Gets, France.

Then, at the Enduro World Series, Emmy Lan won every under-21 women’s race she entered on her way to winning the overal title.

Unexpected and “temporary”

Norco is describing the move to close XC and DH Factory teams as temporary, though it gives no timeline for re-opening them. The fate of the Enduro squad is not mentioned in the press release. The brand does say that it is actively supporting both athletes and staff as they look for new homes in 2023.

To explain the unexpected move, the brand says closing the teams “will allow Norco to confidently navigate the industry’s pandemic recovery.” The bike industry experienced a substantial boom in ridership and sales during the early stages of the pandemic which led to supply issues and shortages. Some brands are now back to having substantial end-of-year sales on bikes still in stock.

While unexpected, there may have been eariler signs the Canadian brand was changing direction. For a team that has made a point of offering a stable development path for its riders, and has thus has a quite consistent roster over the years, 2021 saw several notable departures. Last…