Take18 hours ago
Thömus Maxon signs Aldridge, Dixon and Gallagher together
Thömus Maxon has signed Charlie Aldridge for 2027 on a two-year deal that runs through the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028. Phil Dixon becomes sport director and Kenta Gallagher joins as skills coach, both coming from Cannondale Factory Racing. Aldridge is the first non-Swiss athlete in the history of a team that was exclusively Swiss until now, so what arrives is a British working group, not one rider.
What this means
Vital Albin and Lars Forster leave at the end of 2026, while Mathias Flückiger and Alessandra Keller have renewed.
Cannondale Factory Racing's World Series programme closes at the end of 2026, and Aldridge, Dixon and Gallagher all leave it for the same team. Aldridge lists the team structure, its drive to develop and improve products, and the chance to bring Dixon and Gallagher among his reasons for choosing Thömus Maxon. Dixon is 46 and Gallagher 34, with Gallagher's role described as race coach and test rider. Team manager Ralph Näf says the team must invest more in rider support, equipment development and staff because the competitive level keeps rising and gaps at the front are shrinking. Thömus Maxon says it remains a Swiss team while integrating new international perspectives into its structures from 2027. Aldridge won the European XCC and XCO titles in 2026 and took XCC and XCO silver at the World Championships.
Sources
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