Factor Racing Gravel Privateers

A popular refrain, some would say lament, in recent seasons has been that gravel racing is increasingly becoming more professional, that the spirit of gravel is dead or dying. At Factor, we don’t believe the spirit of gravel is dead. For 2026, our Factor Racing gravel team will consist of 16 athletes, independent from each other, though connected in the shared goal of being the best possible versions of themselves while racing aboard the full line-up of Factor bikes.

An independent spirit

Factor has brought together this group of athletes who all share the same independent spirit, who value the opportunity to race their chosen races on their own terms. These are athletes who thrive outside of rigid team structures, who take pleasure in taking full responsibility for their decisions, preparation, race program, and outcomes.

Instead of establishing a gravel team based on a road-team structure, Factor Racing plays to the strengths of our athletes as individuals, focusing on their unique goals, riding styles, race formats, and decision-making approaches. They are also all deeply engaged and invested in their equipment choices. And as such, they will provide essential feedback for our engineers, making material contributions to the development of future products.

This is not a gravel team.

Feedback-focused relationship

Each Factor Racing privateer will have access to all Factor gravel platforms, including OSTRO Gravel and ALUTO, across a wide range of international events and conditions. And even more importantly, each rider will be contributing to the development process, from racing prototypes to offering feedback for modifications. They are part of Factor’s development process.

Throughout the season, Factor Racing Privateers will work directly with Factor’s engineering team, racing prototypes, testing new configurations, and providing detailed, experience-driven feedback under real competitive pressure. These are not controlled test sessions. They are race days where the riders will be able to gather critical data points that they can then share with our engineers. It’s the type of real-world situations and race-speeds that cannot be simulated.

This structure allows Factor to expose its gravel bikes to a level of variability no single team could replicate. Each athlete will test our products according to their individual race schedules, all feeding back into development. What works, what fails, and what changes at race pace, or when fatigue sets in, becomes immediately visible.

The result is broader insight, harder testing, and more honest performance data. For Factor, this diversity is not a compromise. It is the whole point of Factor Racing.

Our athletes

The Factor Racing gravel privateers represent a wide spectrum of racing backgrounds, locations, and approaches, united by seriousness, independence, and technical understanding. These riders race on their own terms, bringing diverse experience and perspectives into Factor’s gravel development programme.

Magnus Bak

Current Danish National Gravel Champion, Magnus Bak took the overall title of the 2025 Gravel Earth Series after scoring victories in three of its hardest events: Santa Vall, The Rift, and Megre.

Adam Blazevic

Though his cycling career has been peppered with setbacks, Adam Blazevic is a multi-discipline talent from Australia and is ready to return to the highest level of international gravel racing. With the Gravel World Championships set to take place in his home country, Adam will be building his season around being at his best then.

Victor Bosoni

After a breakout 2025 where he won both Traka 560 and the Transcontinental, Victor Bosoni joins Factor Racing for 2026 to test himself and his equipment in the most demanding gravel races on the calendar.

Rob Britton

As the 2025 winner of Unbound XL, Rob Britton has solidified his reputation as the ultimate ultra-distance gravel racer. His targets may change every season, but his goal remains the same: to go as far as possible as fast as possible. And as such, he provides the perfect proving grounds for Factor gravel bikes.

Cynthia Carson

After establishing herself as one of the fiercest ultra-endurance athletes with 2nd places at the 2025 Transcontinental and Traka 560, Cynthia Carson joins forces with Factor Racing for 2026. She’s ready to test her own resilience and determination while providing valuable feedback to our material development.

Nicole Frain

Having found great success on the road, notably as the Australian National Road Race Champion in 2022, Nicole Frain has now committed to gravel racing with even greater success. As the 2025 UCI Gravel World Series Champion, Nicole has proved her versatility, resilience, and mental strength over a variety of courses, with even bigger goals to hit for 2026.

Anuchi Gago

Focusing on the most important ultra-endurance cycling events for 2026, Anuchi Gago joins Factor Racing to fight for wins while testing her equipment. Tackling extreme challenges all over the world, she will provide essential feedback for the development of future Factor products.

Theo de Groote

At 21, Theo de Groote is one of the youngest athletes on the Factor Racing gravel team. The Canadian has already found a lot of success racing in his country across multiple disciplines. His focus on endurance off-road racing and his adventurous spirit dovetails with Factor’s emphasis on testing materials across a variety of terrains around the world.

Matt Holmes

Drawn to Factor Racing for its independent spirit and promise of high tech performance, Matt Holmes jumped from the WorldTour into gravel racing with almost immediate success. The previous winner of UCI Gravel World Series The Gralloch and the 114 Gravel Race, Matt’s big season goals are the biggest races in gravel.

Jonas Lindberg

Having started his career as a mountain bike pro, Jonas Lindberg found a lot of success, including two Danish championships, before turning his attention to the freedom of gravel racing. Deeply connected to Factor over many seasons, Jonas’ informed feedback and aggressive riding style provides feedback that materially helps Factor frames in development.

Wendy Oosterwoud

With several podiums including a win at the UCI Gravel World Series Leuven, Wendy Oosterwoud enjoyed a successful 2025, her first racing full-time on gravel. For her 2026 campaign, she and Factor Racing are joining forces to push boundaries and make waves on the international gravel scene.

Gustave Orain

At 24, Gustave Orain is looking to build on his strong 2025 season where he finished first in the U23 category at the Traka 360. For 2026, he’ll be targeting the Sea Otter, Traka 360, Unbound 200 triptych. The overarching goal will be to develop, progress, and perform when it matters.

Hayley Preen

Ahead of her second year competing in the Life Time Grand Prix, where she took a strong 9th place in 2025, Hayley Preen will be looking to build on a successful year that saw her become the South African National Gravel Champion and win the UCI World Series Khomas100 Gravel Race.

Haley Hunter

Having focused on mountain bike racing for the early part of her career, when she represented Canada at the 2020 Olympics, Haley Hunter successfully included gravel racing to her list of accomplishments. For 2026, she is focusing on a targeted approach to her racing goals and will be aiming to be successful at the biggest races around the world.

Petr Vakoč

A former WorldTour pro from Czechia, Petr Vakoč has in recent years consistently found himself at the forefront of the gravel racing scene on both sides of the Atlantic. Having won Santa Vall, Traka 200, and Monsterrato in past seasons, Petr will look to expand his palmarès in 2026.

 Follow us for the latest updates from all our privateers.

Instagram / Facebook / Youtube