Reset. Rebuild. Race: How Orbea FMD Turned a Prototype Into a World Cup Winner

"Nothing quite like tearing a downhill team down to the studs in the off-season, right? While these kinds of cataclysmic overhauls are full of trials and tribulations, at times it's this complete reset that lays the foundation for long-term future success. For FMD Racing and Orbea Bicycles, it's exactly what it took to turn the tides from skepticism to success story in the 2025 UCI Downhill World Cup season."

"After parting ways with their longtime bike partner Canyon, reshuffling their roster, and rebuilding their team infrastructure from scratch, FMD came into the season with not only a massive chip on their shoulder, but a lot to prove. The team features some of the sport's best and brightest, and without a doubt there were careers, credibility, and the possibility of world championships as well-all riding on the back of an untested and undeveloped bike from Orbea."

"The Gravity Cooperative, a long-term project aimed at redefining how a factory DH program develops tech, nurtures talent, and builds a culture. For Orbea, a brand with roots deep in the Basque Country and a growing presence across enduro and XC, the move into elite downhill wasn't a marketing exercise-it was a commitment to embracing a new chapter in the history of their brand while supporting elite-level riders pushing the absolute limit."

FMD Racing left its longtime bike partner, overhauled its roster, and rebuilt team infrastructure before the 2025 season. Orbea's experimental division OOLAB developed a prototype DH frame since 2021 that evolved into the Rallon DH, initially an unproven platform mandated to compete on the World Cup circuit. The partnership formed the Gravity Cooperative to redefine factory DH program development, combining tech development, talent nurturing, and culture building. The team faced skepticism but fielded top riders whose careers and championship prospects depended on the new bike. Orbea committed to elite downhill beyond marketing, supporting riders pushing absolute limits.

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