Bahrain Victorious end partnership with Bianchi 'with immediate effect' after one year, team to ride Factor Bikes

Bahrain Victorious have ended their partnership with Bianchi "with immediate effect" after just one year, and will ride Factor Bikes from 2027, the team announced this week.

In a press release on Thursday, the WorldTour squad said that the contract was terminated mutually, before revealing on Friday that they would be sponsored by Factor "to push the boundaries of what is possible in professional cycling".

It means Bianchi are without a WorldTour team for next season, while Factor return to cycling's highest stage; they previously partnered with Israel-Premier Tech until the end of 2025. This season, they also had partnerships with Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, Human Powered Health and Ma Petite Enterprise.

"It has been a pleasure to work with the riders and staff of Bahrain Victorious and to support the team at the highest level of professional cycling," Tony Grimaldi, the interim CEO of Bianchi said in a statement. "We thank everyone involved for their commitment and professionalism, and wish the team every success in its next chapter."

A Bahrain Victorious spokesperson added: "We have valued Bianchi’s support and the passion for cycling its people brought to the team. As we look ahead to our next chapter, we thank everyone at Bianchi for their dedication and wish the company every success for the future.”

Bahrain Victorious will now be riding the Factor One and the Ostro VAM on the road, and the Hanzō in time trials.

Rob Gitelis, the CEO of Factor Bikes, said that it was fitting that his brand would be back on the WorldTour in the year the Tour de France begins in Britain, as it is also where his company was founded.

"At Factor, we have always believed that racing at the pinnacle of the sport is fundamental to who we are," he continued. "It’s where our ideas are challenged, where our engineering is tested, and where we continue to push ourselves forward. Bahrain Victorious shares our ambition and our belief that performance comes from challenging what is possible.

Milan Eržen, Bahrain Victorious's managing director said: "We see this partnership as much more than supplying bikes to a professional team. It’s an opportunity to work together, to innovate, and to compete against the very best. We are incredibly excited about what we can achieve together from 2027.

"We have found a fantastic partner in Factor, a brand that shares our performance ethos and our ambition to be the best. Factor is continuously innovating on the bike, with a huge focus on performance, which will enable our riders to have one of the best setups in the peloton."