Daniel Castillo Noyola defends Mexican national title as Mountainbike Racingteam celebrates another national champion

Mountainbike Racingteam adds another national championship to its impressive collection. The Mexican rider delivers a perfectly executed tactical race at 2,000 metres above sea level to retain his national title.

Tapalpa, Mexico. Another national title for the Mountainbike Racingteam: Daniel Castillo Noyola successfully defended his Mexican Mountain Bike Eliminator Championship, once again earning the prestigious national champion's jersey. The experienced UCI World Cup rider travelled directly from the Mountainbike Racingteam's home World Cup in Aalen, Germany, to Tapalpa, where the Mexican National Championships were held at an altitude of approximately 2,000 metres above sea level. Besides the competition itself, the demanding altitude posed an additional challenge for all riders. "We deliberately arrived early to acclimatise to the altitude. At this elevation, it's not only the strongest legs that win, but also the smartest mind. Anyone who pushes too hard too early will pay for it in the closing metres," Noyola explained before the race. Together with his Mountainbike Racingteam teammates Simon Gegenheimer and reigning UCI World Champion Titouan Perrin-Ganier, the Mexican analysed the course in advance using video footage and performance data. Despite being separated by thousands of kilometres, the international Racingteam once again worked closely together. "That's exactly what defines our team. Whether it's a World Cup in Europe or a National Championship on another continent, we support each other. #oneTEAM isn't a marketing slogan for us, it’s the way we work every single day,“ said World Champion Titouan Perrin-Ganier. 


Noyola executed the shared race strategy to perfection. During the qualifying heats, he deliberately avoided unnecessary efforts, conserving valuable energy for the final. There, the defending champion demonstrated his experience and race intelligence. Before entering the most technical sections of the course, he moved into the lead, allowing him to dictate the pace and avoid being caught behind mistakes made by his competitors. On the long finishing straight, the Mountainbike Racingteam rider left no doubt about the outcome. Launching a powerful sprint, Daniel Castillo Noyola crossed the finish line first to successfully defend his Mexican national title. "Winning my second consecutive national title means an incredible amount to me. At the same time, it's a confirmation of the work our entire team is doing. We compete at the highest international level. Within our team we have reigning national champions from Germany, France, Sweden and now once again Mexico, as well as the current World Champion in Titouan. I'm proud to contribute to such an outstanding team.“ For Team Manager Steffen Thum, the victory is another example of the international strength of the Mountainbike Racingteam. "Our riders come from different countries, different continents and even represent more than a ten-year age difference within the team. That's exactly what makes it so remarkable that they continue to support one another and benefit from each other's experience. Dan's successful title defence is further proof that our concept works, both on a sporting level and on a personal one.“ With his successful title defence, Daniel Castillo Noyola adds another major achievement to the Mountainbike Racingteam's remarkable season. As a result, almost every professional rider within the international squad now wears the current national champion's jersey of their home country. Only Simon Gegenheimer still has his national championship ahead of him, with the opportunity to add another title to the team's collection at the German National Championships in Passau on September 12th.