FIVE TALENTED RIDERS RETURNING TO GENERATION IN 2026

CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto Generation, the UCI continental squad joined to the eponymous WorldTeam, will feature five returning riders on its 2026 roster.

The strong quintet of 18-year-old Emily Dixon, 19-year-old Joëlle Messemer, and three 20-year-olds – Valentina Corvi, Jule Märkl and Awen Roberts – have all demonstrated their talent and potential in varied yet impressive ways, marking themselves as riders to keep a close watch on.

Emily Dixon, the most recent Zwift Academy winner, performed admirably across 44 race days in her first season away from juniors and her home country of Australia. Highlights included riding with the WorldTeam at Tour de Pologne Women, where Chiara Consonni claimed two stage wins and the overall title. Reflecting on 2025, Emily says:

“I’m super excited to continue for another year with CSz. I learnt sooo much this season – both in races and after spending time with teammates from all over the world. The team really feels like my family away from home, and I can’t wait to meet our new riders too. I’m looking forward to using everything I learnt in my first European season to keep progressing and to go into races with clearer goals and confidence. I’ll now aim for results that show my strengths and are things that I can be proud of.”

She adds:

“I’m pleased with how I’ve adjusted to being away from home for so long and how I embraced every new opportunity with the team. I handled the challenges of learning European racing and made real progress from the start of the season until now. Seeing that growth makes me even more excited for what I can build on next year.”

Joëlle Messemer also transitioned into the elite peloton this year, quickly making a name for herself in Spanish racing with a victory at Gran Premio Igartza in March and two stage wins at Volta Ciclista a Osona in June. She also gained experience racing with the WorldTeam at events such as GP Oetingen and the Baloise Ladies Tour, where Zoe Bäckstedt dominated the general classification.

Reflecting on her proudest moments, Joëlle says:

“I think they would be the three wins that I could take during the season. It was always super good teamwork and I was so happy to have the support and the trust from the girls. But also the races I was able to do with the WorldTeam were amazing and interesting.”

Looking ahead to 2026:

“I feel very honoured to ride a second year with CANYON//SRAM zondarcrypto. The atmosphere in the team is great and I am happy to have this opportunity to develop myself more through the year.”

Older and wiser, 2026 will also bring an important milestone outside of cycling for Joëlle.

“I think I will do a big step next year with the team, especially because I will finish school in March. The team have given me the support and the trust that I have needed during this time while balancing education. I think because of this, I will develop and grow in a lot of ways, but the most important will be firstly doing more base miles to help me get me through the year.”

Fellow German and close friend, Jule Märkl, will embark on her third season with team Generation. She continued her steady yet marked upward trajectory in 2025, recording her best UCI result at elite level with 11th at Giro dell’Appennino Donne Elite, following strong form at Volta a Osona with 3rd then 2nd on stages won by Joëlle.

On her development, Jule says:

“I am proud to have slowly grown into elite racing and have gotten to know myself better as a rider. My goal for next year is to be more consistent over the whole season and to further develop my physical strength, so I can play a bigger role in the races and help the team better.”

She adds:

“I am very grateful for the opportunity and the trust that the team gives me to ride another year in this beautiful jersey. I feel very comfortable in the team and I am excited to continue racing in this enviroment. I have found a place with CANYON//SRAM  zondacrypto Generation where I can develop myself further without much pressure but with plenty of support, and that is very valuable to me.”

Awen Roberts, also returning for a third year, navigated a tough season framed by bad luck – one crash in February sidelining her for three months, and another that ended her season early at Tour de l’Ardèche. This misfortune hasn’t dimmed her characteristically cheerful and determined demeanour.

“After an up and down season due to two unfortunate and nasty crashes, I’m excited to race, to give it my all and to keep improving. I feel like I’ve got so much more to give.”

Bright spots included a superb 6th place on a stage at Volta a Portugal, and top-15 results on stages at Tour des Pyrénées and Ardèche. Awen cites her 2024 results as her proudest, which also included her first UCI podium at Pionera Race in Spain.

“A few moments stand out, especially the last stage of Thuringen where I was able to contribute positively to the team in the race. Also, my performance in Eibar where I believed in myself and delivered my best performance.”

Switching codes for the final returnee, Italian rising star Valentina Corvi has had her best season yet on knobbly tires, claiming overall victory in the U23 UCI Cross-Country World Cup series after no less than 12 World Cup podiums across short-track and cross-country. She was crowned U23 XC European Champion and scored a bronze medal in the same discipline at the World Championships. Remarkably, her first-ever World Cup victory came just six weeks after her first-ever road race, a debut that didn’t go as planned, ending horribly with a heavy crash and a broken collarbone.

Undeterred, Valentina impressed on the road at the Italian National Road Championships alongside WorldTeam riders Soraya Paladin and Chiara Consonni, and remains eager to keep exploring road racing in 2026:

“I find this discipline really fascinating because it gives you the chance to develop lots of skills and qualities that you don’t get with mountain biking. I really like how race tactics are fundamental, as is the ability to think and manage different situations. In addition, road definitely offers many physical benefits and helps to perfect fitness, even with important mountain biking events on the horizon. Next season, I hope to improve my skills when working in a group and to better manage tense situations during races. I also want to learn how to ride with others in mind and to collaborate effectively with the team so we can all improve together. Finally, I would like to learn how to better manage the physical efforts on road, which are quite different from on mountain biking.”

She concludes:

“I feel extremely lucky to have this opportunity to integrate and maximise both disciplines. There are certainly a lot of mountain bike events and the overall season is very demanding, but I want to be able to combine the two.”

These five returning riders – Emily, Joëlle, Jule, Awen and Valentina – are joined by five new recruits for 2026, one of which is still to be announced.