‘A team that can thrive together’ – Paige Onweller and Toby Røed anchor Trek Driftless off-road team with three new teammates and a focus on US gravel races

Paige Onweller and Torbjørn ‘Toby’ Røed return to the Trek Driftless ‘all-surface team’ in 2026, where the duo will target repeat podium finishes overall at the Life Time Grand Prix series, in which Onweller finished third two years ago, and Røed was third last year.

A trio of versatile riders were added to the roster this year – Daxton Mock, Cécile Lejeune, and Cobe Freeburn.

“Brands can bring strong riders together on a team, but those riders need to be fully committed to each other with a lot of transparency – this is a lot harder to execute and is still largely rider dependent since most teams do not have performance directors. I believe Trek did a good job creating a team that can thrive together this season and I’m excited to be a part of it!”

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Like Onweller, Røed has also won Big Sugar Gravel, and this year marks his third season in the Grand Prix. He transitioned from a road focus to gravel in 2024 and scored the win at The Mid South with podiums at Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona, SBT GRVL and Monsterrato that year.

Trek calls him “a pure diesel engine”, and that was evident with a third-place finish at Unbound Gravel 200 and fourth at Leadville Trail 100 last year, as well as top 10s at The Traka 360, SBT GRVL and Lauf Gravel Worlds. He pulled off an unusual Traka double before Unbound, going ninth in the 360km race and then going outside the top 100 in the 200km race the next day.

“I’ll do the Life Time series [again], it requires so much focus. They do have the biggest races and the most media exposure as well. It’s a good place to be,” Røed told Cyclingnews during the off-season, where the Norwegian spent much of his winter in Tucson, Arizona.

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“Kobe and me are pretty good friends. We train in Tucson and do a little racing together. He did really well at SBT, which is awesome. He’s been in the Trek pipeline for a while.

“Very excited to be three guys on Trek next year, and even more stoked to be joined by two really good friends. I think we will have a great year on the road together with Paige and Cecile.”

New teammates

The youngest in the group at 23 and also a former Bear National Team rider, Freeburn has won his Durango hometown race, Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, twice, and last year had a breakout season on Colorado gravel, winning Bighorn Gravel and finishing third at SBT GRVL. He also had a top 10 at Chequamegon MTB and finished 15th at Leadville Trail 100 MTB. This year, when he takes those starts again, he will be part of the Grand Prix series for the first time.

Lejeune and Mock will wear the colourful Santini kits designed by Trek. Freeburn, like Onweller and Røed, will have their own kits, while all are outfitted with Trek bikes. Look for the team to compete at The Mid South in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the elite races on Friday, March 13. Mock expects to race the week before to defend his title at Valley of Tears.