Vali Höll is heading into 2026 with a fresh kit and a fresh bike. After a year where her former sponsor YT slipped in and out of business like a malfunctioning DVD tray, the Austrian star has signed with Commencal. It’s a move that instantly reshapes the downhill landscape and adds another powerhouse to the Andorran brand’s already stacked racing family.
“I’m incredibly excited to become part of such a renowned racing family,” she said. “It was a pleasant surprise, but I firmly believe that every closed door opens a new opportunity. Working with Commencal has always been a dream of mine; their racing spirit is unmatched. The moment I first rode one, I was astonished by how planted and stable it felt, yet still playful when required.”
After winning everything there is to win in downhill, Höll now joins a team that lives and breathes the sport. We assume she’s joining the Commencal/Muc-Off team and not the Commencal Schwalbe team. In which case, Höll joins Myriam Nicole, Amaury Pierron, Loris Vergier, Dylan Maples and the Alran brothers. Commencal founder Max Commencal is also stoked on the new addition.
“Everyone here welcomes Vali with tremendous enthusiasm. It is a great joy and also a great honour. The biggest challenge now? To live up to her talent. The most motivating thing? It’s exactly that…”
YT resurfaces with a throwback… one day too early
In an almost comedic bit of timing, YT resurfaced this week to announce a limited-run Tues; just 50 bikes, all dripping with nostalgia and high-end parts. Exactly one day before Höll announced her move to Commencal.
The Tues is one of the bikes that built YT. And after a year of shutdowns, layoffs, insolvency filings and “we’re back” statements, the brand is trying to reclaim its roots with a EUR 4,444 special edition. Founder Markus Flossmann called it a return to the DNA that once made YT a disruptor.
But make no mistake: the story this week is not the 50 bikes YT produced. It is the one rider they no longer have.
Höll’s move signals stability and ambition
YT’s chaotic season left a lot of questions hanging over its racing program. Höll’s departure answers at least one of them. She is moving on, and moving up, with a brand that can offer stability, resources and a clear long-term vision. Three things she did not have in 2025.