EF Pro Cycling has announced a new three-rider cyclocross squad for the 2025–26 season, bringing the pink kit to the winter racing scene for the first time.
The new lineup features Luxembourg’s Nina Berton, along with Italian brothers Filippo and Mattia Agostinacchio. They are both rising stars with deep roots in the discipline.
Vaughters on the new project
“This is a fun experiment for us, but one we want to excel at,” EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters said. The former pro sees the move as an extension of the team’s “Alternative Calendar” ethos. “We’ve always tried to push the boundaries of what a pro cycling team can be. Cyclocross lets us reach new fans and showcase our riders in a totally different environment.”
The program marks a homecoming of sorts for Berton. She is a former under-23 Luxembourg cyclocross champion who joined EF Education–Oatly earlier this year. The off-road return gives her a chance to sharpen her handling skills over the winter while reconnecting with her roots. “Cyclocross has always been part of how I train and stay motivated,” she said. “Doing a full season with proper team support will be something new and exciting.”
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For the Agostinacchio brothers, the mud is familiar territory. Filippo, 22, is a two-time under-23 Italian cyclocross champion and a Giro Next Gen stage winner, while 19-year-old Mattia captured the junior world title before turning heads on the road this summer at the UCI world championships in Rwanda.
“It’s an amazing project,” Mattia said. “Racing cyclocross with EF gives me a great chance to develop before my first road season with the WorldTour team in 2026. Having my brother there — and Nina too — makes it even more special.”
EF’s cross team will debut in November, with a full calendar leading up to the 2026 UCI cyclocross world championships early next year. Vaughters says it’s just the latest way EF plans to blur the lines between road, gravel, and mud — “because cycling,” he said, “should never stay in one lane.”