Buds Sports at the heart of the world XC circuit with Team Origine Racing Division

A few weeks ago, in an article you can find here, we announced our partnership with Team Origine Racing Division, whom we are supporting for their first season in the XC World Cup.

At the beginning of July, the Team was in the Pyrenees, more precisely in Andorra, at the Pal Arinsal resort, for the 6th round of the World Cup.

Carla, Manon and I took advantage of the opportunity to travel from our offices in Carcassonne, France, to immerse ourselves in the heart of the world circuit and follow the race weekend from the inside, up close to the staff and drivers.

This immersion was an opportunity to exchange ideas with the team and gather valuable feedback on the use of our bike and luggage carrying cases. A weekend rich in lessons and emotions that we invite you to relive with us!

Pal Arinsal: a route built for spectacle

Nestled in the heart of the Andorran Pyrenees, Pal Arinsal is renowned for its technical and physical terrain. On the menu: roots, steep climbs, challenging descents and constant changes of pace. For two days, we vibrated to the rhythm of explosive starts, technical sections and cheers from the public.

Reunion with Team Origine

In the paddock, team managers Maxime Marotte and Mathieu Durand give us a warm welcome. Despite a hectic schedule of reconnaissance, briefings and last-minute adjustments, we are given a full tour of the facility. The team is complete, focused, but always ready to talk. It's at times like these that our partnership really comes into its own: seeing our covers, transport solutions and luggage used on the team's travels is the best proof that our equipment meets the demands of top-level racing.

The races: a great show!

On the track, we followed Martina Berta's performance in the Elite Women's category on Friday, and Mathis Azzaro's in the Elite Men's category the following day. These were two intense races, run from the first to the last lap. The technical passages, the accelerations, it's all down to the wire!
Unfortunately for Martina, a crash meant that she lost all hope of a podium finish, even though she was well on her way to a top 3 finish.
Mathis did well to take a superb 3rd place!

More than a sponsor, a partner

At Buds, we like to say that we don't just supply equipment. Being there, in the field, means understanding what the riders and staff are going through, seeing what works and what can be improved, and continuing to develop our products with them.
This weekend of immersion strengthened this bond with the Team Origine Racing Division. We'll be going home with some great images in our heads... and a few ideas for future innovations.