November 7, 2003 – 2003 turned out to be a very rewarding  year for the Motorex-Bianchi team. The off road squad, chaired by Felice Gimondi and managed by Massimo Ghirotto, confirmed to be one of the strongest and most competitive teams in the international off road arena, scoring 28 wins.

The exciting string of Motorex-Bianchi successes got started by the Frenchman Julien Absalon on March 2nd with the win at the Winter Championship, ahead of his team-mate the Swede Fredrik Kessiakof. Six days later, on March 8th, Absalon gave an encore, gaining the opening trial of the MTB Internazionali d'Italia, at Brescia's Castle.  On March 16th the Motorex-Bianchi team captured the third seasonal win, thanks to the Spaniard Jose Antonio Hermida, victorious protagonist of the Gaerne Trophy in Crespignaga (Treviso). Poker of successes in April with the Swedish biker Fredrik Kessiakof who ranked first in the Argon Bike in San Paolo d'Argon (Bergamo) and on April 13th in Padenghe del Garda (Brescia) at the Italy MTB Trophy. On April 23rd Julien Absalon won the opening trial of the France Cup and then the third trial of the MTB Internazionali d'Italia on the selective circuit in Monticello Brianza (Lecco). Not to forget the second trial of Ortona, where the French biker ranked second, overtaken at the sprint by the Venetian biker Marco Bui, and the fourth and final race of June 7th in Lugagnano Valdarna (Piacenza) where Julien ranked third but gained the overall ranking of the most important international trial competition in Italy.

The exciting MTB World Cup adventure started on May 25th on the German hilly circuit of St. Wendel. Absalon, getting along with the eve's forecasts, conquered the third step of the podium, a result he repeated on May 31st in Fort Williams (England) on the second round of the World Cup. On June 28th, in Mont Sainte Anne (Canada), the French Absalon got the win in the third race of the World Cup; whereas on July 13th he ranked third in the competition of Grouse Mountain (Canada). Some weeks later, Julien Absalon legitimated his leadership getting the win at the French national championship and outdistancing his country fellowman and Olympic Miguel Martinez. Eventually, in the sixth and final trial of the World Cup of September 14th in Kaprun (Austria), the French champion conquered the third step of the podium thus getting the prestigious World Cup. An important win which made Julien Absalon the new king of the MTB specialty, boosting the legendary myth of Bianchi: a factory which gave a remarkable contribution to the professional cycling, on- and off-road. To further confirm his class and talent, Julien Absalon got the title of European vice-champion on the Austrian hilly circuit in Graz.

Whilst Absalon dominated the cross country competitions, his fellow countryman and team-mate Thomas Dietsch turned out to be the true protagonist of 2003 in the selective long-distance MTB competitions. He scored ten successes, among which the first trial of the Marathon World Cup in France, the Bike Forest Marathon in Austria, the two rounds and final ranking of the Grand Prix Liberte in Freiburg, the Dolomiti Superbike and the European Marathon Championship in Austria. Thomas Dietsch missed for a whiff the Marathon World Championship title due to an unlucky puncture few kilometres away from the finishing line when he was leading the race. He managed to catch up and crossed the line in 9th position, but he's considered the moral winner of the first edition of the selective rainbow striped long-distance race of Lugano (Switzerland). This exciting season of the Elite team got further lustre from the junior Motorex-Bianchi team managed by Andrea Ferrero that scored 38 wins either in the cross country specialty and cyclecross thanks to Daniela Bresciani and her younger sister Nicoletta, who got the title of juniores Italian Champion.