New breathing technique, new team: Jolanda Neff can attack again at the age of 32 after switching from Trek to Cannondale
Image: Keystone
Alessandra Keller celebrated winning the overall World Cup for the second time in the previous season - she underwent knee surgery in October
Image: Keystone
Nino Schurter kicked off his last professional season by winning the Cape Epic
Image: Keystone
Filippo Colombo from Ticino could establish himself as the number 1 in the Swiss men's team
Image: Keystone
Doping accusation cleared up, laughter found again: Mathias Flückiger can enjoy his sport again - since February as the father of a daughter
Image: Keystone
New breathing technique, new team: Jolanda Neff can attack again at the age of 32 after switching from Trek to Cannondale
Image: Keystone
Alessandra Keller celebrated winning the overall World Cup for the second time in the previous season - she underwent knee surgery in October
Image: Keystone
Nino Schurter kicked off his last professional season by winning the Cape Epic
Image: Keystone
Filippo Colombo from Ticino could establish himself as the number 1 in the Swiss men's team
Image: Keystone
Doping accusation cleared up, laughter found again: Mathias Flückiger can enjoy his sport again - since February as the father of a daughter
Image: Keystone
Eight months after the medal-less Olympic Games in Paris, the Swiss mountain bikers are starting the 2025 season with renewed vigor with the home World Championships in Valais. A closer look at the top athletes.
05.04.2025, 04:31
05.04.2025, 08:52
SDA
Alessandra Keller: knee mended, World Championship medal in sight
Alessandra Keller had to wait longer than expected on her way to the top of the world due to injury. In 2024, the now 29-year-old junior and U23 world champion from 2013 and 2018 was number 1 in the World Cup for the second time. As in 2022, she secured the double by winning the overall World Cup and the short track discipline classification.
In 2025, it could also work out with the first World Championship medal in Olympic cross-country (after silver in short track 2022). Especially as Keller got rid of a long-standing problem in the off-season. Since 2018 and a training crash the day before she won the U23 World Championship title in Lenzerheide, Keller has been riding with a damaged cruciate ligament in her right knee. She then underwent surgery last October. "I'm very happy with the healing process, the reconstruction and the training so far," said Keller in March at the pre-season presentation of her Swiss team Thömus Maxon, which made her the number 1 in cross-country together with Mathias Flückiger.
At the main rehearsal for the World Championships a year ago, Keller finished in 2nd place in both the cross-country and short track on the demanding course in Crans-Montana.
Jolanda Neff: Room for more
New breathing technique, new team: at 32, Jolanda Neff is reinventing herself once again and is ready to attack. After a difficult year marked by breathing problems, which culminated in her withdrawal from the Olympic Games in Paris, Neff has turned a corner. "I feel very good and am well on schedule," the 2021 Olympic champion told Blick at a press conference in March, at which she presented her own new race for everyone, the Grand Prix Jolandaland in Widnau. According to the overall World Cup winner from 2014, 2015 and 2018, breathing no longer causes her any discomfort, even in dry conditions.
In fact, the efforts to get the breathing problems under control have borne fruit since the delayed diagnosis (constriction of the vocal cords due to exertion, or "EILO" for short). While Neff went winless in international races in 2023 and 2024, she has now won three races in preparation. In addition, the team switch to Cannondale after six years with Trek has given her a "very welcome boost".
Sina Frei, Nicole Koller, Linda Indergand
In addition to Jolanda Neff, Sina Frei (silver) and Linda Indergand (bronze) also have Olympic medals from 2021 in their collection. However, 27-year-old Frei and Indergand, who is four years older, have only occasionally been among the front runners in recent years - although Frei managed to break free at the end of last season with four podium places in the last four races (cross-country and short track).
Nicole Koller, the 2014 Junior World Champion, made it into the top 10 last season and attracted attention with a 6th place at the main rehearsal for the World Championships.
Nino Schurter: two more highlights for the legend
The most successful mountain biker now has 39 years under his belt. The 2016 Olympic champion hasn't quite had enough yet. "Another home World Championships and the World Cup race in Lenzerheide are the perfect way for me to finish. It will be the perfect end to my cross-country career," announced the Grisons native last October. The home World Championships will be his fourth last race as a professional, the home World Cup his third last.
Schurter proved that he is still capable of great things last season, not at the Olympic Games (9th place), but shortly before that at the World Cup in Val di Sole, where he took his 36th World Cup victory. Two weeks ago, he underlined that he is in the right form for a final successful season with his third overall victory at the Cape Epic, the prestigious multi-stage race in South Africa, alongside Scott team-mate Filippo Colombo.
Mathias Flückiger: Free again at last
Four years ago, Mathias Flückiger finally made it. After a long start-up period, the 2010 U23 World Champion stepped out of Nino Schurter's shadow. As an over-three, he won Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021 and took the overall World Cup and World Championship silver in the same year. A year later, an atypical positive doping test result sent him into a sudden tailspin.
For years, Flückiger had to fight legally for his innocence. It was only last year that he was acquitted of all doping charges in May. Although he was allowed to race again from the end of 2022 and occasionally won again, he has not yet found the consistency of 2021.
"I'm happy to finally be able to race a season again and just enjoy it," said Flückiger. Training was somewhat neglected in the first few weeks after the birth of daughter Mina Ida in February. However, success at the home World Championships and in the World Cup would be at least as welcome to the 36-year-old from Bern with this background as it would be to Schurter on his farewell tour.
Colombo: The Swiss number 1
In third place overall, Filippo Colombo was the best Swiss last season. He finished on the podium twice and is now set to take the next step. Victory at the Cape Epic with Nino Schurter was the perfect start for the 27-year-old from Ticino.
