Andy Rihs ist tot
Entrepreneur with the hearing aid manufacturers Phonak and Sonova, YB patron with his brother and owner of the bicycle manufacturers BMC and Stromer: Andy Rihs is torn from life at the age of 75 and leaves a huge void in Swiss sport. Rihs lived out his passion for cycling primarily with the Phonak and BMC Racing racing teams, and the Zurich native never missed the opportunity to ride the Tour de France passes himself.
Rihs was a visionary in the Swiss bike industry and his commitment was multifaceted. The billionaire not only financed racing teams, but also a fully automated production facility for carbon frames at BMC in Grenchen. In 2016, Rihs brought the Tour de France to Bern with the Mayor of Bern, Alexander Tschäppät. Rihs was also the driving and financial force behind the Velodrome in Grenchen.
At the age of 75, Andy Rihs has now lost his final battle against leukemia. Swiss cycling will feel the absence of Rihs painfully.