The question of "what do I want to do after my sporting career" was not just a professional concern for Martin Gujan. He realized that he could draw on a wealth of experience from racing and could therefore be of great help to young athletes. The existing J&S training and the experience gained from coaching at Velocoach.ch were among the decisive factors that motivated Gujan to take on an additional role.

The request to act as assistant coach came from Beat Müller. Müller, who works as a sports scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport in Magglingen, sees the collaboration with Gujan at his side as an ideal complement. With over 15 years of experience from the Cross-Country World Cup, "Guschi" has been through the entire development of the sport and therefore knows exactly what demands are placed on athletes. A blessing for young athletes who, thanks to Gujan's wealth of experience, can, for example, overcome insecurities in various areas of racing.

Cross-country slats instead of a bike

At the squad meeting in Davos, it seems as if Gujan has been with the team as an assistant coach for a long time. The u19 riders are responding very well to him, and that is another of Müller's goals. He wants his protégés to have someone who is close to them as a former professional and therefore a like-minded person. For example, he is also a contact person when it comes to racing.

Alternative training methods are also discussed and implemented. At the squad meeting in Davos, Martin Gujan accompanied the training sessions on cross-country skis. Not only because Gujan can still keep up with the youngsters, but also to hone his running style. Alternatives to cycling have been promoted in winter training within the national team for some time now. This gives the young athletes the tools they need to be able to train independently afterwards. Gujan welcomes this very much, as cross-country skiing was also a big part of his winter training.

Still few appearances for Gujan

After the kick-off in Oberentfelden and the training days in Davos and Tenero, Martin Gujan's work is done for now. He would also have liked to coach the juniors during the training camp in the south of France, but he also wants to give his employer Chris Sports his all, and his young family is also entitled to a large part of his time.

What is certain, however, is that the former pro will accompany the u19 national team to two races in the UCI Junior Series - formerly the World Cup. Whether Swiss Cycling will also call on his help at major events such as the European and World Championships is yet to be seen.