The 31-year-old will enrich the magazine's race coverage in particular. During his active career, he was one of the few top athletes who felt at home in all mountain bike disciplines - from cross-country to marathon and downhill. "With Ride.ch, we want to put a stronger focus on racing again in the future. With his wide-ranging expertise and his network in the racing scene, Balz Weber is exactly the right man for this strategy," says Ride publisher Thomas Giger, explaining the new appointment.

Balz Weber was a professional mountain biker for eight years and rode to the world title in the U23 class in Lugano in 2003. One year after his retirement, the four-time Swiss champion is now returning to mountain biking. "For me, Ride is the opportunity to stay true to racing and to live out my passion for mountain biking in a new form," he comments on his professional reorientation. He now works for the Ride editorial team.