It should have been a bike tour, as Thomas Frischknecht, Andreas Seeli and Erwin Wildhaber have done countless times together. By bike to Stattbodenalp, then on foot up the Chöpfenberg. But the excursion turned into a horror trip for the three of them. Wildhaber slipped accidentally on the descent, dragging Frischknecht and Seeli with him, and they all slid uncontrollably down several hundred meters of steep meadow terrain. Wildhaber apparently lost consciousness, fell over a rock face and suffered fatal injuries, while Frischknecht and Seeli came to a halt seriously injured and were able to alert the air rescue service.

In addition to the death of Burry Stander, hardly any other tragedy in mountain biking has caused as much consternation as the fatal accident involving Erwin Wildhaber. The reason for this was Wildhaber's personality: he was regarded as one of the most likeable people on the racing circuit, always in a good mood and always up for a joke. His willingness to help was boundless, and he would probably have been at the side of even Nino Schurter's toughest rivals as a mechanic in an emergency. Wildhaber brought a friendliness and relaxed attitude to racing like no other. This is one reason why his sudden and tragic departure has caused so much consternation in the sport of mountain biking.

It is fitting that Erwin Wildhaber has left his mark on the sport of mountain biking even after his death. The minute's silence before the World Cup race in Albstadt upset his "foster son" Nino Schurter so much that he made one mistake after another during the competition and ultimately finished the race as a "distant winner" instead of a winner. In memory of his mechanic, however, Schurter subsequently grew wings and went on a winning streak, winning the overall World Cup and the World Championship title as a result. Wildhaber's death gave Schurter an extra boost of motivation and strength. After all, Erwin Wildhaber would have wanted nothing less than a winning streak as his legacy.Even more impressive than Schurter's handling of the tragedy is the strength shown by his son Marcel Wildhaber. It was his way of grieving to return to the racetracks as quickly as possible. After all, this was probably his father's last wish. Less than a month after the tragic accident, Marcel Wildhaber was back on the winner's podium in cyclo-cross races and later continued in the eliminator races on the mountain bike circuit. Today, the 28-year-old is one of the world's fastest sprinters. And this despite the stroke of fate exactly one year ago. He has also found new strength in memory of his father.It is a characteristic of strong personalities that they have a formative effect far beyond their death. Erwin Wildhaber was one such person. With his helpfulness, friendliness and humor, he had a greater impact on the mountain bike racing scene than all the medal winners, serial winners and superstars put together. The anniversary of the tragic accident on the Chöpfenberg is a fitting opportunity to once again become aware of this fact. And to take Erwin Wildhaber as an example to leave a positive and cheerful mark on the (mountain bike) world.