Ride: The coming season is the pre-Olympic season. Would you have preferred to continue with the familiar structures of the Giant Pro XC team, or is the switch to the Colnago-Südtirol team now a good thing? Fabian Giger: Giant was already a great team and it got better and better over the years. That's why I was keen to sign there again. As we know, things turned out differently and I had to look for an alternative. At Colnago I can once again expect great support and top material. The latter was also the condition, as I don't want to get involved in tests in this important year. Even though I would have liked to stay with Giant, a new team also brings advantages, such as fresh energy and new input.

Are any changes to your personal structure necessary because of your new employer?
No, as it's a small team, I can influence the program to a certain extent. There will probably be small changes to the race schedule. I will be competing in fewer races in Germany and more in other countries. But that also makes it more interesting again - other regions, new race tracks and other hotels.

The Olympic Games are one of your goals. Would you have stuck with it if you hadn't found a professional team? Yes, of course - I don't want to stop yet. After every supposed option that vanished into thin air, I mentally took a step back, right down to the single rider level, which would certainly have been the worst option - but ending my career would have been my very last option. Now I am all the happier that I can form the Colnago South Tyrol team together with Eva Lechner. There I have everything I need to deliver top performances. With a solo project, a lot of energy would have been lost in the whole administration.

Wouldn't a solo project have raised doubts about the achievability of your goals?
No, not even despite the extra effort. That's also the beauty of mountain bike racing. Here, a lone fighter can still achieve anything, whereas in road cycling without a team, you can hang up your bike at the age of 25.

If you have considered a year as an individual rider, do you enjoy riding more than throwing in the towel due to a lack of a team?
Definitely! Basically, I ride races because I like doing it. But I still see potential for improvement and am convinced that I can qualify for the Olympics. I also still have a few goals in the World Cup that I want to achieve. This is also what drives me. Financially, I haven't signed a huge contract for the 2015 season and some would say at this point: "that's not possible", but ultimately I want to stay in the racing scene. I'm not just riding for the money, I still want to achieve a lot. Nevertheless, I will put out feelers earlier in the future so that I am not faced with the unknown again in a similar situation as with Giant.

Speaking of uncertain, after Giant gave up the team, did you fall into a hole? How can you imagine that feeling?
At first, it was really hard on the motivation when a team like that stops racing out of the blue so late in the season. The resulting late search for a team, the uncertainty and the many cancellations were definitely frustrating. Looking at it soberly, it was never anything personal, I was simply too late. But when the solution with Colnago became apparent, I quickly felt better again. Now I'm happy that I can focus my energy on training again.

So the long period of uncertainty was also a big burden?
Yes, it was. It's a strain on the mind and you're also dependent on others. It was often difficult because I often didn't get any answers and so I never knew exactly where I stood.

Then many teams are often not so transparent?
Yes, too - people often expressed interest and then they said: "We'll clarify the possibilities". After that, I simply didn't hear anything for two weeks. Unfortunately, this was also the case with Giant in the end. They promised an answer on a specific date, but then nothing came. When I asked about it, it was dragged out even longer.

So they like to keep you warm in case a budget becomes available after all?
I felt that way a few times, yes. Nevertheless, I always felt a bit tied down because I didn't want people to stand up for me and then I'd jump to the next best thing. Honesty and clarity are more important to me. Unfortunately, I tied myself back with that.

You have found a conciliatory solution with Colnago-Südtirol, even though you have to accept slight financial losses. Can you also count on support from others on your way to Rio?
Yes, I can. First of all, I'm really happy that I have the opportunity to ride for Colnago. After all, it was one of the few teams that showed a serious interest in me, saw my potential and therefore also believed in me...

... which is actually crazy, because you're one of the world's best cross-country riders - currently third in the world rankings - you don't have to hide from anyone and yet only a few are showing interest.
Yes, unfortunately that is the case. But as I mentioned in the previous question, I'm lucky that I'm also well supported otherwise, whether by Swiss Cycling, where we have great structures, by Swiss Olympic and also by the military, which helps in these matters. So I'm sure I'll get by all right. As third in the world rankings, you shouldn't really be in the situation I'm in now. On the other hand, there are many top athletes abroad as well as here in Switzerland who also invest a lot and still have far less. So I have it pretty good after all.

The framework for the coming season is in place. What does your program look like for the coming season?
My goals are the World Cup, as well as the European and World Championships. In the World Cup, I want to ride in the top five or even top three again if possible. The European Games in Baku will be a new addition in May. They may not be in the media at the moment, but they should still be a good thing and that's why they are also one of my goals for 2015.

Let's take another leap forward to the 2016 Olympic year. Can you already tell us what your season will look like? Rio is actually the next big goal, because the Olympic Games are already a year and a half away. At the beginning of December, we were in Rio for two weeks with the Olympic trial squad to get an impression of the local conditions. There we felt that things were slowly getting closer. This also means the first qualification races, of which there will be several in the coming season.
My goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games, but I'm not going to get hung up on that. In the end, I'll just try to give my best possible performance.

What do you mean by "not getting stuck"?
For me, there are many other goals that I can achieve than, for example, Nino Schurter, who is only missing Olympic gold, so to speak. I would like to win a World Cup race or win a medal at the World Championships. As a Swiss, I can't just focus on Rio, because the national competition is strong and broad-based.

You mentioned the reconnaissance trip to Rio earlier. What were your impressions on site and do you already know what the course looks like?
The trip was definitely interesting and the experience we gained will certainly give us an advantage. We were also able to get an idea of the future race site and the ground conditions. However, the course itself had not yet been finalized. There was only a rough track plan that gave us an idea of the characteristics of the circuit. We were also able to get a feel for the temperatures. It is currently very hot in Brazil, as it is summertime. During the Olympic Games it is winter there, but still warm enough at 25 to 30 degrees. I personally like it hotter than cold, thankfully.

Will there be another test race in Rio at the end of next season?
A few weeks ago it became public that there will be another test race - but it is not yet on the UCI calendar. It is also not yet clear whether it will be a UCI or an invitational race. Whether we will go again with the squad because of this is also still open. In any case, it was important that we have already seen everything and were able to uncover the difficulties. In the end, as we all know, it's the details that make the difference in such a big race. Swiss Cycling has done really good preparatory work with the reconnaissance trip.

Speaking of details: an important detail in mountain biking is technique and you weren't one of the strongest riders in the past. Have you been able to improve there? You had a technique coach at Giant in the form of Oscar Saiz, the former downhill pro.
Definitely. When things get difficult, I still lose a bit. But I ride much safer and faster than I used to. Training together with riders like Nino, for example in Rio, is also super helpful. There I have a direct comparison, which doesn't always happen in the race. Of course it's different in the race. But then there aren't exactly sleepless nights when I'm slower than Nino Schurter on the downhills. Hardly anyone rides downhill as cleanly as him. I definitely want to improve even more, especially on the jumps, which there are more and more races, but not at any price. There are riders who can ride incredibly hard downhill, but then often get injured. That's just not worth it to me. It's better to improve technically first and then work on speed.

Racing is one thing, but what will Fabian Giger do after his career?
Good question - people often plan in Olympic periods, so I'll certainly be riding until then. So I'm not thinking about the end of my career yet. It also depends on how I develop in this sport. If the opportunity arises, a switch to the road is not uninteresting. Not because of the money - no, more because I'm interested in road racing and there's much more of a big game there.

By "the big ladle" you mean that the sport is exploited more in the media?
That's right. That's exactly what's a bit of a shame in mountain biking, that despite the size of the sport, you still feel like you're in a small sport. I hope that changes with the World Cup races in Lenzerheide.

To pick up on the previous question again. Have you already thought about your professional future if you no longer feel like racing?
No, not really so far. I've done a good apprenticeship and knowing that I've got a degree in the bag, I'm already in a more relaxed mood - just like the months before when things looked bad team-wise.

What training did you do?
I completed a commercial apprenticeship at a bank with a vocational baccalaureate. I also have prospects there, but for now I want to ride races for as long as possible. I like mountain biking and also enjoy this lifestyle.

But the sport has taken you away from your job for quite a long time. Do you keep yourself up to date in your specialist area in case you have to go back to work sooner than you'd like?
No, not that either. That's also rather difficult at the moment. I'm considering further training when the end of my career becomes foreseeable. I don't know yet whether I'll stay in banking - maybe I'll be drawn to the two-wheeler industry. Who knows.

www.fabiangiger.ch