2021 was mountain biker Mathias Flückiger's most successful season to date. In addition to winning the overall World Cup, the Bernese also secured a silver medal at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships as well as four World Cup victories. True to the motto "Never change a winning team", Flückiger remains loyal to his proven environment and Ralph Näf's team, despite offers from international manufacturers. He will therefore continue to rely on mountain bikes from Swiss bike manufacturer Thömus, in whose individual further development he is actively involved with his expertise. Flückiger has signed a contract until the end of 2024 and has set himself no less a goal than a gold medal for the Olympic Games in Paris. Winning the world championship title and success in the World Cup are also among the goals of the current world number 1.

Drive specialist Maxon joins the team as second main sponsor

In addition to Thömus, Ralph Näf's team will have a new partner from the New Year. Drive specialist Maxon will join "Thömus maxon Swiss Mountain Bike Racing" as title sponsor. The focus is not only on a monetary commitment, but also and in particular on a technological partnership. Maxon is making its e-bike platform available, on the basis of which Thömus will develop a super-light e-mountain bike for training. This will also be available commercially in the future.

"2021 has been an extraordinary year in every respect with incredible successes. But I am convinced that this is not all I am capable of. I want to win gold at the Olympic Games in Paris. For such a victory, all the details have to be right. And I think that I can best achieve this goal with my proven environment with Ralph Näf and Thömus. The close partnership with Swiss partners allows me to be directly involved in the development of the bikes. This means I have top material at my disposal at the races that exactly meets my needs," reveals Mathias Flückiger.

Ralph Näf, team manager of the Thömus RN Swiss Bike Team, adds: "The meticulous work of Math and the whole team has paid off this year. We were aware that other teams were trying to recruit the overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup winner. We are therefore pleased that the collaboration with Mathias Flückiger is continuing. In terms of equipment, the close cooperation with the Swiss bike manufacturer Thömus is a huge advantage. The fact that we now have another Swiss technology partner in Maxon will take us another step forward. Above all, we see opportunities in the cross-country e-mountain bike and the lightweight maxon drive. This will allow our athletes to train more on the track without exceeding their optimal heart rate and performance range."

"The trust we placed in the team has paid off. We are all the more pleased that Math will be staying with us for another three years and that we can accompany him on his way to the Olympics. His input in the development of our mountain bikes is always valuable. Another strong support in the innovation process will be the cooperation with maxon as another Swiss technology partner in the team. Our aim is to drive product development forward and, together with Maxon, to build the best and lightest XC-E mountain bike for training," says Thomas Binggeli, CEO Thömus AG.

"We are putting Swiss technology at the heart of the partnership and want to promote cross-functional collaboration between World Cup riders and development teams on both sides. This will enable us to further optimize our e-bike drives and make the know-how available to all customers," concludes Eugen Elmiger, CEO of maxon Group.