No, Switzerland doesn't have more talent than other countries. The decisive factor is what happens to these talents, what support and opportunities they receive. In addition to access to training opportunities, junior racing series such as the Strom Cup and the work of clubs, sponsors and coaches, junior teams make a valuable contribution.

About 25 years ago, there were only a few junior teams in the form we know them today. Jan Koba was successful around the noughties with his Koba team, which consisted mainly of young riders. And Bruno Diethelm, who still plays an important role in promoting young talent today, led an U23 team during the same period, which also included Ralph Näf. Apart from that, some Swiss elite teams gave individual places to young riders - which was not a bad thing in itself. It encouraged young athletes to get hold of one of these coveted places.

In 2002, Thomas Frischknecht and Andi Seeli changed the Swiss team landscape forever. With the Scott Swisspower team, they focused on the U19 and U23 youngsters, while Frischknecht continued to be represented at the top of the world as a kind of player-coach. At the time, the riders were regarded as the biggest talents in Switzerland. Nino Schurter is the best-known member of this team, which is now called Scott-Sram and has been at the top of the world for many years.

However, the need for junior teams was significantly greater. Over the years, more and more teams dedicated to young talent were added. These included the Strüby-Bixs team led by Andreas Kurmann, which offered many riders the opportunity to develop their sporting skills. Siblings Linda and Reto Indergand matured into world-class athletes under Kurmann's wing and later made the leap to professional teams.

The JB Brunex team was also one of the best-known junior squads for many years. Ramona Forchini, for example, switched from Strüby-Bixs to JB Brunex, where she matured as an U23 rider and celebrated some of her greatest successes. The team, led by Joe and Lisa Broder, has also repeatedly acted as a refuge for professionals who were temporarily without a team. This included Thomas Litscher, who won bronze at the 2017 Cross-Country World Championships under JB Brunex. Joe and Lisa Broder wrote the last lines in this impressive chapter in the history of Swiss mountain biking at the end of 2024.

Florian Vogel, who once rode to the top of the world under the flag of the Scott Swisspower team, has also dedicated himself to young talent. Today, Vogel leads four young Swiss bikers to the top with the U23 team "Scott-Davos MTB Project".

The list could go on and on, but one team must be mentioned at this point - Bike Team Solothurn. Reto Burki's small but excellent junior team has already provided a springboard for a number of talented youngsters and is currently making headlines twice over. Luca Schätti developed as a young rider in the care of the Bike Team Solothurn and is starting out this year with the pros in the Bixs Performance Team. He recently became European short track champion. And that's not all: Fabio Püntener joined Burki as a junior athlete and even rode onto the World Cup podium in the colors of Bike Team Solothurn this season.

Switzerland's consistently strong presence in the international mountain bike circus is the result of a vibrant junior structure in which the teams play a central role. Whether traditional teams such as Scott-Sram or dedicated smaller teams such as Bike Team Solothurn - they all play their part in ensuring that talented Swiss riders have the best conditions to develop both athletically and personally. Those who stand on the podium today have usually already benefited from this unique culture of support as juniors.

"Race back home" Episode 2