The day Mathias Flückiger was informed about the positive doping test

On the eve of the European Championship race in Munich, in the Swiss national team bus, Swiss Cycling employees informed Flückiger about the positive doping test.

Mathias Flückiger: "August 18, 2022 is my 9-11, my zero hour. For me, it was by far the worst day of my life."

Lukas Flückiger: "The trust in him was one hundred percent there. But it's human that I asked him the question: 'Math, do you know what happened? But he almost couldn't understand why someone who is close to him and knows him would still ask this question. There was a clear answer in a very desperate way. I knew then that there was no doubt."

The first days after the doping findings

Mathias Flückiger: "For the first time in my life, I had no hope. I didn't know how we could solve this. I also had far too little information."

Lukas Flückiger: "His world stood still, there was no more life in him." 

Ralph Näf: "It wasn't nice to see him like that. It was extremely emotional for me too. Those moments were tough."

Team Math Flückiger takes up the fight

A team of experts in doping and sports law began to analyze the case on behalf of the Flückigers and Ralph Näf. 

Mathias Flückiger: "Day by day, more and more things came to light. Something went wrong here, and here too. That gave me hope."

Ralph Näf: "It quickly became clear to us that something had gone very wrong."

As an example, Flückiger cites the submission of the doping sample at the Swiss Championships in Leyin: it took place in the toilet of the marquee, to which the kitchen staff had direct access. "We don't assume that anything went wrong there. But these are not the rooms where doping samples are normally taken. The way the sample was stored afterwards was also a procedural error."

Flückiger cannot prove his innocence

Moderator Pädi Kälin refers to the fact that Mathias Flückiger was ultimately acquitted due to several procedural errors - and not because he was able to prove that he had not ingested a prohibited substance.

Mathias Flückiger: "I wanted to prove my innocence. But it turned out that this was almost impossible. Only because so much time had passed between the sample being taken and the moment I was informed. How do you want to prove almost three months later what you ate, for example?"

Pädi Kälin: "A few people will say: 'Well, he was lucky, Flückiger! If it hadn't been for the procedural errors, you'd be guilty!"

Mathias Flückiger: "I wouldn't call what happened to me on August 18 a 'pig'. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, on any athlete."

Flückiger wanted to end his career

Mathias Flückiger: "I said from the start that if I didn't personally know where it came from, then I didn't want to do the sport anymore. But then I realized how much I enjoy the sport. And it couldn't be that something was wrong [a doping offense]. That's why I went down this path." He continued: "It doesn't quite suit me, but it was also the shorter route. Otherwise it could have gone on for years.

Flückiger turned 36 at the end of September. So it could have been that the pending proceedings would have lasted until the end of his career.

This is how much money the doping affair has cost Flückiger

Pädi Kälin: "They will receive around 43,000 francs in compensation. You're not satisfied with that. How much have you invested?"

Mathias Flückiger: "I don't like talking about figures. But of course that's far too little, it's about a quarter."