No shake-up at Swiss Cycling: Luana Bergamin is the new president

Swiss Cycling Vorstand

The delegates have voted: Luana Bergamin, a member of the Graubünden Grand Council representing the Center Party, is the new president of Swiss Cycling—the first woman to hold the position in the association’s 142-year history. Her opponent, Marisa Reich, who ran against the executive board, lost the race for the presidency but will remain on the board.

According to the Tages-Anzeiger, three times as many eligible voters as usual attended this year's delegates' meeting. The atmosphere was heated, and the lines were drawn. Luana Bergamin is considered the management’s candidate, while Marisa Reich represents those dissatisfied with the direction of Swiss Cycling and its managing director, Thomas Peter.In the end, 210 voted for Graubünden cantonal councilor Luana Bergamin, and 180 for Marisa Reich, a German resident of Zug, reports the Blick. However, Reich remains a member of the board. The Swiss Cycling executive committee now comprises nine members. Among them are two familiar faces from the mountain bike community: Luise Rohland, co-president of Züritrails and board member of IG MTB ZH, as well as Alex Rufibach, president of Bebike. Andrew Thomas was elected as the new vice president; like Marisa Reich, he had been excluded from the election, but was readmitted a few days before the delegates’ meeting readmitted. He is considered a confidant of Reich, as is Nicole Brändli. The entire new Swiss Cycling board: Luana Bergamin (President), Andrew Thomas (Vice President), Beat Nydegger (CFO), Nicole Brändli, Luise Rohland, Alex Rufibach, Ariane Previtali, and Vincent Volet. The shake-up, with Marisa Reich as a staunch opponent of Thomas Peter at the helm of the federation, has thus been called off. However, the executive board may still have to contend with more headwinds from the board of directors. The new president has previously described the ability to bring together different positions as one of her strengths. In an interview with Ride, she said: “I have a good knack for bringing people together, focusing on the issue at hand rather than personal matters. Communicating what this is really about is very, very important right now.” This quality could be in high demand at Swiss Cycling in the coming months. Because one thing is clear: her opponents, Thomas Peter and Marisa Reich, are both staying on board.

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