There are various reasons for Lukas Flückiger's transfer to Ralph Näf's team. Firstly, of course, the fervent desire to ride with his brother Mathias in the same team again. And then there is the long-standing friendship that connects Näf and Flückiger. They rode together in the Koba and BMC teams and wore the Swiss cross at numerous international title competitions. While Mathias Flückiger has developed into a permanent fixture in international cycling over the last two years, Lukas Flückiger showed that he is one of the best mountain bikers in the world with his sixth place at the World Championships in Cairns, Australia. "I want to set new impulses with the change. A familiar environment will help me enormously!", Lukas Flückiger expects a lot from this change.

Mathias Flückiger (29) is also looking forward to the next season: "We know each other inside out. We often train together and discussed the important topics at the races, even beyond the team colors, giving each other tips!"

The greatest joint triumph of the two Bernese goes back to 2012 when they won silver (Lukas) and bronze (Mathias) in the elite race at the World Championships in Saalfelden, Austria. At the same World Championships, their current team manager Ralph Näf won the World Championship title in the Eliminator category, which was held for the first time at the time.

With Alessandra Keller and Kathrin Stirnemann, the two successful women remain in the team. The young Alessandra Keller from Central Switzerland established herself in the top 10 in the world this season and secured medals at the international title competitions. And with Kathrin Stirnemann, the team has the reigning European Eliminator Champion. "With the addition of Lukas, the team has gained even more quality. For now, we are planning for 2020, the Olympic Games in Tokyo. We want to compete for the medals in both categories there!" says team boss Näf with a fighting spirit.

However, one important issue in the season planning for 2018 is still unresolved. The team still lacks a main sponsor and the bike brand has not yet been decided. "With the current budget, we are putting our heart and soul into the 2018 season. The contracts with the riders are all signed and sealed. They are foregoing income in the current situation. The organization and team spirit, and therefore long-term development, are more important to them than short-term financial bait. We all have Tokyo 2020 in mind!" explains Näf. Further talks will take place in the coming weeks.