What does Nino Schurter's everyday life look like during the corona pandemic?
Everyday life is basically not much different from a normal training and build-up phase. But what I miss are the sessions with friends and the competitions. The latter are also an indicator of whether you're on the right track. Without them, it's difficult to tell where you stand. But they also bring a lot of variety to everyday life, including your mood. Without races, everyday training can become a bit monotonous. However, long-term planning has been completely disrupted. At the same time, I've learned that it's almost impossible to make predictions about the future.

So you can continue training in Switzerland without any restrictions, but the French and Italians, for example, cannot. That gives you an advantage at the start of the season.
The others train just as hard as I do at home on the roller. It's primarily a question of motivation. I can go out, which is nicer, but the French and Italians achieve the same training effect. But the situation also shows me how privileged I am. I have a nice home, a great training area and the freedom to go out. That's not something you can take for granted.

Do these virtual races, which are currently all the rage, have a sustainable future for you?
For me, they are an interesting change in training, you just can't take them too seriously as a competition. The technical and climatic conditions are too different to allow them to pass as a fair competition. It's a fun gimmick that provides variety for us and entertainment for the spectators. I see a much greater benefit from this technology for training. That's where I use it regularly, by the way.

Has this pandemic had any financial consequences for you?
My income is strongly performance-related. Without racing, I can't earn any bonuses or prize money. The loss of income is considerable. Fortunately, however, I have a good and close relationship with all my partners and now it is important to find solutions together in the interests of all parties.

Could the pandemic lead to existential problems for you?
No. I've been successful in sport in recent years and have been able to secure my finances during this time. Thanks to the high number of followers on social media, I can also offer my partners a platform during this time and provide targeted communication for them and their products. My younger and somewhat less successful colleagues will probably have a more difficult time during this time, which I very much regret.

You have an undiminished high media presence, which will please the sponsors.
In Switzerland, I have about the same media presence as I would if I were riding. The topics and circumstances have changed somewhat. At the moment, I'm also increasingly available to my partners for photo shoots and other appearances. In that sense, I'm still doing my bit for the sponsors. Instead of riding races, I'm currently taking on more other media appointments, which have increased significantly.

How did you take the postponement of the Olympic Games?
I was afraid that they would be canceled. Then the Olympics would no longer have been realistic for me. But I can live with the postponement of a year, I was pleased about that. I'm no longer one of the youngest, so the postponement doesn't make it any easier for me to defend my title. That's why I have to try a little harder again. Even if it's difficult to make predictions at the moment: I'm confident and motivated for Tokyo 2021.