Sports and politics dominate Luana Bergamin's life. The former ski racer was a board member of the Plussport disabled sports association and now runs her own agency for event, project, and athlete management in the field of sports. In her hometown of Lenzerheide, she is often out and about on her mountain bike and is also president of the Lenzerheide Mountain Bike World Cup Association.

She also puts a lot of energy into her political work and career. She is president of the local community of Vaz/Obervaz GR and a member of the Graubünden Grand Council, i.e. the cantonal parliament. Now she wants to take the helm of the organization. And after her only competitor was excluded from the race, the way seems clear for the 40-year-old from Graubünden. Your only competitor for the presidency has been excluded from the election. In sports, one would say that you won by disqualification of your opponent. How does that feel for you?

I am not part of the current board or the office and am not involved in this process, so I cannot comment on it. 

I am independent and unbiased. My focus is on my skills and network, and I want to convince the delegates of that. Why do you want to become president of Swiss Cycling? I have been involved in sports since childhood and have worked in the sports industry for many years, including as president of the Mountain Bike World Cup Lenzerheide association. What fascinates me about cycling is its versatility; almost everyone has something to do with bicycles, whether as a means of transport or as sports equipment.

You were previously employed by Swiss Cycling. What was your role and why did you leave the association at that time?

I worked at the office as head of services. That was at the time when we were restructuring Swiss Cycling. One result of this was that my job, as I had been doing it, no longer existed and I would have had to switch to a less strategic and more operational role. I didn't want that, so I left Swiss Cycling at the time – on good terms, I would like to emphasize, and it was not an easy decision for me at the time.nbsp;

So you restructured yourself out of the company, so to speak?

Exactly. That's often the case: if you do a job properly, in the end there is no longer any need for that position, or at least not in the same form. What has now been confirmed is that if you communicate openly and honestly, there is also a way back, and that is the path I want to take now. 

When did you decide to run for the Swiss Cycling presidency?

It was a lengthy process that took more than six months. I talked to various people from the world of cycling, and it was just as important for me to talk to people outside Swiss Cycling's sphere of influence and to people from the Swiss sports system. I asked them whether they thought I was up to the task and what the challenges might be. 

Did anyone ask you if you would be interested in the position?

No, I knew that the two co-presidents were stepping down and I considered whether it would be something for me. 

Have you always followed what's going on at Swiss Cycling?

I'm in contact with cycling anyway through my role at the Mountain Bike World Cup in Lenzerheide, as a member of the Grand Council in Graubünden in the Grand Council's cycling group, and at Swiss Topsport, the association for the biggest sporting events in Switzerland. That also brings me relatively close to the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de Romandie. I've always remained part of the cycling ecosystem.

Let's talk a little about your professional, political, and, first and foremost, your cycling background. You are a mountain biker, what other bikes do you ride?

My basement is overflowing with bikes. I also like to ride a gravel bike or borrow my father's road bike. But most of the time I'm on mountain bike tours here in Lenzerheide. Every now and then I go to the park with my downhill bike and go on downhill vacations.

What is your main job alongside your various roles?

I am the owner of Bergamin Sport Coceptions. We are a small team and carry out various mandates in sports, such as organizing events. 

You used to work for Plussport. What role do inclusion and parasports play in your work today?

They still play a big role. In a few weeks, we will be holding the Winter Sports Festival, where everyone can try out different sports. One attitude that has stayed with me is: how can a person practice a sport with what they have available to them? For example: how can a skier with only one leg ride a fast turn? I find it fascinating to see how such limits can be pushed.

Should para-cycling play a greater role at Swiss Cycling?

Swiss Olympic has been working with disabled sports associations for some time to integrate parasports into mainstream sports. The UCI has long recognized para-cycling as a sport. I am in contact with the leading figures and would of course promote it. Para-cycling is a sport with enormous potential. Now we have to see how we can exploit synergies and improve the conditions for para-athletes. In my opinion, total integration at any price is not necessary. We need to see what is working well and where there is room for improvement. You are also a politician. As president of the local community of Vaz/Obervaz and a member of the Graubünden cantonal parliament, you have a good network at the municipal and cantonal level. How good is your national political network?

It is very large and stable. My network ranges from the Federal Parliament to the Parliamentary Cycling Group to Swiss Topsport. 

I am familiar with political processes and funding logic – and I know when and how to raise issues so that they have an impact.

How do you use this network?

It is important that we in the sports world can get involved when an issue that affects us is being discussed at the political level, and not only after the decision has been made. In recent years, I have noticed that members of parliament are very keen to support sport. They know that it is important for society. 

As a trail biking magazine, we are naturally particularly interested in what you intend to do to improve access to single trails. What can bikers in cantons that are not as privileged as those in Graubünden expect from you? The goal is, of course, for everywhere to be like Graubünden (laughs). Seriously, mountain bike infrastructure must be a key issue in the future. Peaceful coexistence on trails and respectful treatment of nature are important. This issue is central to the next generation, competitive sports, tourism, local recreation, and the social acceptance of cycling. Swiss Cycling must take on a coordinating and mediating role between cantons, regions, authorities, user groups, and the sport (you mean the exponents of the sport – yes).nbsp;

There are now local groups representing the mountain biking community in most cantons and many regions. How should Swiss Cycling work with them? 

In recent years, many new and often very professionally organized cantonal and regional associations have emerged in the field of mountain biking advocacy. Swiss Cycling should offer its support, promote exchange, represent their needs at the national level, and establish access to cycling-friendly members of parliament from the various cantons. At the national level, this works perfectly thanks to the Parliamentary Cycling Group. We need to bring this to the cantonal level. The aim is for politicians to put cycling-related issues on the parliamentary agenda. This will enable us to ensure that the mountain bike infrastructure continues to function. Historically, Swiss Cycling has focused on competitive sport. Over the last twenty years, grassroots sport has been prioritized time and again, with activities being expanded and then scaled back again. Is popular sport even in the right place at Swiss Cycling?

Swiss Cycling has the task of administering competitive sport and sending teams to major international events. At the same time, the association also has at least as much responsibility for popular sport. Only if everyone can exercise will we have enough young talent to produce successful competitive athletes. This involves infrastructure, but also clubs, coach training, and volunteers. And finally, it's about getting politicians to provide enough funding for cycling. A hot topic among opinion leaders in the MTB community is who should represent it to the public and politicians. Some think it should be Swiss Cycling or an organization as close to Swiss Cycling as possible, while others would like to see an institution that has grown out of the community. Where do you stand on this issue?

Mountain biking needs a united voice at the national level. It seems to me that everyone is pursuing the same goals. That's already something we have in common. There is still a lot of potential for cooperation and visibility. Last year, some of the large cantonal MTB infrastructure associations joined forces and would like to be represented by Swiss Cycling. The intention is for Swiss Cycling to be able to better support the cantonal associations and local clubs. If Swiss Cycling is the mouthpiece, then the association draws on the expertise of the experts and is merely the communicator. I am therefore delighted that Luise Rohland and Alex Rufibach, two key figures in mountain biking, are also standing as board members and will hopefully be able to use their expertise to positively influence the development of the association. Cycling is what connects all sides, and we should take advantage of that. Can you bring people together who have a common goal but disagree on how to achieve it? I have a good sense for bringing people together who focus on the issue at hand rather than on personal matters. Conveying what it's really all about is very, very important at the moment. 

Do you think it helps to focus on the joy of cycling as a unifying element?

It sounds simple and naive, but it's actually true. That's what we have in common. Here in Lenzerheide, we often say: Come on, let's discuss it on our bikes. That makes it easier for everyone. But then you have to record what you've discussed and put it into practice.