The Squadra Mondo brand will be withdrawn from the market and the three remaining branches in Altendorf, Wallisellen and Oftringen will now operate under the Trophy Bike banner.

At the end of 2016, the International Retail Corporation (IRC for short) took over the Squadra Mondo bike store chain; the original owner of Squadra Mondo was Andy Rihs. With IRC majority shareholder Beat Zaugg, an experienced entrepreneur took over the fortunes of Squadra Mondo. Zaugg, from Bern, is the man behind the bike manufacturers Scott and Bergamont as well as the Swiss sports and outdoor specialists Transa and Vaucher.

Those days are over: Squadra Mondo is history - and with it, for the time being, the plans to have a presence in Switzerland with numerous, large-scale stores. Migros has now set itself this goal with the Bike World by SportXX format.

Since the takeover of Squadra Mondo by IRC, a lot has happened behind the scenes: "The product range has been revised, the range of services refined and the stores redesigned. The result is a new company. It is only logical that it also needs a new name. Squadra Mondo will therefore become Trophy Bike in February 2018," the company announces.

The launch of Trophy Bike is much more than just the introduction of a new corporate design, the company announces on its website. It also states other goals: "We want to help shape the future of the Swiss cycling landscape. Our stores should become the center of the local community. This is where we meet before joint rides, after evening technology courses or simply to talk shop over a cup of coffee. Together with selected partners, we are creating a platform for all cyclists in the region".The range includes bikes from Scott, BMC, Bergamont, Rocky Mountain, Stromer and there are KU bikes for juniors. A full range of services is also on offer, with a service at Trophy Bike taking a maximum of four days even in the peak season.

Trophy Bike is present at the Altendorf, Wallisellen and Oftringen locations. Markus Rothlin and his team welcome customers in Altendorf, while Franz Blaser and his team are based in the former Radsport Gerber premises in Oftringen. In the store in Wallisellen on the outskirts of Zurich, Pascal Hänggi, former editor-in-chief of Ride, and his team welcome customers.

www.trophy-bike.ch