Fabio Püntener is currently writing the fairytale of the current cross-country season. In spring, he learns that the team he is under contract with was a castle in the air with no funding. His previous team, Biketeam Solothurn, took him back on in a moment of need. And then the man from Uri, who had been on the verge of retiring in previous seasons due to health problems, set off on a run of improvement: Finishing 20th, 8th, 5th, 3rd and 3rd again, he is currently in 5th place in the overall standings.

Tell me briefly what happened when you took Fabio Püntener back into your team!

On Saturday morning, Fabio's coach came by and said that Fabio's new team wasn't materializing and could I help him. I sent my mech to get Fabio's bike, which we still had in the basement, back out and ready. In the meantime, I drew up a contract. Another team that was flying to South Africa on Monday took his bike with them, Fabio was at a training camp there. He was delighted to have his old BMC back. The contract was signed on Sunday morning and I registered him with Swiss Cycling and the UCI as a rider for our team, and everything was finalized on Monday afternoon

Why the rush?

There are deadlines by which you can have riders accredited for a team.

Thomas Litscher and Ramona Forchini, who were also under contract with the imaginary team, didn't sign their new contracts until a month later.

There were probably special regulations. As far as I knew in mid-February, we had to act immediately and that's what we did.

Biketeam Solothurn is a training team. What does that mean?

In addition to my bike store, the Tropical Bike & Fun Shop, I have had the Tropical MTB Racing Team for 30 years. We train children and young people aged 5 to 16 there. I founded Biketeam Solothurn to be able to support riders afterwards, even in their first elite seasons if necessary. We have trained various World Cup pros at junior age or as U23 riders: Vital Albin, Luca Schätti, Luke Wiedmann, Joel Roth, formerly Marielle Saner and Nathalie Schneitter. Our riders have won European Championship titles and World Championship medals.

What does your team base look like at the World Cup races?

Until last year, we were present in the paddock with a bus and tent. Then the prices exploded. As a small team, we would have had to pay 30 francs per square meter for a space far away from the center. But as I've been at the World Cups for many years, I know which accommodation is close to the course. We now even have everything in one place there.

How many coaches look after your top riders?

The same ones who look after our other riders, including Fiona Schibler, who won the World Cup race in Leogang in her second U23 season. Jonas Baumann, our mech, takes care of the bikes and I organize everything else. During the races, we are on duty in the tech & feed zone. My wife cooks, accompanies the riders to the start and award ceremonies, takes photos when our photographer isn't there.

You don't have physiotherapy on the race course?

We have a physio that our team members can go to. He occasionally comes along to the races, but we don't normally have one at the competitions.

What consequences does it have for you that Fabio Püntener is now suddenly one of the world's best?

All of a sudden, we're getting loads of press inquiries, requests for press photos, sponsors want us to hand out autograph cards. We've had a YouTube channel since this weekend. I have a person in the background who is now preparing dossiers so that we can go one step further as a team.

What do you mean by that?

I was actually planning to cut back a bit this season because we made a loss last year, which I am carrying in my personal fortune. Then Fabio came along and it was clear that we had to stretch ourselves even further. The attention we are getting now also makes us more interesting for sponsors. My goal is that with Fabio and Fiona we can position ourselves professionally for the next few years up to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Are you receiving offers for Fabio Püntener?

It's not like in football, where we could collect a transfer fee. If that were the case, we would be rich, with all the riders who have already started with us. Just one example: Fiona joined our youth team when she was nine years old. Because I know the people behind the big Swiss teams, we naturally also talk about our riders. They also tell me directly if they are interested in one of us. Others tend to do it behind my back and approach the riders directly. There are quite a few teams after Fabio.

Will Fabio Püntener still be riding World Cup races for Biketeam Solothurn next season?

I hope so, because we harmonize very well. He left us last year with a heavy heart and we were also reluctant to let him go. Most training teams have riders up to the end of the U23 age group, but not all of them have made the big step at this age, then don't find a team and disappear into oblivion. Our system is designed to give our athletes more time. Fabio is a good example of this. To be able to keep Fabio, we have to pay him more and offer him more comprehensive support, that's clear. That's what I mean by going one step further.

How much more do the other riders in Fabio Püntener's ranking earn?

I don't know, but it's certainly a lot more. Our budget per season is 120,000 francs, not including equipment sponsorship. The big teams easily have ten times that amount at their disposal. We are currently proving that you can be successful with less.

Do you have to pay Fabio Püntener performance bonuses to make it even more expensive for you?

No, we haven't agreed that. And unfortunately for him, the prize money from the UCI is also meagre. However, our main sponsor is having a lot of fun and has promised a bonus for Fabio and Fiona.

Does Püntener's success bring you something on the bottom line or is it just more effort?

Racing is my passion, which I have been investing in for 30 years. That's why it gives me huge satisfaction when a driver we've spent years building up celebrates such great success. Otherwise, it brings us attention, but you can't eat it and you can't travel around the world with it. That's why I want to use the success of our two strongest riders to put the team on a bigger financial footing.

The likelihood is still high that Püntener will leave you for a team that pays him more.

That's true. But to be successful, a rider also has to feel comfortable in a team. Many have gone to a top team as great talents, failed to establish themselves and disappeared into obscurity.

You say yourself that you need to expand in order to continue with a rider of Fabio Püntener's caliber. What are you missing?

We need staff that we can also pay for. My wife, our mech and I came home from Val di Sole at 1.30 am on Monday. On Monday we had to tidy up and work on various things, but I also had to work in my bike store in Solothurn. We need relief from that. We also need someone to do sports analysis to help us improve. But what I definitely don't want to do is inflate the team unnecessarily. We want to stay small but nice and put all our heart and soul into it. That way, we can pave the way to success for our riders.

What if it doesn't work out with the big sponsor?

Scenario 1 We find the big sponsor and go one step further with Fabio and Fiona. Scenario 2 is: We carry on as before, although it's clear that this won't work in the long term. I can't keep putting in more money and energy than I get back.

That leaves scenario 3.

That would be to close down Biketeam Solothurn and only run the Tropical Bike Shop's kids and youth team. But I hardly have the heart for that.

What else do you have planned for today?

In half an hour, the children's bike training for five to ten-year-olds starts, which I run. That's also a great passion of mine.

The interview took place on Monday after the World Cup races in Val di Sole.