Ariane Lüthi is delighted with her new partner: "It's a huge success for me to be able to rely on the support of Canyon as a leading cycling brand. The Canyon Lux is my absolute dream bike. Ever since I rode this bike on the trails around Stellenbosch, it's been pretty clear to me why it has steered me to many big successes over the past season. The geometry makes riding uphill extremely comfortable and downhill the rear suspension and the dropper post give you a lot of confidence. A big advantage lies in the seemingly simple detail that you can store two large water bottles in the frame. In races like the Momentum Health Tankwa Trek or the Absa Cape Epic, this can make all the difference in the heat."

But there is another aspect that counts for the 36-year-old sports scientist: "I am very enthusiastic about Canyon's technical approach to bike development: this fits perfectly with my typically Swiss penchant for functionality and precision."

Erik Kleinhans, Market Manager of Canyon South Africa, is optimistic about the renewed collaboration with Lüthi: "It's been five years since Ariane and I last worked together, and back then we had a pretty high success rate in the marathon sector. Since then, Ariane has consistently continued her successful career and won several titles at the Cape Epic and the Swiss Championships. As such a successful athlete, well-known personality in the mountain bike scene, figurehead and promoter of women's cycling and the Spur Schools MTB League, Ariane will also be a great ambassador for the Canyon brand."

In March, another podium finish at the Absa Cape Epic is the declared goal. To prepare for the world's most famous mountain bike stage race, however, the week-long "Momentum Health Tankwa Trek" race in South Africa's Western Cape is first on the agenda in February. Lüthi will start her 2020 season alongside 21-year-old German rider Lia Schievers. After completing the Cape Epic, the focus will be on the European and Swiss Marathon Championships in June. The 2018 bronze medal winner will then continue with the Marathon World Championships in Turkey at the end of September. The last race of the season will then take place again in South Africa in the form of the "FNB Wines2Whales".