Since its pioneering days, Switzerland has been a world leader in the core discipline of cross country, and in the 21st century it has even become number one. In 2016, Nino Schurter triumphed at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and a year later, the Swiss team reached a temporary high point at the World Championships in Cairns: Jolanda Neff and Nino Schurter took gold in the elite category, Sina Frei was successful in the U-23 category and in the mixed relay, the team kept the competition at bay. You can't do much better than in the Australian state of Queensland.

"Home races at the highest level are important"

As far as the role of organizer is concerned, Switzerland has only appeared sporadically for a long time. In 2011, the World Championships were held in Champéry, and in 2013, European Championship medals were awarded in Bern. "It is essential for our sport that our athletes can regularly compete in home races at the highest level," says Thomas Peter. With this in mind, the head of sport at Swiss Cycling lobbied the UCI for a four-year package. Three World Cups and then, once sufficient experience has been gained, World Championships - logically all at the same venue. The plan convinced the UCI officials, and Lenzerheide's bid prevailed over that of Gstaad in the internal national competition.

From 70 to 250 full-time positions

The first World Cup races were held on the Grisons high plateau in 2015. Spectator numbers increased in the following years. Peter mentions the "parallel measures" that enabled the association to remain competitive. Thanks to the public funding triggered by the award of the 2018 World Championships, it has been possible to professionalize the coaching situation in recent years, among other things. "In 2011, Swiss Cycling had 70 full-time positions in the mountain bike sector, today there are 250," says the 39-year-old from the Bernese Oberland.

Switzerland's penchant for young sports is just as well known as the fact that the Swiss often lose out as soon as a sport becomes socially acceptable and the larger nations intensify their efforts. Cross country is no longer a trend sport. The performance density is increasing, as is the number of national associations at the top of the world. "There have even been women's competitions in which athletes from ten different nations have finished in the top ten. We are still among the best, despite the fact that the sport is now almost global. We can be a little proud of that," says Peter.

Between home advantage and pressure

At the Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, from September 5 to 9, 2018, Swiss Cycling's goal is to confirm its number 1 status. The top Swiss athletes will train several times on the World Championship course before the start of the title fights, as they want to make the most of their home advantage.

Despite many good results in the recent past, no one needs to be additionally motivated, says Peter. "Last year, the world championships took place on the other side of the globe. For our riders, the incentive is much higher when they can compete in front of a home crowd." At the same time, the Head of Sport warns against expecting too much: "The expectations of fans, media and sponsors will be at an unusually high level, and the self-imposed pressure will be higher than at previous major events. These factors should not be underestimated."

Before the title fights open in Lenzerheide, there are still six World Cup races and the European Championships in Glasgow at the beginning of August on the program. The athletes will have to push themselves to meet the standards. "We will base our selection on performance and not on the number of quota places," says Peter. Switzerland may nominate a maximum of seven athletes per gender and category. However, Neff and Schurter are not included in this quota. As defending champions, they benefit from personal starting places.

Bike Game: Swiss Cycling Hero

It's not just the athletes who are pedaling hard. On May 4, Swiss Cycling launched the web-based game "Swiss Cycling Hero", which can be played on various devices via a browser. The player tries to get his mountain biker from the Swiss national team over the trail as quickly as possible. If he accelerates too quickly, he runs out of energy - it's all about managing your strength. Attractive prizes related to cycling and Swiss Cycling's partners await the top ten at the end of each month.

At the beginning of September, before the start of the World Championships in Lenzerheide, the appearance of the game will be adapted to that of the World Championship course - this way you can also take part in the title fights virtually. Click here for the game: www.swiss-cycling-hero.ch

Pro on the mountain bike - novice at gaming: Lars Forster tests the Swiss Cycling Hero Game.

www.swiss-cycling.ch