"The most important thing is that we never stop believing that a new beginning is possible." This quote has been the guiding principle since May 29, 2018, when Intercycle/Wheeler informed the team management of the Wheeler Pro Team that support would be discontinued at the end of 2018. This comes after more than 25 years of involvement in mountain bike racing. Jolanda Neff and Lars Forster, among others, grew up on this brand. Nevertheless, Intercycle/Wheeler deserves a big thank you for this long-standing commitment.

In recent years, the team under the leadership of Cornelia Kupferschmied has increasingly focused on young talent in addition to the individual elite athletes. As a development team, located between the club and elite teams, this role is to be strengthened even further in the future. In the short term, the aim is to finish in the top 10 in the World Cup, and in the medium term to win. After the withdrawal of Wheeler Factory, it quickly became clear that the team management around Cornelia and Manfred Kupferschmied wanted to continue racing. It was important to them to find a good solution for the remaining athletes Joris Ryf, Ramona Laura Kupferschmied and Luca Schätti. "The three of them are close to our hearts," explain Kupferschmieds.

The newly formed Swiss MTB Pro Team with Ramona Kupferschmied, Luca Schätti, Jonas Stoll and Joris Ryf. In the background, the team management with Manfred and Cornelia Kupferschmied and Stoll Bikes representatives Thomas Stoll and Jan Bhalla. Photo ©Hiddentrack/Jan Bhalla

A multi-pillar concept as a solution

Team break-ups are commonplace in the mountain bike scene, however. After an in-depth analysis, the team management therefore decided to break new ground. The marketing and communications company "Play up! Sports Management GmbH" from Spiez (Kupferschmieds are the partners) developed the multi-pillar concept
"EvolutionFor": partners and sponsors from the bike industry, personal sponsors, team sponsors and Factory. The factory is still an important pillar. However, if this breaks away, the other pillars will continue to support the roof of the building. The pillar of personal sponsors has a particularly important and supporting function. The long-term goal is to offer the athletes a secure economic solution. This is an important basis for their sporting success.

The vision of the "Swiss MTB Pro Team" was developed based on the new concept and the idea of Swissness. Swissness requires a Swiss factory. True to the motto "Work with the best", the search began and ended at Stoll. Stoll Bikes AG was founded in January 2016 by former marathon pro Thomas Stoll. It produces high-end mountain bikes under the slogan "Born on the trail, made with passion". Both the full-suspension M1 and the R1 hardtail have won a Eurobike Award.

Jonas Stoll will be the fourth athlete to complete the Swiss MTB Pro Team. As an employee of Stoll Bikes AG, he will be an important link between the team and the factory.
As a manufacturer of high-quality shocks, suspension forks and wheels, DT Swiss was the team's partner of choice from the very beginning. With typical Swiss characteristics such as quality, innovation and reliability, the team can look back on a long-standing, successful partnership with DT Swiss. "The two main partners Stoll and DT Swiss are like a lottery ticket for us," enthuses the team management.

Over the next few months, the focus will now be on agreeing cooperation with other team sponsors. The management can already announce the collaboration with PB Swiss Tools, the Swiss manufacturer of quality tools.

www.swissmtbproteam.ch