The three mountain bike world champions Mathias Flückiger, Kathrin Stirnemann, Alessandra Keller and runner-up Lukas Flückiger from former world champion Ralph Näf's team will be riding Thömus bikes for the 2018 season. Cycling pioneer Thomas Binggeli steps into the breach and joins as a bike sponsor. The plan is for a long-term commitment up to the 2020 Olympic Games if other partners join in. The team will race under the name "Thömus/RN-Racing Team".

Ralph Näf has found what he was looking for in a partner for his RN Racing Team. Lukas and Mathias Flückiger, Alessandra Keller and Kathrin Stirnemann will be riding mountain bikes from Swiss bike manufacturer Thömus in the 2018 season. Based in Oberried, Bern, the bike manufacturer has been producing high-tech bikes for off-road and road use since 1991, under the motto "High-tech from the farm".

The collaboration was initiated by René Walker. Walker sits on the management board of Thömus AG as Head of Marketing and also supported Ralph Näf during his active career with regard to the organization of the team as well as PR and marketing issues.

Racing is a matter close to his heart

For cycling pioneer Thomas Binggeli, supporting racing is a matter close to his heart. That's why it was clear to him that Thömus would step in to sponsor Ralph Näf and support the racing team as a Swiss company. Thömus has always been closely associated with racing since the company was founded 27 years ago. "We see great potential in the likeable racing team and are therefore convinced that we will find further sponsors for the 2020 Olympic Games." Binggeli also considers the timing for a collaboration with a World Cup team to be ideal in view of the Mountain Bike World Championships taking place in Switzerland in September 2018. "With the racing team, we are gaining an important multiplier for our idea of further developing cycling throughout Switzerland in terms of depth and breadth," he explains Thömus' commitment. "This will also strengthen our good cooperation with suppliers and industry partners such as Shimano and Fox in the area of product development."

Team owner Ralph Näf sees many advantages in the Swiss solution. "Thömus has an enormous amount of bike know-how and, as an SME, is able to make decisions in a personal dialog and implement them quickly. This means that distances are extremely short. I also have a long-standing friendship with René Walker, who as team boss at Thömus was responsible for the only Thömus World Cup victory to date. Thanks to his great commitment to Swiss bike sport (including as OC President of the 2013 European Mountain Bike Championships), Walker has a huge amount of expertise and a network at his disposal.

The partnership has been sealed for 2018, and if further partners are found, Thomas Binggeli and Ralph Näf plan to extend it until the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The riders now have to focus on the 2018 season. The highlight: the World Championships in their own country, in Lenzerheide in September.

The racers are looking forward to the new partnership. Bike producer Thömus is no stranger to the Flückiger brothers Lukas and Mathias. "The Thömus brand is known beyond the canton of Bern and stands for innovative cycling solutions," says Mathias Flückiger happily.

Lukas Flückiger joined the team for the 2018 season. The older of the two Flückiger brothers sees being able to ride with his brother again as an advantage. "I'm really looking forward to the new season. The change to a familiar environment is good for me and motivates me for the coming racing year."With its own Swiss production and quality, Thömus provides the racing team with the right material. The team will contest the races on the Thömus models Lightrider (full suspension) and Tomcat (hardtail). Other main partners of the Thömus/RN Racing Team are the component manufacturer Shimano, the auditing and consulting firm KPMG and Orthopädie St. Gallen.

The new team will contest its first mountain bike race in mid-March at the World Cup in Stellenbosch, South Africa, before its first race on home soil on April 8, 2018 at the Swiss Bike Cup in Monte Tamaro. Lukas Flückiger will compete in the new colors for the first time on January 14 at the Swiss Cyclo-cross Championships in Steinmaur.

www.rnracingteam.ch
www.thoemus.ch