Whether part-time or full-time, they all have the same goal: to help their riders achieve success with a mountain bike that is maintained and tuned in the best possible way. Not an easy and sometimes nerve-wracking job. Because it requires dedication, knowledge, perfection and often overtime - when the riders have long since put their feet up. Ride put eight mechanics through their paces at the Cross-Country World Cup in Albstadt.

Jeremie "Jey" Zeller, DT Swiss
Jeremie is Events and Races Support Manager at DT Swiss and looks after athletes such as Nino Schurter and Fabian Giger. On site, he takes care of wheels and suspension elements and ensures that they function perfectly.

In 2012, he joined the team as the second mechanic, but since 2013 the Frenchman has been responsible for race support and travels to a total of 17 major mountain bike events from the end of April to the end of October. In addition to races, this also includes four major bike festivals. However, the Cross-Country World Cup has priority, which is why it is present at every event. The downhill events are not visited separately, as Jeremy reveals: "The teams we sponsor receive sufficient replacement material to be able to carry out repairs themselves. Suspension support is also not provided there, as we are only present in this area in the cross-country sector."

Jeremy sacrifices a lot during the racing season. Nevertheless, he likes his work and wouldn't want to replace the DT service van with an office chair. "I like being on the road and outside. I appreciate the contact with the other mechanics, teams and racing drivers. "Jey" particularly enjoys working with the latter, as he concludes: "The drivers we look after are all very easy to deal with. There are no divas."

"Jey" at the wheel service in the DT Swiss service van. But there has to be time to sit down.

Giacomo "Jack" Angeli, chief mechanic Cannondale Factory Racing
Giacomo is a veteran of the World Cup: this is his eleventh year on the circuit. He has a full-time job with the Cannondale team and is on the road around 200 days a year. His career began in 2004, when he worked for Cedric Gracia at Cannondale. He fell out of love with Gracia after just one year and used his knowledge on Steve Peat's downhill bikes, but moved on to Manitou race support for the 2006 season. After this year, the Italian had had enough for the time being. "I stayed away from the racing circuit for two years and worked in a bike store in Finale Ligure," says Giacomo. With the launch of the Cannondale cross-country racing team, "Jack" returned to the world's racing circuits. As chief mechanic, he has been fine-tuning the bikes of Manuel Fumic and Marco Fontana and co. from 2009 to the present day.

Looking back, Giacomo remembers two formative experiences that nevertheless turned out well: "In 2005, I was in England with Steve Peat at a National Series race. He crashed and broke his shoulder. But Steve came back in the same season and won the World Cup final in Fort William. The same thing happened to me with Mani (Manuel Fumic) when he injured his shoulder in Albstadt in 2013, but then finished the season with a silver medal at the World Championships." The otherwise cheerful Giacomo looks thoughtful when he mentions: "Despite the happy ending, incidents like that always make you feel bad, because at the end of the day you only want the best for your riders. Even though we do this professionally, we put our heart and soul into it. The drivers always suffer the most."

Unpleasant experiences are part of the sport and yet Giacomo doesn't want to miss his work: "It's great to be able to work with some of the world's best riders and give them the best. I also like the sport of mountain biking as such. It's generally simple and not as expensive as motorsport, for example, which is very important in Italy. A mountain bike, on the other hand, is much more affordable and you can do the sport from your doorstep, so it's close to people."

Giacomo, or Jack as he is often called in the racing scene, with his favorite tools: the 5 millimeter Allen key and the minitool.

Sylvain Golay and Benoit di Natale, BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team
Golay has been employed as chief mechanic since the team was founded in 2011. "90 percent workload and 120 percent mental", as Sylvain says with a grin. He spends around 100 days on the road at races. As with most large teams, Sylvain is not alone, which is why he sees Benoit, the second mechanic, as an equally important part of the team. The two have also known each other for some time. Before the team was founded, Benoit and Sylvain had already worked together in a bike store for six years.

The work on the races is hard, as Sylvain explains: "We work long hours. The physical and mental strain during the race weekends is high. I'm probably more nervous than the riders just before and during the races, even if you don't notice it on the outside. After all, we have a huge responsibility. But if our drivers are successful, it makes up for the stresses and strains."
Benoit, who has worked as a mechanic for the French-speaking Swiss team since the 2013 season, agrees and adds: "Being able to keep the bikes of the world's best mountain bikers in top condition is a great feeling, because after all, we are an important part of their success, but we also have to share their failures."

You can feel the influence from Lower Valais in the BMC team. A good atmosphere is very important - as are traditions. "We have a ritual at every World Cup. As soon as we've set up and furnished our pit, we traditionally make a fondue or raclette with the entire support staff - with Valais cheese, of course," reveals Sylvain.

Sylvain and Benoit: four golden hands for Absalon and co.

Fabian "Fabi" Haug, Focus XC Team
Fabian was a mechanic at mountain bike races for the first time during the 2013 season. He enjoyed this work and stuck with this extensive "leisure activity". Since this year, he has been the head mechanic of the up-and-coming Focus XC team, taking care of all the athletes' bikes and all the equipment around them. Unlike the first four mechanics portrayed, however, Fabi works on a part-time basis. He is actually a student, even though being a mechanic takes up more time than his studies. Fabian is studying applied business theory on the Master's course. He is able to postpone most of his courses and exams until the winter months so that he can devote himself fully to the Focus XC team during the season.

On the World Cup weekends, however, Fabian would not be able to do all the work alone. "Fortunately, I have two assistants who clean the race bikes spick and span and prepare them for me. I can then concentrate fully on the technical side of things."
Despite the heavy workload from his studies and his work as a team mechanic, the young German hardly lacks energy: "We have a great relationship within the team, which makes working really pleasant. At the moment, I'm super happy with how things are going anyway and all the riders are on the up. Florian Vogel and Linda Indergand have also brought in a breath of fresh air. I also notice that we are getting a lot more attention than in previous years," says Fabian.

However, he doesn't just draw his energy from the always positive groove in the team. Occasional trips to the race venues are also a must, as he reveals with a grin: "Whenever I can, I take my Focus enduro bike to the races. I then do a lap myself whenever possible. We have enough bikes that I could ride, but I simply have more fun on the enduro bike.

Fabi Haug puts the finishing touches to Linda Indergand's bike after the race.

Thomas Stoll, Stöckli Pro Team
After ending his career as a professional marathon rider, the Schaffhausen native switched sides within the sport almost seamlessly. He is now in his second year as full-time team manager of the Stöckli Pro Team and looks after Jolanda Neff and Mathias Flückiger. However, Thomas is not just the team boss: he also has his roles as a confidant, developer and mechanic. He acquired his expertise as the latter during his time as a racing cyclist, which is why he has no fear of contact with the high-tech material.

As he did as an active racing driver, he gives 100 percent to get the best possible results. But today, he gives his all for his two athletes in each of his roles, as he says himself: "With my experience, I know exactly what my riders need, so I give them my best possible support. It's no different with the material either."

Many former racing drivers dream of a career as a team boss so that they can continue to live the life they had before in a different way. Stoll is well aware of his fortunate position, but he puts it a little differently: "If you appreciate being a racing driver, there is hardly anything better. Nevertheless, it requires a great deal of dedication. It's exactly the same as being a team boss: a great job that also requires a great deal of dedication, but of a slightly different kind. That's why racing drivers and team bosses can hardly be compared as "professions", even if they are both in the same environment."

Thomas Stoll fully committed to his employer and his drivers - with success.

Dusty LaBarr, Luna Pro Team
Working in an all-female team and then being married to a female team rider? "No problem for us. Everyone here is relaxed," says Dusty LaBarr, who has been working full-time as chief mechanic for the women's racing team "Luna Pro Team" for three years, which also includes Swiss rider Andrea Waldis and reigning world champion Catharine Pendrel. Previously, the husband of London bronze medal winner Georgia Gould worked for six years as a mechanic for other US mountain bike and cyclocross teams.

Dusty is packing up the team bikes as he is due to fly back that evening when he tells us how he feels about all the traveling: "I spend 25 to 30 race weekends a year on the road. It's not always great, but it's part of the game. The World Cup races in Europe are relatively relaxed for me, however, as we enjoy great support from Orbea and Shimano. Apart from the bikes and my personal tools, we don't need to lug around any spare equipment."

The American is a strong and friendly figure. Nevertheless, he also admits that it often looks different under the thick coat: "I'm always very nervous when "my ladies" go to the start. More than I ever was when I was still a racing driver myself. On the one hand, of course, I hope that all the team riders ride well, but on the other hand, I don't want any defects, even though I know that I only give the girls their bikes in the best condition."
LaBarr keeps the race bikes of up to six riders in top condition at the races. Here at the World Cup in Albstadt, however, there are "only" four riders.

Dusty and his toolbox: happy and relaxed again after the race.

Yanick Gyger, Scott Odlo MTB Racing Team
Yanick Gyger is a youngster and yet almost an old hand on the scene. He gained his first racing experience as a mechanic in road racing with the former Specialized Womens Team. The trained bike mechanic then spent four years on the road with the Scott team. During this time, he learned a lot from chief mechanic Erwin Wildhaber. After his tragic death, Yanick stepped into the breach and has been looking after the bikes of Nino Schurter, Jenny Rissveds, Andri Frischknecht, Michiel van der Heijden and Marcel Wildhaber 100 percent ever since.

During the hectic World Cup weekends, however, not all the work is on him alone. In order to provide the best possible support for the riders, Yanick is always assisted by Dugast owner and tubular tire guru Richard Nieuwhuis. Despite the tight schedule, Gyger enjoys his work: "As a race mechanic, I have other opportunities and experience things with the team that I would otherwise be denied as a 'normal' bike mechanic."
Yanick experienced one of his personal highlights in the spring. "After the Sea Otter Festival in Montery, I was able to visit Tom Ritchey's historic workshop, one of the places where the sport of mountain biking began. To experience something like that as a bike mechanic is very special - I really appreciate experiences like that."

Finally, he also finds a fly in the ointment in his job: "The only pity about my job is that I often get to travel to the most beautiful places in the world, but apart from the airport, the transfer journey, hotel and race site, I see very little of them."

With passion at work: Yanick Gyger gets Andri Frischknecht's bike in race-ready condition.