Video: Mathias Flückiger, Alessandra Keller & the Thömus Maxon Team Prepare for the 2022 Season

After an exceptional 2021 season, the Thömus maxon racing team is finalizing all the preparations for the 2022 season which officially starts this weekend.


In order to prepare for 2022 in the best possible way, the full team has met during two training camps. One in Girona, Spain and one in Finale Ligure, Italy. The goal of going there was to get warmer weather and milder temperatures. It was a success in Girona, a little less in Finale where the wind, rain and snow were part of the game.






Anyway, these two camps allowed the team to start the season in the best way.


Coordination, technical training, physical training, suspension test, wheel change training are some of the specialties that were worked on during these camps.


The Thömus Akros Youngstars development team joined the elite team to enjoy sharing some precious moments with some of the best riders in the world.



On the occasion of the team presentation in Disentis, the team manager Ralph Näf introduced itself to the media and partners. The team around Mathias Flückiger, the current world number 1, will start the new season on Sunday in Ticino, Switzerland, with a strong quartet, new sponsors, a junior team and a further professionalized team structure.


With Mathias Flückiger, Alessandra Keller, Vital Albin and Luke Wiedmann, the Thömus maxon team will be at the start line in two days' time at the premiere of the ÖKK Bike Revolution for the first time this season with a complete line-up. The team wants to build on last season's successes and establish itself as one of the world's best teams. The objective, already on Sunday in Ticino, is clear: "We want to be at the top in all races, in all categories, and take podium places and victories," Ralph Näf formulates the route. The focus and the big goals are directed at all World Cup races and the World Championships at the end of August in Les Gets (Fra).


Mathias Flückiger :
"I'm looking forward to finally being back on the start line on Sunday. In Ticino and at the World Cup opener in Brazil I won't have reached my peak yet. In the medium term, I'm focusing on the first European World Cups in May. My big season goal, which is why I've also adjusted my preparation, is the World Championships in Les Gets."


Alessandra Keller :
"I had a good preparation for the season, during which I was able to train without any setbacks or injuries. In the process, I also set new impulses with cyclo-cross races. The race in Ticino will be very strong. I am motivated to fight for a podium place again after two second places in Spain and Italy. The goal for the World Cup is clear: I want to be on the podium again."


Vital Albin :
"The consistency I was able to show last season gives me confidence to steadily approach the absolute world's best this year as well. We will see in Ticino exactly where I stand at the moment. It's a race where there are no more excuses, because in two weeks the first World Cup is already on the schedule."


Luke Wiedmann :
"In 2021, I was already able to finish in the top 10 at World Cup races in my first year as a U23 rider. This gives me confidence that I can now take another big step forward. Thanks to the perfect support of the team and the fact that I was able to finish my professional apprenticeship last year, I am ready for the next step in the U23 category."


"Carrying the team's values and Swissness out into the world with pride"
"We are proud to be able to carry our spirit, our values and our Swissness out into the world as a Swiss team, with Swiss partners and Swiss athletes," says team manager Ralph Näf in anticipation. Former professional mountain biker Fabian Giger will now contribute his extensive know-how as Näf's assistant and will work behind the scenes to ensure that the athletes have the best possible conditions for top performance.


Junior team as a basis for the future
With the junior team "Thömus Akros Youngstars" there is a structure that is independent and yet very close to the professional team. Ten young riders in the U19 and U23 categories are given the opportunity to approach life and the characteristics of professional sport slowly and without pressure to perform. Monique Halter, the Swiss champion in the U19 category, was also a Youngstars athlete in Disentis: "I am extremely grateful that I can benefit from the great know-how and experience of the entire team," said the 17-year-old from Appenzell on behalf of the entire junior team.

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