Growing up in Frutigen, Switzerland, cycling was something that I developed a real affiliation and love for from a very young age.
As a child, you want to be out exploring and getting lost in your own fantasies and imagination. Exploring the beautiful Swiss mountain ranges and countryside went hand-in-hand with cycling, so once I started to develop a real taste for it as a young child I never looked back.
Switzerland has a rich cycling history and is a sport that is engrained within our culture. I always looked up to the great Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellara, so having somebody to aspire to be as good as one day ensured I stayed motivated and driven to be the best cyclist than I can possibly be. Fast forward to today, and I currently live close to my teammate Marc Hirschi, so I have a training partner as well as close friend in the region.
I joined UAE Team Emirates quite late in the day, so coming into pre-season camp was a really exciting experience. I didn’t feel too daunted being one of the youngest riders in the team as I have great faith in my ability, but being around this elite group is beyond what I could have expected.
We have riders who have won some the biggest races in the world. We also boast some of the best coaches, nutritionists, and support staff in the sport, so the opportunities to capitalise on their expertise and continually learn are endless. This will not only benefit me, but all of the younger guys we have in our team.
I am working with a new coach this year which will only benefit me as a cyclist, furthering my tactical and physical capabilities when it comes to crucial moments in different races. Having said that, my preparation remains the same. This is what has gotten me to this moment, so I don’t see the benefit of changing that.
We have had an amazing season so far. Twenty-five race wins is a fantastic return so far and one we are going to be looking to build on as we enter a busy period. Having seen the work all the riders put in over the winter at different training camps, it was no surprise to me that we started the season so strongly and have continued that through to the midway point.
I’ve missed a pretty large chunk of racing lately through illness, which has been disappointing. Not being able to compete in the Tour of Romandie was a real blow as it’s a local race for me and one that I was really looking forward to. Thankfully, I’m back feeling good again and super excited to be involved in the Tour De Suisse. This race is very important to me personally and also to the team. Having family and friends cheering me on through different stages provides extra motivation to perform to my best.
The race itself is incredibly challenging, with numerous mountainous stages lying between us and potential victory. Coupled with it being one of the longer races on the calendar outside of Grand Tour events, it also falls right before the Tour de France. The elite riders from across the world use this event as their final preparation before Stage 1 in Copenhagen on July 1, making the field even stronger and more competitive.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, I’d love to put in a strong performance in the Swiss National Championships, which take place at the end of this month. As a team, our big goal for the season is to defend the Tour de France title with Tadej Pogacar for a third time in a row. He is the greatest cyclist in the world, so we are all determined to support him in standing atop of the podium at the Champs-Élysées once again.
