The Ride Behind the Race
- Ralph Näf
- Mathias Flückiger
- Alessandra Keller
- Lars Forster
- Vitalin Albin
- Gavin Black
- René Walker
- Thomas “Thömu” Binggeli
- Markus Eggimann
The Ride Behind the Race – How mountain bikes became high-tech machines
The focus is on the quiet but crucial side of top-level sport: the equipment. And it shows how much technology, expertise and passion are needed to enable athletes such as Alessandra Keller, Mathias Flückiger, Vitalin Albin and Lars Forster to compete at thevery top.
Today's bikes are no longer comparable to the models of earlier days. In the 1990s,professionals rode downhill and cross-country on the same bike. Today, the current World Cup bikes would have been used in enduro races a few years ago – that's how much the machines have evolved. Lars Forster sums it up: "Thanks to our bike, we can gain crucial tenths in every race situation. The Thömus Lightrider R3 Worldcup bike is one of the lightest in the World Cup - and downhill it rides like a dream."
Episode 3 –The Ride Behind the Race shows how crucial the interaction between man and technology has become. Major leaps in innovation have become rarer – today, millimetres, clicks and seconds make the difference.
Teammechanic Gavin Black, Thömus product manager Markus Eggimann and the riders themselves provide a unique insight into the work behind the scenes. They show how closely technology, riding experience and racing practice are intertwined –and how even the smallest adjustment can make a difference. Eggimann gives an insight into his work and explains: "We think in terms of production cycles of two to three years. Nevertheless, we put our heart and soul intoworking step by step on the perfect race bike every day."
Episode 3 reveals how closely development and racing are knit together at Thömus maxon.The input from the professionals flows directly into production – creating bikes that are not only fast, but also tailored to the athletes like a bespokesuit.
Mathias Flückiger wins at the U23 World Championships in New Zealand
Ralph Näf crowned himself the first-ever Cross-Country Eliminator (XCE) World Champion in Leogang in 2012.
Alessandra Keller after a muddy 2nd place at the 2015 U23 World Cup in Albstadt.
Ralph Näf at the 2015 Val di Sole World Cup with his youngest fans.
Thömus RN Racing Team – at the beginning in Oberried
Ralph Näf with Youngstar Sirin Städler in Andorra at the UCI XCO World Cup Race
Traning Camp with Thömus maxon Team and Thömus Akros Youngstars Team
Alessandra Keller crowned herself U23 XCO World Champion
World Championship 2018 in Mont Sainte Anne with Mathias Flückiger at the Victory Ceremony
Bruno Diethelm Trainingscamp with Thömus Akros Youngstars Team
Team Thömus Youngstars in 2019 with Marcel Kuratli
The Thömus Lightrider R3 Worldcup – one of the lightest bikes on the World Cup circuit, built for precision, speed, and control.
The first Thömus bike – the Test Tube Baby, conceived and produced in Oberried, Switzerland.
In the production facility in Thörishaus, Switzerland, is where the Lightrider R3 Worldcup is crafted with precision and passion.
A bike built with state-of-the-art technology – for maximum performance and minimal weight. Engineered to lead the World Cup.
Design plans of the Thömus Lightrider R3 Worldcup – where the race machine is born.
Shimano XTR and Thömus Lightrider R3 Worldcup – the perfect combination for the team, delivering robust power, intuitive control, and ultimate performance.
Jean-Luc Halter
Tobias Stasser,
Simon Meirandres
with Andrew Measham
