Emilie Siegenthaler: Sweetheart or downhill beast?

Maybe a little of both. Anyone who sees the 163-cm-tall biker for the first time first thinks of a sweet little thing, and can probably hardly imagine what the likeable girl from Biel has up her sleeve, but anyone who sees her biking afterwards will revise their judgment in the direction of "downhill beast". Switzerland's best downhill biker has been riding at the top since the beginning of her career and makes no compromises when it comes to winning. Diligent as a bee, she works towards her victories, and at first glance you wouldn't put it past her, but the little one is pretty tough in the process.

by Rolf Fleckenstein

Emilie Siegenthaler is a young woman who does what other young women her age do. She likes to listen to cool music - from Bob Marley to hip-hop underground, just about anything that sounds good - talk on the phone for hours with her friends, surf the Internet regularly and play video games. She also enjoys skiing, snowboarding and biking in her free time. The fact that she enjoys doing it so much, that she is successful at it, is not so surprising.

Already at the age of 5 or 6 she started ambitious cycling and at the age of 10 she took part in a cross country race for the first time. Early practice is the key to becoming a champion. She quickly made a name for herself with good placings and victories, for example when, as a team rider for the Swisspower team, she rode home the victory at the cross-country World Cup race in St. Wendel, Saarland, at the end of March 2003, relegating the currently best-placed Swiss cross-country rider Nathalie Schneitter to third place, and crowned her XC career with the title of Junior European Champion in 2004 and twice Junior Swiss Champion.

The switch to the downhill camp
A few years ago, the ambitious rider decided to change camp and move to the downhillers. This decision probably belongs to the category of decisions that one does not regret. Emilie Siegenthaler has literally developed rapidly into a chronic podium rider and since then has regularly conceded trophies and titles, including the Swiss championship title several times and top ten rankings at the European Championships and the World Cup. Only....

You can find the whole article in the 03/2011 issue.