Lukas Flückiger starts 2020 with 1-man team

Image source: Dani Pocchetti

Lukas Flückiger starts the new year "independently" with his own one-man team

Swiss mountain bike and cyclo-cross specialist Lukas Flückiger has made a virtue out of necessity. After the short-term and late dissolution of his old team BMC, Flückiger has decided to set up a one-man team structure on his own. Under the name "Infinity Racing" Lukas Flückiger started already on Thursday, January 2, 2020, for the first time in the new colors!

Infinite, unrivaled and unlimited. This is the motto under which the 35-year-old from Bern starts the new year. Because despite the sudden team breakup in October, Flückiger is "infinitely" motivated as he looks ahead to 2020: "After a short period of frustration and disappointment, I very quickly saw the opportunity for something new and unique. This motivated me a lot and so I have put a lot of energy into building my own team over the last few weeks and months," says Flückiger about his new "independence.

Lukas Flückiger was able to find partners in the form of wheel manufacturer DT Swiss, German bike brand Canyon, Italian clothing brand Q 36.5 and the Grächen-Visp biking region in the Valais, all of whom supported him on the path to his own team. So today Flückiger already sees a positive effect of these big changes: "Sometimes I lack the courage or the time to make dreams come true myself. Because already now I think that I should have taken the step to my own team earlier."

Top material but still lacks backers
The time Flückiger has had since the end of October has been very short. So it is not surprising that Flückiger is not yet where he wants to be with his project: "There is still a lack of money. That's where I'm intensively looking for partners who want to be part of my project," says Flückiger about the work still ahead.

The search for equipment suppliers in the fall was extremely positive and quick. The former World Championship runner-up says that he found his perfect setup here and did not have to make any compromises. "I got everything my desires desired. With my physiotherapist and my mechanic, can also work with the best people in the area of support," says Flückiger with satisfaction.

Great sporting goals
While Lukas Flückiger is still working on his team in the coming weeks, the first major sporting goals are already on the agenda. On January 12, Flückiger wants to win his third Swiss championship title in the cyclo-cross in Baden and thus head into the all-important phase until the home World Championships in Dübendorf at the beginning of February.

After the cross season, Flückiger will jump straight into the mountain bike circus. He will compete in races early on in order to collect the necessary UCI points to be able to compete in short track again in the World Cup. This should be the basis to build on the good performances from the end of 2019 and now be able to achieve success again: "It will be a year full of highlights with World Cup, World Championships and Olympics," Flückiger looks ahead. Even if he knows that he doesn't have a good hand in the race for the three Swiss Olympic tickets at the moment, the Olympic Games will continue to spur him on: "In the back of my mind I still believe in the small chance for Olympic qualification and that gives me a very big motivation."

Build platform for young drivers
Flückiger has no thoughts of ending his career. He says it is clear that he will continue to pursue top-level sport for at least another two years. In parallel, however, Flückiger also wants to expand his one-man team to include one or two young riders in its structure and build it up.

The last few weeks and months have brought a lot of changes for Flückiger. His love and passion for the sport are greater than ever. The man from Oberaargau is looking forward to being able to decide everything himself in the future. He wants to use this freedom and flexibility to be successful again.