Olympic cross-country champion Jolanda Neff has been made ambassador for Crans-Montana and the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais
Looking ahead to the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, with the cross-country events being held in Crans-Montana, the host destination and the World Championships organising committee have made sure that they have a renowned ambassador for 2025 by enlisting Jolanda Neff.
The multiple world champion, who competed in the Swiss Championships which were held in Crans-Montana this spring, has agreed to help raise the profile of this biking paradise in the heart of the Valais. She has just completed a week's training here in preparation for the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, and she will also be at the start line in Crans-Montana in 2025, in a bid to win another World Champion title.
"I immediately felt at home in Crans-Montana. The possibilities for routes here are almost endless, and the spectacular panorama definitely motivates me when I’m training. I'm delighted to be able to support Crans-Montana and become an ambassador for the destination and the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which will be held there in 2025. I discovered parts of the course during the Swiss Championships and I can't wait to race here again," comments Jolanda Neff.
A boon for Crans-Montana and Valais
It is an honour for Crans-Montana and the region to be able to count on such a renowned ambassador, not just because of her impressive performances, but also for her personality and charisma. "Jolanda is a figurehead of Swiss and international mountain biking. Her friendly and spontaneous image is a perfect reflection of the pleasure that mountain bikers experience when they come to Crans-Montana," explains Grégoire Matthey, Head of Marketing & Events at Crans-Montana Tourism & Congresses.
"Thanks to the extraordinary playground we have here, with exceptional gradients and an ideal transport network, our ambition is to become a benchmark destination for mountain biking. Who better than a multiple Olympic and world champion to promote this image and achieve this goal? What's more, Crans-Montana offers ideal training facilities for a champion of this stature," he continues.
Crans-Montana's bike strategy also includes organising international competitions in the discipline. After the Enduro World Series in 2021 and 2022, the Swiss Cross-Country and Short Track Championships in 2023, the Cross-Country World Cup in 2024 and the Cross-Country World Championships in 2025 will be held on this sun-drenched plateau. "The experience we've gained in organising these events means we're feeling quite serene at this point, two years before the World Championships, and we can make the most of the fantastic showcase these international competitions offer to highlight our infrastructure and routes here," concludes Grégoire Matthey.
Renowned ambassadors for Valais 2025
Preparations for the Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais are in full swing, and with almost two years to go before the event, the ambassador strategy is taking shape. With Jolanda Neff coming on board, Valais 2025 is demonstrating its desire to focus part of its communications on renowned ambassadors who will help raise the profile of Valais as a region for mountain biking. "In order to showcase the event disciplines and the partner destinations, we want to associate well-known faces with the competition venues for the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. We're delighted that Jolanda Neff, who is one of the best mountain bikers in the world, is as committed as we are to the event. Our messages will raise our visibility and legitimacy, giving a voice to various projects that we’re developing, particularly in terms of the strong legacy we want to create for Valais and for the sport," explains Julien Hess, director of Valais 2025. Jolanda Neff is not only committed to promoting the region and this major event, but she is also proud to be able to support projects that encourage young people, and women in particular, to take up sport. She comments: "I'm proud that alongside Valais 2025, I’m able to inspire an entire generation, and contribute to the development of my sport".
Jolanda Neff’s achievements
1x Olympic cross-country champion at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games
2x World Champion, marathon in 2016 and cross-country in 2017
4x European champion, cross-country in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019
12x Swiss champion
3x Overall World Cup winner (2014, 2015, 2018)
17x Winner of mountain bike World Cup events
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