"I'd like to win a stage at the Tour de France": After 2024 heartbreak, Jayco AlUla rider looks for Tour revenge

Still with no luck, the Swiss cycling is looking for a successor of Fabian Cancellara's cycling throne. While Stefan Küng came close to repeat his heroic feats, on his best days he still fell short of making the final step. Thus the baton is slowly being passed down to Mauro Schmid. The Jayco AlUla rider will soon turn 26, but it's evident that the double Swiss champion still has a lot of room for growth.

That Schmid would go on to defend his road title from 2024, was not a massive surprise. But not many predictors would place the Jayco AlUla rider above the likes of Küng against the clock. And ultimately, he indeed didn't beat the six-time Swiss time trial champion as the 31-year-old suffered an injury in the run-up to the race and did not start. But beating Stefan Bissegger, another world-class timetrialist, by one second was still an upset.

And it goes that Schmid enjoys the privilege to carry the Helvetic cross on his jersey throughout the whole season. "I have to say it's nice to be easily recognizable at the races," Schmid tells Bici.pro. "Winning the jersey once is already special, but repeating it the following year is something fantastic, and I can't wait to wear it again, at least for the first part of 2026."

"The time trial was a bit of a surprise for me too, but I was well prepared and arrived that day in the best condition. Moreover, being national champion in time trials has a certain prestige in our country: just think of what Küng and Cancellara have achieved over the last 25 years. The standard is always high, and it's nice to have this honor."

Of course, riders with the qualities of Fabian Cancellara don't come around in every generation. After the retirement of Spartacus, the Swiss cyclists were therefore a bit more in the background. In the meantimes, mountain biking came into the spotlight thanks to the excellent Nino Schurter. But the future of road cycling looks bright again for Switzerland, Schmid reckons.

"We've always had excellent talent, even in recent years, even though he's been spoken highly of. It's obvious that after someone like Cancellara, it's not easy to take over. For a few years, the level, especially on the road, hasn't been excellent, and Swiss riders' victories in road races have been fewer than expected."

"Many of my generation, in fact, have turned more to mountain biking, and road cycling has lost some of its popularity. Now, however, interesting young riders are emerging, and having two well-structured Swiss teams among the pros gives them the opportunity to mature without rushing and with more peace of mind."

The fruit of work is already beginning to take shape with the supertalent Jan Christen racing at UAE Team Emirates - XRG, revelation Jan Huber finishing 2nd at the under-23 World Championships and more interesting names coming through the youth ranks.

"Something is already moving. It still needs some time, even though the current generation is already quite good, but in a few years we'll see the results. I'm convinced that, thanks also to the long-term projects of the two Swiss teams, our entire movement will benefit."

As for Schmid's nearest future, the man who will soon turn 26 should open his 2026 campaign at the Tour Down Under with Classics as the big goal of his spring. Afterwards, either Giro d'Italia or Tour de France could be on his schedule - that's yet to be decided.

"The calendar could be similar to the 2024 one, apart from a few small changes in February and March. As for the Grand Tours, I see myself more at the Tour, although I would love to come to the Giro. The only thing is that it's difficult to do well in the Ardennes and then be ready for three intense weeks in May."

Schmid already knows how it feels to win a Grand Tour stage from the 2021 Giro. In fact, it was the result that really opened up a path to the professional world for Schmid. But since then, he's yet to add another despite three close calls at Vuelta '24 and Tour '25. In particular the Tour defeat by the hand of Jonas Abrahamsen in a one-on-one sprint at the end of stage 11 in Toulouse was painful.

But regardless, Schmid doesn't give up on his dream: "I'd like to win a stage at the Tour de France. I'll definitely try again, but first I'll treat myself to a few days on the beaches of Bali to recharge my batteries."