"You can't afford to make mistakes"

Filib Steiner from Winterthur is 20 years old and ambassador of the Velofaett, which takes place from 28.09 - 29.09.24 in Winterthur. The UCI U23 BMX Racing World Champion is currently in North America to prepare for the upcoming Elite BMX World Championships. He talks to us about the upcoming World Championships, how he got into cycling and his favorite track in Winterthur.

Winterthur BMX rider Filib Steiner loves the thrill of the BMX track.

What fascinates you about cycling or BMX?

What I like about cycling in general is that you can ride through the surrounding region, see beautiful places and keep fit at the same time. The thrill of BMX fascinates me. The speed (60 km/h top speed), the jumps and riding close together. Every race is different, you never know exactly what's going to happen and you only have 30 seconds to win the race. So you can't afford to make any mistakes. That makes everything even more exciting.

How did you come to this?

I've been cycling since I was two years old. I started going on bike tours with my father at an early age and once happened to pass by the BMX track in Winterthur. My family didn't know the sport back then, but the track is freely accessible. So I first rode over it on my normal bike. I had much more fun riding over obstacles and through banked turns than on asphalt. That's how it all began.

What are your personal goals?

I want to be as good as I can be in sport. That includes international titles, of course. Making BMX better known in Switzerland is also important to me, because unfortunately very few people know the sport. As soon as you tell people about the sport, many find it very interesting. So BMX certainly has the potential to become bigger and better known.

Where is your favorite route in the Winterthur region?

In the Winterthur region, as a BMX rider there is only the track in Dättnau. I also enjoy riding my racing bike over the beautiful hills around Winterthur as a balance.

How do you think the Winterthur region can benefit from the World Cycling Championships and the Velofäscht?

Live events are always great. You see all the professional cyclists up close and can really immerse yourself in the action. This is the first time that such an event has started here in Winterthur. This will attract attention to our city and the region and there will certainly be a lot going on during this time. There is a chance that the World Cycling Championships and the Velofäscht will make many people fall in love with cycling, which could be interesting for the region in the long term.