Switzerland secured the bronze medal in the mixed team relay at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, overcoming a mechanical setback on the opening leg to finish behind gold-medalist Italy and runner-up France, according to reports from RTS and other outlets covering the event.
Mechanical Trouble on the Opening Leg
The Swiss squad faced an immediate hurdle when Stefan Küng suffered a mechanical failure early in the opening leg of the 40.6-kilometer race. Küng was forced to drop back, leaving teammates Stefan Bissegger and Mauro Schmid to complete the majority of the first half of the course alone.
“Cela a rendu les choses extrêmement difficiles,” Schmid noted of the challenging conditions, explaining that battling a headwind without a full three-man rotation put them at a severe disadvantage. Bissegger and Schmid eventually handed over to the women’s trio holding the sixth position among the competing nations.
Reusser Leads Strong Women’s Comeback
The deficit was erased during the second half of the race by the trio of individual time trial world champion Marlen Reusser, Noemi Rüegg, and Jasmin Liechti. Starting with a 35-second disadvantage behind the Italian leaders, the Swiss women surged through the course to secure the final spot on the podium.
Switzerland finished with a time that put them 20 seconds behind the victorious Italian team and 12 seconds behind the French squad, which claimed the silver medal. The bronze continues a steady podium presence for the Swiss in this discipline, though it marks a step down from their world titles won in 2022 and 2023, mirroring their third-place finish from 2025.
Italy Claims Gold as Australia Misses Podium
The Italian team, spearheaded by standout performances from Filippo Ganna and Elisa Longo Borghini, claimed the world title with a winning time of 51 minutes and 32 seconds. Meanwhile, the double tenante du titre Australia finished just off the podium, crossing the finish line nearly 20 seconds behind the bronze-winning Swiss riders on the demanding Montreal course.
For Reusser, the team bronze came shortly after she successfully defended her individual time trial world title, adding another medal to her tally following her previous gold in Kigali, Rwanda. Reflecting on the physical demands of the week, the Bernese rider noted the difficulty of managing effort across long distances featuring heavy cornering.
