Tudor dreams with Alaphilippe and Hirschi, but management gets emotional when asked about Mäder: "Gino should have been sitting here"

One of Switzerland's greatest grand tour racing talents, as leader of a brand new, Swiss cycling team with ambitions to the moon; it reads like a dream. Tudor Pro Cycling thought they had it all in 2023, with Gino Mäder already having signed and through various discussions already making his mark on the team in his own way. However, the incredibly beloved climber tragically passed away that year, after a crash in “his” Tour of Switzerland. And so it is that IDLProCycling.com attended a press conference in Spain on Tuesday, that began with laughter as Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi were introduced as the new stars but ended with tears.

Let's start with the laughter, because to say Tudor is on a rising tide is an understatement. For the first time since the team's founding in 2023, a media event was held this winter simply because there was so much to share. Alaphilippe and Hirschi were signed last year as the shining new stars of the squad, which is owned by Swiss former cycling star Fabian Cancellara and steered by CEO Raphael Meyer (Switzerland) and Head of Performance Ricardo Scheidecker (Portugal).

What began in 2021 as the Swiss Racing Academy has, in just three seasons, blossomed into a ProTeam with the deep pockets and reputation to attract big-name riders. While the 2024 roster included Michael Storer, Alberto Dainese, Marco Brenner, and Matteo Trentin, the 2025 additions include not only Alaphilippe and Hirschi but also Marco Haller and Larry Warbasse. "In 2025, we have a great mix of what the team needs to take the next step," said Cancellara.

“New talents are breaking through from our development team, Tudor Pro Cycling Team U23, which traces back to where it all began,” said the big boss, referring not only to the creation of the U23 team in 2023 but also to the roots of the Swiss Cycling Academy. “It’s crucial for these young riders to continue writing the story with us, building on the small structure we once had. We aim to reach a higher level, which is why we also need riders with experience. With the riders we’ve brought in, we can move forward, supported by a staff that guarantees this level of quality.” In 2025, the team under Scheidecker will include well-known team directors such as Matteo Tosatto and Bart Leysen.

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Julian Alaphilippe

Tudor Pro Cycling is experiencing "steep growth," but started from scratch 

So things have moved very quickly with the Swiss cycling project, and Cancellara says it’s all thanks to sticking to a well-laid plan. "When we started, we started working with the people who are still there today. We love to win, but if you want to win, you need a structure and that's there thanks to the people working tirelessly behind the scenes. Look where we are today, in a luxury hotel with so much media...That means we did something right, by following our own path and working hard. We have to keep doing that, even in our third season. Our story is just beginning, but I'm proud of what we've created so far."

Meyer, who alongside Cancellara laid the foundation for the Tudor project in 2021, also agrees. Back in 2022, the team was still a Continental-level squad. “When we officially announced our plans to become a ProTeam in 2023, Fabian immediately emphasized that the focus had to be on the staff. Riders come and go, so our first step was to invest in a strong staff. That laid a solid foundation, which quickly made riders start thinking about joining us. In just a few years, we’ve gone from 5 to 130 people in the organization. It’s been steep growth, and there’s a lot involved when you’re starting from scratch.”

The presence of Swiss talent in the Swiss Cycling Academy ensured a strong start, and Meyer emphasizes that Tudor is a crucial project for nurturing those talents. “If you’re a Swiss cyclist and your name isn’t Stefan Küng, Marc Hirschi, or Stefan Bissegger, it’s incredibly difficult to reach the WorldTour. Our goal is to create a pathway for Swiss riders because right now, we lack a team in our country that can bridge that gap. How can a Swiss talent make it to the WorldTour if they don’t have examples of riders who have climbed the ranks to the top? That’s why, in our development team, we teach the riders our values and racing style—the same principles that apply to our ProTeam. This way, the transition becomes smoother down the line. It’s part of our DNA.”

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Marc Hirschi

Uncertainty over wildcards doesn't lead to haste at Tudor

What exactly is that DNA? Cancellara explains it clearly: "We want to win, and we want to race in the way we enjoy most. We’re not going to sit at the back of the peloton; we want to take control of the race and take responsibility. With the new riders, we can make that happen. If we continue racing the way we have, we’re confident we’ll finish among the top two ProTeams in 2025, earning a spot in the biggest races by 2026."

Indeed, after 2025, the UCI Team Ranking will determine the standings, with the top eighteen teams earning WorldTour status for the 2026-2028 period. Additionally, the top two ProTour teams will secure a protected status, guaranteeing entry into all major races during those years. “That would make planning much easier. Right now, we’re still waiting for the wildcard allocations; so far, we only know we’re racing Paris-Nice. For now, we have to respect that position. In 2024, we had a strong race calendar, and with the added quality in our roster, I count on being able to add races in 2025 as well,” says Cancellara.

The superstar emphasizes, however, that Tudor is in no rush. UCI points are nice, but the team has casually declined wildcards for major races over the past two seasons. "When we started in 2023, we could have immediately gone straight to the Tour of Flanders, but we didn’t want that. We weren’t ready yet; we didn’t want to just be filler in the peloton. That might have been a new way of thinking, but we waited until 2024. With our new signings, it’s no surprise that we’ll apply for a wildcard in the Ardennes Classics for the first time in 2025, and we also want to participate in two Grand Tours. We’ll keep focusing on what we’re doing, and then we’ll see what opportunities come our way."

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Fabian Cancellara

Tudor as the driving force, Red Bull and Oakley join as new major brands

To make it all possible, money is needed—a lot of it. This is provided by main sponsor Tudor, a well-known Swiss watch brand. As CEO, Meyer also managed to bring two major names to the black-and-red jersey: energy drink giant Red Bull and sunglasses brand Oakley. "Red Bull is a sponsor on our clothing, just like Oakley. But they are not owners. It does show that the identity of our team is being recognized."

A brief ode to Tudor follows: "Without Tudor, this team wouldn’t exist. We are in daily contact with them, and we can learn a lot from them as a top-tier brand in the watch industry. It doesn’t feel like just a sponsorship; we are simply the luckiest team in the world to have a brand like this trust in what started as just a few values written on paper. With that trust and belief that we could create something significant here, it is a privilege to work with them."

And with such a powerful brand, there’s certainly no need to rush. Achieving WorldTour status by 2026 may not be feasible, but becoming a major player in the ProTour is the goal. The big brands are already lining up. “We are quite selective in that regard; we don’t partner with just anyone. We also don’t go to every race—only those where we believe we can compete. We need to pick our battles, especially for UCI points. That system exists, so we have to take it seriously,” says Meyer.

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Red Bull is featured on the arm of the Tudor Pro's jerseys in 2025

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Late Gino Mäder was meant to be the leader of the Tudor project

As the press conference draws to a close, IDLProCycling.com asks Meyer if Tudor's identity includes additional focus on Swiss cycling, which lost two great cycling talents in 2023 and 2024 with Mäder and Muriel Furrer, due to crashes. A bit unexpectedly, Meyer responds emotionally, "I would be lying if I said that Gino is not part of our DNA. Gino should have been sitting here beside us today, he would otherwise have been riding with us now. It still gives me goose bumps, even though we are trying to look to the future. We miss someone like Gino on our team."

At the end of the media day, further inquiry with Meyer reveals that Tudor had already secured an agreement with Mäder in 2023. However, this was kept confidential out of respect for his family, friends, employer Bahrain Victorious and all the people who loved him. Tudor's big boss did want to provide a little extra clarification after the Mäder question in the press conference. "Gino was eager to join us, even though we had only won Milan-Turin in 2023, and nothing else yet. He came here, talked to us and said, I'm coming to join you."

Meyer speaks about the intended face of his cycling project with incredible passion and respect. "He simply believed in us, and to this day, I tell myself: listen to your heart, because that’s what Gino did. He trusted us. It felt so right when he spoke with us. He was such a beloved person. As a climate advocate, he had one condition when signing: Can I travel to races by train instead of by plane? To this day, our team’s motto remains: Train over plane, just as Gino would have wanted."

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Gino Mäder, representing Bahrain Victorious

Tudor wants to win the Tour of Switzerland for Mäder

Although he never rode a single kilometer in the Tudor jersey, Mäder left an unforgettable mark on the entire team before his passing. "I can now look at it more positively. I hope Gino is happy, watching over us from above. He's with us every day. He was already part of our team and will always remain so. It would have been a dream to have him and Marc Hirschi in the team — both from Switzerland, about the same age..."

"And with Loulou (Julian Alaphilippe, ed.), we have a guy like Gino. When you love people, you love them deeply. They are the glue that binds the atmosphere in the team," he says lovingly. "We are often emotional, but also very eager. One day, Tudor will win on the anniversary of Gino’s passing — to keep his memory alive."

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