Noemi Rüegg joins EF Education-Cannondale

The young talent from Switzerland cannot wait to begin her third season as a pro in EF Education-Cannondale colors. She is still exploring where her limits lie.

Noemi’s heart is for the classics. She likes the chaos of the spring races in Belgium and has the guts to get to the front of the pack and power to sprint over short, steep climbs.

“I really like the classics,” Noemi says. “I am quite a punchy rider, so those races suit me really well. I like it when it gets hectic in the bunch and you have to be well positioned, as it is just going up and down all day and over the cobbles. You have to know when you have to be where. Anything can happen in those races and nobody knows how they are going to unfold. I think that makes it really exciting.”

For the same reason, Noemi is excited for this next stage in her career. When she started riding as a young girl, she had no idea that she might become a pro. She just wanted to keep up with her brother, who is five years older and a racer himself. Their dad ran practices at the local club. Noemi was soon tagging along. At 13, she rode her first cyclocross race and fell in love.

“I did a lot of cyclocross at first and then turned to road cycling,” she says. “I did do a bit of mountain-biking as well, but never really enjoyed the training. I just wanted to ride my bike.”

Her bike brought Noemi far. When she was a junior, she earned a spot on the Swiss national team to race world and European championships, although she was working full-time, caring for disabled people in a home, at that point in her career. At 19, she signed her first professional contract and could focus one hundred percent on cycling. Racing in the WorldTour over the past two seasons, she has secured a number of impressive results, including eighth at the RideLondon Classique and fifth on GC at the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana-Vuelta Comunitat, as well as two podium spots at the Swiss national championships.

EF Education-Cannondale general manager Esra Tromp has kept a close eye on Noemi’s development and is as impressed by her progression as a person as her achievements on the bike.

“Noemi is a super sweet woman, who has grown a lot in her personality as well,” Tromp says. “She now dares to speak up and that will be really important to have in the team. She is a connector. She is still super young, so she still has things to learn, but she is super motivated and eager to learn. I like that about her. She made a big step this year in the physical part too. She is a super good teammate, but also a punchy rider, so we need to see where she will end up, but she could perform really well in the classic-style races like Gent-Wevelgem or Plouay.”

Those are the races that Noemi likes best, though she wants to contribute right through the year.

“My big goal is to get on the podium in a classic,” she says. “And then we’ll see how it goes with some smaller stage races. I like the stage races because of the atmosphere and how they really bring you close with the team, but my ambitions are more in the classics.”

We’re excited to see what Noemi can do, starting next spring. On EF Education-Cannondale, she will get plenty of chances to develop as a racer and valuable teammate.

“Noemi is a rider who need some freedom in the races,” Tromp says. “She needs to ride different types of races to perform at a really high level.”

Noemi likes how that sounds. She is convinced by our ethos and can’t wait to make our start-up year a success.

“I am really excited to join EF Education-Cannondale this coming year,” she says. “I think it is a good step for me right now. The team seems like a really good fit, with a calm atmosphere. You really feel like the organization wants to grow a good women’s team and women are really important to them, not just the men. I feel like this is going to be a safe environment and I will be able to grow in a safe environment.”

We couldn’t have said it better, Noemi. Welcome to EF Education-Cannondale!