The Swiss stage race is a special one for her. When she was a kid, she and her classmates would be allowed out of school whenever the race was nearby. They would run out to the roadside to wave their red-and-white flags and encourage the racers. That fueled Noemi’s cycling dreams. At the time, there was no women’s race for her to aim for though. The Tour de Suisse Women wasn’t fully established on the pro calendar until 2021, despite a few faltering editions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now, Noemi has the chance to make her dreams real. She would love to win a stage in front of her family and friends and all of the Swiss fans.

We caught up with Noemi before the start of the Tour de Suisse Women, where she and her teammates will kick off an exciting summer of racing.

Noemi, we’re here at your home race. How are you feeling?
I’m excited to be at the start of the Tour de Suisse! It’s something really special, to be able to race so close to home. I’m looking forward to it. We had a nice camp with the team in Spain and worked hard, so I think we should all be in good shape coming into the race.

What kind of training were you doing there?
We were there for three weeks, doing a lot of endurance, a lot of hours, but also lots of Vo2 max and threshold work for the climbs in Switzerland. My last race in Burgos went really well and I'm happy with the shape I had there. So, I hope I managed to build on that in the training camp and can take that into the next races.

It’s going to be an exciting summer of racing for you. What do the next few months look like?
Suisse and then nationals and then the Baloise Tour in Belgium. Then, hopefully I can qualify for the Olympics. That takes us to the beginning of August. Then, hopefully there’s the Tour and worlds in Zurich as well. That's also really exciting.

What is the bike racing scene like here in Switzerland?
We don't have a lot of races yet, at least not women’s races. Actually, this is one of the only races we have in Switzerland, but Swiss people love riding their bikes. Switzerland is a beautiful country to ride your bike. That’s why the Tour de Suisse is so special. We travel a lot and spend so much time away from home and in different countries, so it’s really great to be on home roads for once. My family and friends will come to watch the race. When I was a kid, every time the Tour de Suisse would pass somewhere close to my school, we could always go out with the whole class. It’s kind of a dream come true to be racing it now. You were always watching it as a kid and then, all of a sudden, you're racing it yourself. It shows that you should keep dreaming and keep working hard for your dreams.

It would mean a lot for you to win a stage here. Which ones are you going for?
Stages three and four are the ones I'm focusing on most, because the first two stages are quite climby. Stage three should suit me pretty well. We have some strong climbers on the team. Kim will be our GC contender. Then, we have Clara Emond and Kristen Faulkner and Nina Kessler and me. It's a good team!

It sure is. Have fun racing at home in Switzerland, Noemi!