Sport and exercise have been a big part of Mauro’s life for as long as he can remember. He was already enjoying long bike rides in the Engadin, Ticino and South Tyrol at the tender age of seven. These trips with his family were always fun and exciting. Mauro’s love for cycling soon drove him to join a newly created mountain bike group, where he was a keen participant in training sessions. It wasn’t long before he started putting his acquired skills to the test by competing in local mountain bike races.

Young and with boundless energy, the off-road enthusiast also took up road cycling and joined Veloclub Steinmaur. His coach there, Toni Ballat, saw mastering the road bike as a fundamental cycling skill, so he put a lot of emphasis on learning valuable techniques. Mauro’s schedule in the U17 category saw him competing in road bike and mountain bike races in the summer, then testing his limits in winter in the cyclo-cross discipline, which has a long tradition at Veloclub Steinmaur.

In the U19 (Junior) category, Mauro switched to the race track and only used his mountain bike for training from then on. He became part of the Swiss national team squad in the road, cyclo-cross and track disciplines, which often took him abroad to compete. But he still loved taking part in the regional races on Tuesday nights, which gave him the perfect opportunity to further hone his technique and skills.

To manage his busy sporting career, Mauro relied on a lot of support from the people around him. Combined with his excellent organisational skills and an understanding employer, this helped him keep on top of everything while finishing his apprenticeship. He went on to complete the Swiss Army Elite Sport Programme, an achievement made possible by his success on the track and road – and the unwavering support of his national team track coach Daniel Gisiger, for which Mauro is extremely grateful.

Since joining the elite ranks in the 2021 season, Mauro has already reached two major milestones by winning his first stage at the Giro d’Italia and qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.