Noëlle Rüetschi could hardly have chosen a better way to finish her racing career.
The 22-year-old Swiss rider won Cycling.Race Basel, part of the Swiss Cycling Road Series, in what was her final race as a professional cyclist. Rüetschi had already announced that she would retire from racing in August, bringing to an end a cycling career which has occupied much of the past decade.
She will not be leaving the sport entirely. Nexetis confirmed before her final race that Rüetschi will remain involved as a member of staff, using the experience and knowledge gained during her years in the peloton in a different role.
Rüetschi ends her career with a victory
Rüetschi had announced her retirement three weeks before her final appearance, describing it as “the end of a chapter” rather than a goodbye to cycling.
She reflected on ten years of racing, the highs and lows that came with it and the support required to return to competition after what she described as some of the lowest periods of her life. Rüetschi said those experiences had also helped her recognise that there was more to her identity and future than racing a bike.
Her final appearance then provided the ideal sporting ending, with Rüetschi winning Cycling.Race Basel before stepping away from competition.
Rüetschi has spent the past two seasons with Nexetis, the Swiss development project launched ahead of 2025. ProCyclingUK covered the creation of Nexetis and Rüetschi’s place in its original squad, before she was retained as part of the team’s expanded 2026 line-up.
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Photo Credit: Getty
A new role on the other side of the sport
Rüetschi’s retirement therefore represents a change of role rather than a complete departure from cycling. Nexetis said she will continue to contribute as a member of staff after her final race, sharing the knowledge and experience accumulated during her time as a rider.
Her association with the development side of women’s cycling stretches back further than Nexetis. Rüetschi previously raced within the AG Insurance-Soudal development structure and was already making herself visible in major races as a teenager, including an attacking ride at the 2023 Scheldeprijs.
The difficult periods of recent seasons ultimately persuaded Rüetschi that professional racing was no longer the only direction she wanted her life to take, even though she stressed that her enthusiasm for cycling remains.
Finishing with a victory offered a neat conclusion. After ten years in which bike racing provided the highs, lows, friendships and challenges she reflected on in her retirement announcement, Rüetschi’s final result came from the top step of the podium.
The racing chapter is over, but her place in cycling is not.
