Swiss national champion Noemi Rüegg has confirmed she will continue with EF-Oatly-Cannondale into 2025, buoyed by the strong camaraderie and support within the team that propelled her 2024 season.
Rüegg, 23, highlighted the unique atmosphere as a key motivator, saying, “The atmosphere in this team is really special and something I’ve never experienced in a team before. The riders and staff – everyone works so well together. It doesn’t feel like we are working colleagues. We are friends. I think that makes a huge difference, especially for me.” For the young Swiss rider, this collaborative spirit was a catalyst for her performance, reflected in her notable season results, including her victory in Mallorca’s Trofeo Felanitx-Colònia de Sant Jordi and her Swiss national title.
Reflecting on the season’s ups and downs, Rüegg recalled how the team bonded during the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. “We had some highs and lows, but we kept a good positive vibe and kept working together. Those moments when everything might not be going well, but you still have good people and a strong team around you make all the difference,” she explained. “This year, I got a lot of support from the team. They gave me the opportunity to race the finales and also to make a lot of mistakes. That’s also really important, because otherwise you don’t learn. The team gave me a lot of confidence.”
Her manager, Esra Tromp, believes that Rüegg’s skill set is well-suited to the classics and sees her future evolving within EF-Oatly-Cannondale. “Noemi is a really strong classics rider with a good sprint who can survive a lot of climbs,” Tromp commented. “She made a big step coming to this team this year and got opportunities to be the leader. I’m really happy that we can continue working together to help her step into a leadership role even more in the future.”
As the next season approaches, Rüegg remains focused on discovering her strengths, particularly in the spring classics. She recognises her potential in bunch sprints and tough climbs, exemplified during the world championships in Zurich. Despite her ambitions, she has learned to embrace racing with a relaxed mindset. “I don’t doubt too much and am willing to just try now. If it works, it works. And if it doesn’t work, then you learn from it. It is important to have fun with racing. I think that’s the most important thing,” she said.
“I’m quite a punchy rider, so I like the classics, especially the races in Flanders with explosive climbs,” she added, with an eye towards 2025 goals. “I really want to do well there, but also in races like Liège. After the Liège Tour stage, I fell in love with that course. I see myself doing well in those kinds of races, Amstel as well. I want to win classics.”
