Sports director Olivier Senn defends himself against criticism

Mr. Senn, are you looking forward to the World Cup?

Of course. From a sporting perspective alone, the anticipation is great. The Swiss pros are flying at the moment. Stefan Küng, Marc Hirschi and Mauro Schmid have been in outstanding form for weeks. When you see them at the Tour of Spain or at classiques like San Sebastián, you come to the conclusion: something could happen in Zurich.

Apart from possible Swiss successes, what can Zurich expect? Can local residents also look forward to the event?

Absolutely, you will experience sport at the highest level, embedded in many supporting activities. There will be great TV pictures from Zurich and the region. For a major international event, the cycling world championships are also extremely peaceful.

In recent months, the main topic of discussion has been roadblocks and restrictions. Did you expect the extent of the criticism?

I am surprised by the number of false assumptions, claims and exaggerations. Despite intensive communication from our organizing committee, the city and the canton, certain stories persist.

What exactly do you mean?

For example, I still hear that Witikon will be cut off from the outside world for nine days. That is simply wrong. The races will only take place there on five days, and even then Witikon will still be accessible. We will set up crossings so that the districts of Witikon can be reached during the races. There are certain circles that seem to have an interest in limiting themselves to negative things. They trigger unnecessary fears and sometimes violent reactions. Sticking to the facts does not seem to be a great strength for everyone.

 

There is no doubt that residents and businesses are affected by the World Cup.

I understand that the restrictions are drastic for some residents and business owners, even if this causes dissatisfaction among those affected. I find it more difficult to understand the accusation that we communicated too little or too late. The information about the routes has been known since January 2023. Since spring 2023, there have been a number of events in business and neighborhood associations. In some cases, very few visitors came. At the first information event in Seefeld, there was seating for 150 people, 30 were there.

Maybe some people thought that nothing could be done about the roadblocks anyway?

That would also be wrong. Anyone who feared problems could speak up. The city, the canton and we held over 750 meetings, inspections and more. Situations were assessed individually and adjustments made. In Witikon, to stay with the example, traffic planning is completely different today than it will be in January 2023. We had tough negotiations with the world association UCI to obtain relief from certain requirements. For example, that roads can be crossed during the races. Or that the UCI accepts narrower sections of the route so that parallel single-lane traffic can be maintained. None of this actually corresponds to the specifications. Of course, we could not solve all the problems. The races take place on roads and there are safety requirements. But we were able to achieve a lot for residents and businesses.

You took a confrontational approach to the UCI for Zurich?

In this way, for example, we managed to ensure that the Seestrasse in the finish area at Sechseläutenplatz is not permanently closed to cars. It will be reopened to one lane at 7 p.m. at the latest on the evening after the races. These were tough discussions and negotiations. For the rest of the route, we planned from the start to dismantle the barriers in the evening and put them back up in the morning so that the city can function as well as possible. That is a huge effort.

Further simplifications were decided upon, but these were barely discussed in the media. For example, it was initially planned to use the Seestrasse from Männedorf. Now it is only closed from Feldmeilen in the time trial, and from Tiefenbrunnen in the road race. Why wasn’t this communicated more loudly?

The planning changes on Seestrasse happened before January 2023, i.e. before the official communication. We mentioned them in discussions, but not too offensively. We don’t have to defend ourselves. Everyone can assume that the organizing committee, the city and the canton are using massive resources to ensure that the population can manage their everyday lives as smoothly as possible. Anyone who has specific questions can get advice on a hotline.

How do other organizers solve the traffic problem?

Less accommodating. In Glasgow, there were races in the centre of the 2023 Cycling World Championships on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, but not on Friday and Saturday. The barriers remained up throughout.

Do you observe similarly intense discussions at events in other countries as in Switzerland?

The intensity of the debates is a Swiss phenomenon. Direct democracy means that many representatives can stand up for their concerns and speak out loudly. And that is a good thing.

Switzerland is considering a bid for the European Games and wants to bring the Winter Olympics to the country, two even bigger events. Do you think that’s right? Or does the Cycling World Championships show that social resistance is too great?

That’s a difficult question. I do think that Switzerland should continue to apply for such events. It is important that the campaigns are broadly supported, that those responsible create transparency about the concrete impacts from the outset and that they are in dialogue with the most important stakeholders. In principle, Switzerland is of course capable of hosting major sporting events. But one could come to the conclusion that it is better to avoid city centers and consider where it might be more suitable. Events that are even bigger than the cycling world championships offer opportunities for decentralization.

That’s exactly what the critics say: Zurich is not suitable for the World Cup. Why are they taking place in the city centre?

During the application phase, it was clear early on that we wanted to go downtown – a central element of the application. This gives the event a completely different global impact. But of course the decision has consequences, especially since Zurich has its own peculiarities: There are tram lines on many streets. And there are few bridges that allow crossings, especially in the areas relevant to us in Seefeld and on the Zürichberg. In other cities, the starting point would be simpler.

Bern also wanted the Cycling World Championships. Would the organization have been easier there?

I don’t know, and it’s pointless to speculate on it. There would have been discussions with residents and business owners in Bern too.

How serious was the threat of a World Cup cancellation in view of the objections?

The organizing committee never seriously discussed a cancellation. It was more of a media issue.

The tourism industry and the catering industry are likely to clearly benefit from the event. Can the expected profit be quantified?

During the application phase, the gross added value was estimated at 35 to 60 million francs. After the event, we will analyze the actual added value.

Almost all international cycling stars come to Zurich. Are you already faced with special requests? During the Tour de Suisse, the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe once asked for a helicopter flight from the mountains to the airport.

Fortunately, the situation at world championships is different from that at the national tour. The riders come to Switzerland with their national teams. The associations take care of the organizational aspects, they book and pay for the hotels. We have nothing to do with that.

The Swiss Marlen Reusser was supposed to be one of the most important faces of the World Cup. She is suffering from long Covid and is not taking part. How big is the gap that has arisen?

It is a real shame for Marlen that she cannot fight for the world championship title in front of her home crowd. And her cancellation is a bitter blow for us as organizers. Marlen is the figurehead of women’s cycling in Switzerland and one of our official ambassadors. She should play a key role in reaching the general public. We will miss her external impact.

Can they be replaced?

No. We can be happy that the Swiss men are doing well. The men’s chances of winning a medal are high. In the women’s race, Noemi Rüegg is doing well and Elise Chabbey will hopefully get back into shape. They need a little more luck to get a good result. And they are not in the spotlight like Marlen. She is irreplaceable.

Would a local success be important for the perception of the event?

It would be sensational. The cycling world championships would then be remembered in a much more positive way. If there are no Swiss medals in the elite races, people will be talking about other things.

You are also the manager of Stefan Küng, who has been one of the world’s best time trialists for years. Did you deliberately tailor the route to his abilities?

A lot of the route planning was decided in advance. It was decided early on that the men would start on the open race track in Oerlikon and the women in Gossau, with the additional requirement that the routes should be as identical as possible up to the finish in Zurich. That doesn’t leave too many options. Given Stefan’s abilities, it was clear that we didn’t want to just ride around the Pfannenstiel, but rather spend as much time in the flat as possible. But for the route, that was the less important part of the planning.

 

A world championship title would be the crowning achievement of Küng’s career.

Absolutely. That applies to all Swiss riders, but especially to Stefan, since he has already come so close a few times. If he could beat fate in Zurich, that would be a big thing for him. The fact that he recently won the final time trial at the Vuelta gives him extra morale. He is in top form and is starting with confidence.

When are the World Championships a success for you?

If the races were held safely and with as few accidents as possible, with lots of spectators and a good atmosphere. And if the event was somewhat bearable for the affected residents and businesses thanks to our measures.