Fighting for victory

(BEIJING, June 21) -- Swiss mountain bike rider Thomas Frischknecht was honored for his outstanding career at the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships on June 20.

Frischknecht, who is often considered Europe's Elder Statesman of mountain biking, has ridden as a professional for 18 years. "We are still fighting for glory and it's great that we can keep it that way. Passion is what has kept me in this sport for so long," said Frischknecht. With that passion, Thomas has won 15 World Championship medals, 1 silver medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games, 11 Swiss Champion titles and 18 World Cup rounds.

The biker is also a drug-free racing advocate and the author of a book on mountain biking, Richtig Mountainbiken.