Marlen Reusser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marlen Reusser

Reusser at the 2022 European Championships
Personal information
Full name	Marlen Reusser
Nickname	The Flying Elephant
Born	(1991-09-20) 20 September 1991 (age 35) Jegenstorf, Switzerland
Height	180cm
Weight	70 kg
Team information
Current team	Movistar Team
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Major wins
Major Tours Tour de France 3 individual stages (2022, 2023, 2026) Giro d'Italia 1 individual stage (2025) Stage races Tour de Suisse (2023, 2025, 2026) Itzulia Women (2023) Vuelta a Burgos (2025) One-day races and Classics World Time Trial Championships (2025, 2026) European Time Trial Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, 2025) National Road Race Championships (2019, 2021, 2023) National Time Trial Championships (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2025) Gent–Wevelgem (2023) Dwars door Vlaanderen (2026)

Marlen Reusser is a world-class athlete from Switzerland who competes in racing cyclist competitions. She is famous for riding in women's road bicycle racing events all around the world. Fans know her by the playful nickname "The Flying Elephant." She rides for the elite UCI Women's WorldTeam known as Movistar Team.

Before becoming a champion, she studied hard and became a medical doctor. She discovered her huge athletic talent later than many other riders. Soon, she became an Olympic medal winner and a world champion. She has won famous stages at the Tour de France Femmes. She also won major one-day races and Classics across Europe.

The Early Life of Marlen Reusser

Marlen Reusser grew up in the beautiful countryside of Jegenstorf in Switzerland. Her family lived on a farm in the green valleys of the Swiss Emmental. As a child, she had many hobbies and loved playing music. She practiced the violin until she was sixteen years old. She even took part in special arts training at the University of the Arts Bern.

She was also very interested in helping people and protecting nature. During her teenage years, she joined local youth groups. She served as a leader in Bern for the Young Greens. Later on, she became a board member of the regional Emmental Green Party.

In school, she loved to run outside for exercise. However, after hurting her ankles a few times, she had to stop running. Doctors suggested she try other activities that were gentler on her legs. She quickly took up swimming and riding a bicycle to stay fit.

She studied very hard in high school to pass her final matura exams. After graduating, she decided to study medicine at university. She wanted to heal people and worked as an assistant doctor in surgery. She even worked at the Langnau hospital while training on her bike.

How Marlen Reusser Started Bike Racing

Taking Up Cycling at University

Reusser did not start bike racing when she was a little kid. Instead, she took up competitive cycling while studying for her university medical degree. She started by riding the cycling part in friendly amateur triathlon team relays. Her friends quickly saw that she could pedal with incredible speed and power.

She decided to get an official racing licence in 2017. Only a few months later, she entered the Swiss national championships. She astonished everybody by winning the national time trial. An individual time trial is a race against the clock without drafting. She also finished second in the national road race.

Stepping Onto the World Stage

Her amazing results earned her a quick spot on the Swiss national team. She travelled to compete in the 2017 European Road Championships that summer. She also earned selection for the prestigious 2017 UCI Road World Championships. In that event, she rode in the tough women's time trial contest.

Reusser had to balance long hospital shifts with hours of hard riding. In 2018, she prepared for the big world championship race in Innsbruck. Soon, she realized that she could be one of the best riders ever. In 2019, she joined the famous World Cycling Centre based in Aigle. That big decision allowed her to become a full-time professional athlete.

Her training quickly delivered fantastic results across several countries. She earned third place overall at the tough BeNe Ladies Tour. At the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, she proved her speed against elite racers. She finished in sixth place in the World Championship individual time trial.

Climbing to the Top of Professional Cycling

Olympic Glory and Big Races

In 2020, Reusser raced for a professional squad and challenged the world's best. She finished near the front at the historic Liège–Bastogne–Liège race. Later that year, she rode in the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola. She sped along the course to earn a brilliant silver medal in the time trial.

The year 2021 brought even greater joy on the international stage. She traveled to Japan to race in the 2020 Summer Olympics. She raced her heart out in the Olympic road time trial. She finished second and proudly took home the silver medal for Switzerland.

Later that summer, she joined the European elite in Trentino. She pedaled to victory to claim the gold medal at the European time trial. Weeks later, she traveled to Brugge for the 2021 UCI Road World Championships. She earned another medal in the individual time trial event.

Victories in Major Tours and Classics

In 2022, Reusser joined the famous SD Worx racing team. She entered the exciting 2022 Tour de France Femmes. During stage 4, she launched a brave solo attack away from the pack. She rode entirely alone across gravel roads to win the stage with pure strength. Judges awarded her the most combative rider prize for her courage.

She also celebrated team success at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong. There, she won gold with her Swiss teammates in the mixed team relay. She also claimed a bronze medal in the individual time trial. At the Munich European championships, she won another gold in the time trial.

The 2023 season was filled with more famous trophy wins. She won the famous Belgian classic race Gent–Wevelgem. She won difficult week-long stage races like Itzulia Women in Spain. She also won the Tour de Suisse Women in front of her home fans.

At the 2023 Tour de France Femmes, she dominated the stage 8 time trial. She retained her title at the European time trial championships in Drenthe. At the 2023 UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow, she won the mixed team relay gold.

Becoming World Champion

Reusser joined the famous Movistar Team team to lead their racing goals. In 2025, she won the overall title at the Vuelta a Burgos. She also took another overall victory at the Tour de Suisse Women. During the Giro d'Italia Women, she won the opening individual time trial stage. That victory allowed her to wear the leader's jersey in Italy.

In September 2025, Reusser achieved a lifelong sporting dream. She raced at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships held in Kigali. She conquered the hilly roads to win the world time trial title. That win earned her the prestigious rainbow jersey that world champions wear. She also grabbed a fourth European title at the European Championships.

Her great form continued into the 2026 racing season. She started her spring campaign with a win at Dwars door Vlaanderen. In the summer, she captured her third title at the Tour de Suisse Women. During the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, she won stage 4 and led the race overall.

In September 2026, she traveled across the Atlantic to Montreal. She competed at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships against the fastest cyclists on Earth. Reusser delivered a masterclass ride to win the individual time trial gold again. That brilliant ride made her a back-to-back world time trial champion.

Major Cycling Achievements