Swiss rider returns to studies after ending short career
Hubert Schwab won his final race, the Gäu-Rundfahrt, before retiring after only six years as a professional bike racer. Schwab decided to pursue new goals in his life and returned to studying last week. The Swiss raced for Quick Step from 2006 to 2009.
During that time he was winless, but was able to take the Swiss race when he pinned a number on for the final time. “To cross the line in first place at the last race is a very nice feeling,” he said on his webpage.
He was quite motivated to have a good result in his final race. “Already at the flat laps around Egerkingen, my girlfriend, my family and many friends were at the side of the road. They supported me loudly and with bells.”
Highly motivated, he reached the final climb with the field, which had just caught all the breakaway riders. His biggest rivals were Sven Schelling and Raymond Künzli. “Two kilometers from the line I was able to dislodge my last companion, Künzli, and save a small gap to the finish.”
Schwab had decided a while back to end his career with this particular race. “It was time for me to go for new goals in life, so I took up my studies again at the university of Basel. The Gäu-Rundfahrt seemed like the perfect career ending. The race was in my training grounds and, with a difficult mountain top finish, tailor-made for me.”
In 2005, Schwab won the first stage of the Vuelta a Navarra from Pamplona to Estella. He held on the leader’s jersey for three days, ending the race in 12th place overall. His fifth place in the mountains classification of the 2007 Tour of Poland showed his talent as a climber. But results never came in during his Quick Step years, so after four years it was time to say good-bye.
He switched to the Vorarlberg – Corratec team in 2010, then moved to Price – Custom Bikes in August.