Fabian Cancellara has returned to the world of competitive cycling, joining the Swiss Racing Academy as a "mentor and development advisor" for the Continental team.

The four-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion, who retired from racing in 2016, will use his experience to support 15 young Swiss riders.

The team's tagline is "Better Cyclists, Better Humans," with the goal of developing riders not only as future professional cyclists, but also as people ready for other walks of life.

"I joined this project because the Swiss Racing Academy looks out for both top riders and less talented riders," Cancellara told Het Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab).

"I was lucky enough to climb to the narrow top of the pyramid, but there are others who can't take that step. Of course, results are an important factor, but I believe it is equally important to develop athletes with human values. We want to help those who cannot have a career succeed in another life."

Cancellara retired in 2016 after winning his second Olympic time trial title, ending a career that included seven monumental victories and eight Tour de France stage wins.

Cancellara has remained involved in cycling ever since, working on product development for BMC, SRAM, and Gore, as well as organizing mass participation events. His involvement with the Swiss Cycling Academy led him back to the world of racing, but he insisted that a leadership role was a good fit for him and he never considered becoming a team manager or coach.

"Just because I don't have those skills. I'm not a data freak, I'm not a trainer. I like to work on the basics, the following things. I teach what I learned in Mapei, Fassa Bortolo, Bjarne Ris, and Trek: ...... I was able to go to a very special school, so I like to share those things."

"I hope that in the next five years I can create a wave of enthusiasm for cycling in all aspects of this country, and don't forget that the 2024 World Championships will be held in Zurich. I am also part of the foundation Bicycling, which encourages children to try BMX. As an ambassador for this sport, I want to encourage as many people as possible to get on a bike. The more of them there are, the happier I am."