Bruno Risi knows from experience that mountain weather is unpredictable – even in high summer. Despite the cold, the former cycling professional treats himself to a coffee in the old village centre of Andermatt. He enjoys the peace before embarking on his gruelling tour: The three passes of Furka, Nufenen and Gotthard are on the itinerary today, along with a winding ride through three cantons and an elevation gain of more than 3,100m.

Using this Uri saying, Risi is putting in a nutshell what you need to climb a pass: never lose hope and never slow down. He is a Swiss cycling legend, multiple World and European Champion in track cycling, Olympia silver medallist and six-day series champion.

“Every time I ride over the pass is an adventure”, stresses Bruno Risi. It’s not long before he shows us exactly what he means when he tackles the first climb up the Furka: a chilly wind whistles past and after a downpour the clouds disperse and the sky opens up. The mystical atmosphere is a visual metaphor for Risi’s fight with himself and with the mountain.

The Gotthard massif is referred to as Switzerland’s soul of rock. History and the present are palpable in equal measure in this rocky and primeval landscape. Bruno Risi rides over mule trails and stone bridges, past wayside shrines and fortresses; the steam engine crosses the postal bus.

“Is that Risi?”, is an often-heard question during his 100km ride. Even the steam engine drivers give him a friendly wave. Risi has always been an emblem for the region: referred to as the “Uri bull” on account of his stubborn nature and “alpine tornado” on account of his stable speed.

“I always enjoy the liberation once I get to the top of a mountain”, is how Bruno Risi sums up the goal of his tour. It is suddenly warm like on a summer’s day and the sun is breaking through the clouds. He is satisfied, despite being overtaken today by some amateur cyclists: “They call out each time: ’Come on Risi!’ But I don’t want to measure myself against others, especially since these amateur racing buffs are usually in top form.”

Traversing mountain passes has a long history. The Gotthard Pass connected Northern Europe with Southern Europe, the Oberalp Pass led to the east and the Furka to the west. The Gotthard Pass evolved into an important way of crossing the Alps as travellers only had one pass to cross. Up to the beginning of the 19th century, only a simple mule track permitted trade between north and south. Around 1830, a passable road was built for carriages and sledges. The impressive Tremola is part of this original road up to the Gotthard Pass and is impressive testimony to an engineering masterpiece from a long-gone age.

Furka, Nufenen and Gotthard: this tour with its three mythical mountain passes that feature regularly on the Tour de Suisse programme is one of the absolute Alpine classics. Although it is only 106km long, it shouldn’t be underestimated: its 40km uphill climb makes it a real challenge.