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BMC and Phonak boss Andy Rihs passes away at 75

Rhis remembered as a passionate supporter of cycling

Andy Rhis
April 19, 2018
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Andy Rhis

Swiss billionaire and passionate cyclist Andy Rihs has passed away at 75-years-old. The owner of UCI WorldTour BMC Racing Team was heavily involved in professional cycling and was the owner of BMC bicycles having bought the company in 2000. Rihs had been suffering from Leukemia and passed away Wednesday.

Rihs found business success with Sonova, the world’s largest hearing aid company which his father started. A portion of his wealth went towards financing his passion for cycling. He was the owner of the Phonak team from 2000 to 2006 and when that team was disbanded after a doping scandal started team BMC which went on to win the 2011 Tour de France with Cadel Evans.

In the 2000s, Rihs owned the Phonak Cycling Team which was named after his hearing aid brand. Floyd Landis rode to the top step of the 2006 Tour of France in the colours of the team. Landis, of course, then tested positive for testosterone and was disqualified with the team then disbanded at the end of 2006. Tyler Hamilton also rode for Phonak in 2004 and Canadian Ryder Hesjedal spent a season riding for the team in its final year. In 2007, Rihs founded the BMC racing team.

“With him, an exemplary visionary, an avid sports fan, a passionate cyclist, and a great supporter of sport has left us,” a BMC statement read. “His generosity, his sense of humour, and his infectious laugh have shaped the man that has been by our side since the beginning of BMC Racing Team. Our grief is indescribable, but we will carry on his values.”

On Thursday, the cycling world remembered Rihs and paid tribute to his contributions to the sport.

https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/986880840004263936