MTB: Portrait of Camille Balanche – fantastic Swiss No. 1 in downhill

ByJean-Michel September 2, 2025September 3, 2025

As the 2025 Valais Mountain Bike World Championships have just begun, here is the portrait of a great lady of the downhill discipline.

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Portrait of Camille Balanche: the icon Neuchâtel mountain biker descent

Originally from the canton of Neuchâtel, Camille Balanche has become in just a few years one of the key figures in Downhill mountain biking. With her fluid style, impressive mental strength and an atypical sporting trajectory, she embodies Swiss excellence on the world stage. Born in Le Locle on March 1, 1990, she grew up in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Member of the Yeti / FOX Factory DH Team.

Camille on Wikipedia: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Balanche

The extreme downhiller with the Swiss jersey

His Instagram account with over 91k followers

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In 2025, she will be one of the big favorites of the Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, a historic edition bringing together all the disciplines in the heart of the Alps. For Camille, racing on home soil represents much more than a competition: it is a unique opportunity to shine in front of her home crowd and to further mark the history of Swiss mountain biking. These 2025 World Championships will be her last, everyone in the circuit will miss her.

Camille Balanche — Camilélée Balanche who lives in Macolin

Notable career and achievements

Camille didn't start out directly with downhill mountain biking. Coming from a diverse sporting background (ice hockey and another mountain biking discipline, Enduro), she discovered downhill late in life, but made a name for herself there with meteoric rise.

World Championship (1-day race with several rounds)

2020 World Champion in Leogang
Val di Sole 2021 Bronze Medal
Fort William Downhill Bronze Medalist 2023 Silver Medalist
Multiple World Cup victories and podiums
An inspiring figure for many young Swiss athletes

Downhill World Cup (general classification of the season)

2018 : 21^e of the general classification
2019 : 7^e of the general classification
2020 : 8^e of the general classification
2021 : 3^e general classification, winner of a race
2022 : 1^D of the general classification, winner of three races
2023 : 5^e of the general classification
2024 : 10^e of the general classification

European Championships

2019 1^era,
2020 2^th
2018 3^th

Swiss Championships

National downhill champion in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023!

His consistency and resilience in the face of injury make him a model of perseverance.

Summary table – Camille Balanche

Characteristic	Details
Full name	Camille Balanche
Origin	Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Discipline	Downhill mountain biking
Club/Team	Dorval AM Commencal Team
Major title	2020 World Champion
Other highlights	Regular podium finishers in the World Cup, icon of women's downhill
Target 2025	Shine at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, in front of the Swiss public

Camille Balanche and the 2025 World Cup in Valais

With such experience, Camille perfectly embodies Switzerland's ambition at these World Championships. Her ability to perform under pressure and harness the support of the crowd could well make the difference. For fans, seeing her take to the Valais slopes will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of this unique edition.

An inspiring portrait, between passion, perseverance and performance, which confirms that Camille Balanche is much more than an athlete: she is a true ambassador of Swiss mountain biking.