In 1972 Ueli Sutter started at the Olympic Games in Munich and finished 24th in the street race. The following year he became a professional . 1978 was his most successful year, when he finished second in the overall ranking of the Tour de Suisse , winning the mountain classification at the Giro d'Italia , having finished second the year before, and finishing tenth in the overall ranking. In 1979 and 1981 he was again sixth in the Tour de Suisse .
In 1974 and 1975 Sutter was third in the Swiss road championship and in 1976 Swiss runner-up. In 1975 he finished third in the national championship in the Omnium and in 1977 in the standing championship second.