Christoph Sauser

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  • http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkFamily.jsp?sid=12EpicFSR&scid=1100&scname=Mountain

    S-Works Epic

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    S-Works MTB Helmet

    The lightest certified helmet in the world, worn by 2008 UCI World XC Champion Christoph Sauser...

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    MTB Shoes

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    Specialized Gloves

    Made to keep your grip sweat-free and your bike control precise ...

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    Tires

    The product that started it all.....

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    Saddles

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S-Works Epic

Christoph is the current UCI Marathon World Champion, a former World Cup overall winner, and Olympic medalist. Following is the story of his sporting background, told from his point of view.

Christoph's personal website is www.sauserwind.com.

"I grew up in a sport oriented family so I had a lot of support and encouragement to participate in many different sports from a young age. Some of my favorite sports when I was young were: rollerhockey, skiing, football and wrestling.

As a child I rode my bike a lot, but only back and forth to school. For me the bike was for transport and not really for pleasure. But I always appreciated that my bicycle was for me an efficient and independent form of transport.

When I saw a mountain bike the first time I got very excited as I could see the big potential of riding off road and having fun on the technical downhills. Before bikes came out with the triple chainring, climbing the steep trails to get to the top of the very fast downhills would have been impossible.

Since I had a long history in competitive sport it was natural for me to wonder what it would be like to race mountain bike. In '91 I found some information on a big mountain bike race in Switzerland called the Grand raid Cristalp. It looked like it was going to be a fun event for my first mountain bike competition. That race is a beautiful ride in the alps with a lot of competitors and for me that was a great experience. So I was excited to race a few more races in '91 and '92.

One night in a bar a friend of mine challenged me to apply for a racing license, and he even offered me to find a team to ride for. I started the '93 season as a member of the Parkpre team. It had just started that year and was perfectly managed. I raced for the Parkpre team for the first five years of my career.

In 1998 a big dream came through and I signed my first contract with a international team, Diamondback. That year was also the first time I stepped on a world cup podium, I won the U23 Euro Champs, plus finished second at worlds in the same category. I was very happy with my position on the team, but unfortunately the sponsorship situation for the next season was a little bit cloudy.

Lucky for me I had an offer from the number one team in the world in the name of Volvo-Cannondale at the end of the season. This of course was something I was very excited about and I had four great years on this team until 2003.

At that time Volvo pulled out of mtb-racing, but with Siemens-Cannondale I found another great team for the following 3 years, which was controlled under a completely different management. Only the bike was more or less the same.

Now I am going into the 4th year with Specialized Factory Racing team. We are a bunch of great people with the focus of racing and professionalism, but having lots of good fun next to it. With Specialized as such an innovative company we have the very best brand in our hands for winning races and being well promoted. We are Specialized!"

Biggest achievements:

Cross Country:
World Champion Italy 2008
Olympic Bronze Medalist Sydney 2000
World Cup Champion Overall 2004+2005
14 World Cup Wins
Vice World Champion 2005 and 2006, 3rd. 2001
Vice Word Cup Overall Champion 2002, 2003, 2008
6 Times Swiss Champion
European Champion U23 1998
Vice World Champion U23 1998

Marathon:
World Champion 2007
European Champion 2007

Achievements

2011 UCI XC Marathon World Champion

Stats

Cross Country World Championships Mont St.Anne, CAN

September 6, 2010

2 half laps, plus 6 laps

32nd place, 2.03hrs racing time, half a century down to new world champ José Hermida

I wish this would not be my worlds race report... flat tire in first lap. I only realized it when I passed tech zone, so I ended up walking for ever. Actually when Todd passed me, he has giving me his co2 "bomb", but there was only a fart left in it. When the co2 dropped on the ground, it activated the valve and air was starting to come out. I could only pick it up later, since there was too much traffic in that single trail. But all those seconds did not matter anyway. I just did not want to walk all the way to tech zone, and having to give way to the guys racing the bikes. Anyway I ended up walking, and when I got my new wheel I was "snailing" all over the course. The moral was gone!

B

y the way after the feed zone, there was a fence separating the course. So parallel riding. Absalon came down one side, me the other. I had no idea in what place he was riding. We just looked at each other going down there, and our looks said a 1000 words. I knew it right there that he is not racing for the win as well. At least he was about 8min ahead, and closer to finish this thing off.

Hey very well done to Burry, who finished 3rd on his 29er hardtail. Sure he will once be in the middle of that step, but José the old dog definitely deserved that win here!

Pictures will follow.

I am now on the way to Montreal with Burry and new downhill world champ Sam Hill. Sushi dinner is waiting with Specialized Canada. From there we three are going to my home, before a big Specialized event in Madrid will take place. Contador will attend too, so I can finally show him how to climb on a road bike :-)

Stats for Christoph Sauser are coming soon.
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