Christoph Sauser

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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

My words about.........

February 17, 2009

Coffee:

I love coffee! After the season I drink a lots of it, but I am cutting it back as soon as I start training seriously again. So quick you get used to caffeine, and then I don‘t feel the boost any more. I prefer to have a good caffeine impact before a race, and that helps!

Chocolate:

There is always some good dark swiss chocolate in my traveling bags. I always buy too much at the airport in Zürich. To me the shops present it so well, you can not resist. It feels like they through it at me! And before I eat it all by myself, I like to give away to team or friends.

Sleep:

I am not a long sleeper in the mornings. I am more a morning person, and I am the most productive with my head at that time. Not physically that much. I am not into the 6 or 7am rides, like most of the South Africans do. I just can not get my pedals around at that time, even the air feels crispy and the sun is beautiful.

After a long night out I have no problem to to be active the next day. Sure I have sleepy eyes, but despite I can feel very strong on the bike.

What makes my life easy:

remote control, good plane seat, dry weather, bright hotel rooms, wifi, traveling bags on wheels, relaxed check in staff (she does not have to look pretty),

And what no so much:

too many remote controls, standing, waiting in lines, answering questions like this, heavy bags, traffic jam, noisy hotel rooms, mosquitos during the night

Groupies:

We just finished the Cape-Epic, and celebrated at the final dinner gala. A nice lady came up to me, as asked if I can not make a baby for her! I thought her biological age already passed it, unfortunately!

School:

I was a absolutely minimalist in school, who only learned for the teacher. I loved to play soccer though, and I was counting the seconds for to go out and play. I don‘t know how many hours I was daydreaming at the watch in the class room.

After school I made my metallurgy degree, and worked in a laboratory for four years. It was one of the greatest moments when I turned pro!

Embarrassing moment:

It was at Roc dʻAzur 2008, where I double fatted. Luckily a spectator helped me out with a second tube. He was dressed in a black jersey, white helmet and sunglasses. I told him to come around our team setup, that I can give him a new tube back. Around noon, a guy-dressed in black jersey, white helmet and sunglasses- was looking over out team barriers. Off I went, grabbed two tubes and handed it over to him with a big thanks. He looked very confused to me, but as he was standing there with the tubes, he shy asked me for my autograph too. A while later, a guy -dressed in black jersey, white helmet and sunglasses- was looking over the fence, and asking me for his tube. Now I was confused, and thought what a demanding guy, does he wants even three tubes for one!? And I told him that! But after checking him out better, I realized THIS is my man, and sure we still had tubes for him in our truck.

First transalp 1993:

This was my third time doing a long bike trip, and a promise that one was a real tough one.

We stayed in mountain huts, pushed the bikes over glacier and carried the bikes on the other side down again. I think we were going more on our foots then pushing the pedals!

But all those memories stay with me for ever!

Stats for Christoph Sauser are coming soon.
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