Christoph Sauser, the former Cross Country World Champion and World Cup Overall Champion (with 16 World Cup wins behind his name) twice, has confirmed his participation in this year’s Absa Cape Epic presented by adidas. The event, which is in its seventh year, will take place from 21 to 28 March 2010.

Sauser will again team up with South Africa’s most talented young mountain biking champion, Burry Stander, to ride the eight stages of the magical and untamed African mountain bike race.

The dramatic new route of the event will be as challenging as previous years. The race, the biggest of its kind in the world, will offer both local and international mountain biking enthusiasts the opportunity to participate in an eight day mountain bike race of 722 km up approximately 14 635m of climbing, which again ends at its traditional Lourensford Wine Estate finish.

Sauser, who has been racing professionally since 1993, won the 2006 Absa Cape Epic with fellow Swiss rider Silvio Bundi. It will be the third consecutive year that he races with Stander as team Songo.info. Sauser lives in mountain village Sigriswil in the Alps in Switzerland, and spends at least 2 months training in Stellenbosch each year. Twenty two year-old Stander, who lives and trains in Port Shepstone, Kwazulu-Natal, is the current Under 23 World Champion as well as the 2008 and 2009 World Cup Champion, and finished in third position overall in last year’s UCI World Cup series.

Sauser, who has participated in the Absa Cape Epic every year since 2006, says he really enjoys this event. “I love stage racing! It creates stories, rivalry and friendship over so many days. It’s tough and a win is worth so much more compared to a one day race. The Absa Cape Epic is also very well organised with big hype surrounding it, and we ride through beautiful landscapes.” This will be Stander’s third Absa Cape Epic, which he describes as “a very unique challenge”.

Riding together for the third year in a row and having won 4 of the 7 stages last year, Sauser comments that “it’s is our big goal to finally win this year! But, this event is unpredictable, even if you’re considered to be one of the strongest teams.”

Stander adds: “After the last two years, I know not to be too confident. We’re in good shape this year, and hopefully luck will be on our side.”

With regards to the revised UCI Rules, Sauser feels that they have improved for the better.
“In any road stage race you have team cars supporting you, and outside assistance is allowed. We should therefore also be allowed similar privileges as we ride through such rough terrain.

"In addition, the cost for any team to participate in the event is enormous, so the rules must be reasonable. The race has to stay alive - and most importantly, the strongest team has to be able to win!”

For Stander not that much has changed. “Yes, there are more tech zones but they’re still far apart. If you have problems at the wrong time, it’ll cost you the race for sure.”

According to Sauser, the two train together quite often. “Since we are specialised team mates, we ride together often at the races and team camps in Stellenbosch.” He adds with a smile:
“The one day we even rode back from a World Cup to my home. It was way too long and we sucked at the next race the weekend after. I guess those mountain passes were too much for us. We’re a great team, and we have a lot of fun together and can motivate each other.”

Sauser reckons he can write a book about training. “I sometimes don't know why I train the way I choose to. A lot of it is just intuition or experience.” For Stander, base training consists of up to 30 hours and intense weeks are around 15 hours. “Tapering for big events consist of 10 hours or less a week. My diet isn’t very strict – I try to avoid junk food and supplement with USN.”

Sauser’s advice for other participants is “go into the race with a specific and attainable goal, try find some groups with similar strengths, train for it so you can enjoy it, have a cold beer at the finish and eat Swiss chocolate!” Stander adds: “Don’t over think before the race. Go out there and take it as it comes. Stressing about things will only tire you out before the start.”

To finish this challenging event, Sauser feels you need to build strength and have the right equipment. For Stander, “good old ‘vasbyt’ is important. And remember, it’s hard for everyone.”

Sauser’s message to young athletes who see him as a role model is not to be afraid to talk to him. “I’m very approachable, unless I’m late for the start, or I finally get something to eat.
Start riding or racing slowly and make a lot of mistakes! You will learn - like that you still have room to improve every year!” Says Stander: “Mountain biking is a healthy sport in which you can reach the top whilst sticking to your values and maintaining a balanced lifestyle.”

Sauser loves outdoor activities in his free time. “I really like free riding with my Enduro bike and backpack from hotel to hotel, or backcountry skiing. But during the racing season I don’t have much energy for anything else. Then I enjoy reading, chatting to friends or watching TV.” Stander enjoys hanging out on the beach, or watching a movie.

Both would like to add another World Championship or Wold Cup title to their names this year – and of course winning the Absa Cape Epic!