Specialized rider reflects on runner-up performance at Leadville
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Now Christoph Sauser has the Leadville belt buckle too(Image credit: Christoph Sauser)
Christoph Sauser riding in Switzerland(Image credit: Christoph Sauser)
More stunning riding in Switzerland(Image credit: Christoph Sauser)
Stunning riding in Switzerland(Image credit: Christoph Sauser)
A soigneur's starter before the main course!(Image credit: Christoph Sauser)
Stunning climbing in Switzerland(Image credit: Christoph Sauser)
I went back home to Switzerland after my Leadville 100 adventure in mid-August. I definitely don't mind having oxygen in the air again. I already felt the difference at Frankurt airport where I had to walk up stairs. It was like I got fit over night, plus I lost my asthmatic attacks too!
The Leadville race was a 6.5-hour long asthma atack and there was a "sea of lactic acid" in my legs. I never felt good except on the long downhills... I also think Alban [Lakata] was super strong, winning his first Leadville title while I , on the other hand, had to ride too much over my limit. I learned my lessons and I will be back with much more experience next year again. You can find out more by watching the awesome "I-am-Specialized" footage from Leadville plus some of me at home.
On Sunday morning after Leadville, we watched a super exciting Olympic cross country race on TV. Well done to my Specialized teammate Jaroslav [Kulhavy] who won gold on his Specialized Epic 29er!
Sure it was hard not to be there racing. Instead, I was watching it on TV, same as when I was a kid 1996 in Atlanta. What ever you can not do or not have, makes you wish you could, I am sure if I were in London, I'd feel like I was missing out on Leadville.
After Leadville, I made use of our incredible summer weather and went camping for the weekend in Crans Montana, Switzerland. That's where the included pictures are taken.
Now it's time for my last cross country world championships in Austria. I am very excited! Since I started racing 1993, I have participated in every world champs, so I have seen 20 total venues.
As a junior, I raced both downhill and cross country. Back then, I was much better in downhill and finished around 10th. Nicolas Vouilloz and Cedric Gracia were flying. 1995 in Kirchzarten, I participated in the downhill only, and I remember that I crashed out hard.
After the new U23 category got introduced, I changed to cross country completely and left my downhill bike at home.
I hope we will have good weather at this year's Worlds in Austria, not like last time back in 2002 in Kaprun when it was so cold and raining. That was probably my worst Worlds performance ever. I was already freezing at the start, and I remember a big wooden fly-over which was steep, long and slippery. I did not have the power any more to ride over the top and slid down the same side again...
Former mountain bike world champion Christoph Sauser has a lengthy palmares, including multiple Cape Epic victories. The Swiss rider is blogging for Cyclingnews from the South African stage race in 2017, providing insight into his experience and the race overall.
