Officially, Switzerland's former world champion, Christoph Sauser, is on holiday in South Africa, but that's not stopping him from taking part in the six-day Cape Pioneer Trek that started today and runs through October 23.
Sauser, who rides for Specialized, said he is participating in the South African mountain bike stage race for the joy of it, but even a less than 100-percent effort could put him in contention for the podium.
During last year's race, Sauser seemed to get stronger and more motivated as the tour progressed. This led to a final stage victory for him and teammate Bobby Behan. They were also second in the third stage. Overall, they finished fourth.
"South Africa hosts many mountain bike stage races, and the Cape Pioneer was such a relaxed event over six days in the Klein Karoo," said Sauser. "The comradeship was awesome, and we had so much to laugh and joke about. The fact that some of the stages were long, windy and rocky, made the rest of the time even better."
This year, Sauser has partnered with fellow Swiss racer Silvio Bundi. The pair won the 2006 Cape Epic together.
Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for full coverage of the Cape Pioneer Trek.