Sauser extends lead at Bike Four Peaks

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Thanks to a successful attack on the last climb to Ehrenbachhöhe, Christoph Sauser was able to celebrate a back-to-back win on day 2 of the Bike Four Peaks after his victory on the opening stage yesterday. The reigning marathon world champion from Specialized Racing mastered the 76km course from Lofer to Kirchberg in Tirol in 3:07:37. That is some three and a half minutes faster compared to his last year's victory time on the same course.

The Swiss rider relegated Team Topeak Ergon racers Alban Lakata (3:09:09) and Kristian Hynek (3:09:45) to second and third. With his stage win, Sauser extended his lead in the overall ranking to 2:10 over Hynek.

Markus Kaufmann (Centurion Vaude) came in fourth (3:11:01.3), which meant he lost his second place in the men's category. However, the 2013 TransAlp champion was able to keep hold on the lead in the best climber classification for the red polka dot jersey with a total of 45 points.

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Sauser is in second with 41 points after he was the first to make it to the peak of the Ehrenbachhöhe, today's classified slope for the best climber category. But before the Swiss rider made the decisive attack in the ascent via the well-known finish jump of the famous Streif ski course and the Hahnenkamm, the Sigriswil native had worked together with a group of five.

Thanks to an amazing pace set right from the start of the stage up to Waidringer Höhenweg, Sauser, Kaufmann, Lakata, Hynek, their teammate Robert Mennen as well as Matthias Leisling (Kreidler Werksteam) had been able to break away and work together until the last climb of the day, when Sauser upped the tempo.

"I was riding pretty passive but then attacked in the last 200 metres of elevation gain. That worked out and I was able to break away," said Sauser, who then did well on the muddy downhill, setting the third quickest time down the pretty tough Fleckalm-Trail which counted for the enduro challenge.

"It was hard. It was hard to brake with those semi-slick tires so you have to let go while riding with care. But it was definitely the most exciting downhill I ever rode," he said. The defending Four Peaks champion was only beaten in the enduro category by Karl Platt (Team Bulls) and Andreas Kleiber (Texpa Simplon).

While Platt was able to defend the green jersey, Sauser had already the next day in mind and thus the short stage (46km) from Kirchberg to Neukirchen am Großvenediger. "It will be quite a battle. There are almost no flat parts. You have to be focused on every single metre."

That's a sentiment Lakata would agree with. He was pretty pleased with his first Four Peaks podium this year: "Knowing how far I've come since my bad injury last winter, I didn't expect to do so well. I knew that I could keep up with the field on the short climbs but also expected them to be stronger on the long ones. This is what happened. But my legs weren't tired so I hope that I can make up some time over the next two days. Susi (Christoph Sauser) is not unbeatable."

In the women's event, it looks like an easy task for Petra Marchart-Robeischl (RC Union Eindruck Sarleinsbach). The mother of one came in first again (4:06:50) edging off Cornelia Hug (CrazyVeloShop-Scott) (4:08:27.4) and Angela Parra (Seven Capital-Gallo) (4:14:49.2) to second and third like yesterday. Marchart-Robeischl now leads the women category with some six minutes over Hug.

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