Christoph Sauser, the reigning Cross Country World Champion and double World Cup Overall Champion with sixteen World Cup wins behind his name, has confirmed his participation in this year’s Absa Cape Epic presented by adidas. The event, which is in its sixth year, will take place from 21 to 28 March 2009.

Sauser will again (as he did last year) team up with Burry Stander, South Africa’s most talented young mountain bike star, to ride the prologue and the seven 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 685 km up approximately 14 663m of climbing, which again finishes at its traditional Lourensford Wine Estate finish.

One of the most famous natural landmarks in Africa, Table Mountain, marks the beginning of the pioneering, tough and breathtaking mountain bike race. This will be the first time in the race’s history that the event will not start in Knysna. Following Table Mountain, the race then transfers into the Overberg region in search of the most exciting, beautiful and challenging routes

Sauser, who has been racing professionally since 1993, won the 2006 Absa Cape Epic with fellow Swiss rider Silvio Bundi. It will be the second year in a row that he races with Stander as team Songo.info.

Sauser lives in the mountain village of Sigriswil in the Alps in Switzerland, and spends at least 2 months training in Stellenbosch each year, states: “It’s the perfect place to live as it offers good road as well as mountain bike routes. I’m away for more than half the year, during which I live out of my travelling bag, so it’s always good to return home.”

Twenty one year-old Stander, who lives and trains in Port Shepstone, Kwazulu-Natal, is the current South African Under 23 cross-country mountain biking champion – a title he has won six times in different age groups. He also finished second in the Under 23 World Championship, second overall in the World Cup Andorra, 5th overall in the World Cup Series and 15th at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Responding to the question on how it came about that he and Sauser are riding together again, Stander jokingly answered that their other team mate, American Todd Wells did not want to ride, “so I had no choice’. Commenting on his injury during stage 3 of last year’s Epic which led to the withdrawal of his team, Stander says that he is grateful for what happened. “I now know how to avoid something similar from happening in the future.” His training includes the basic base phase over the summer with more focus on speed and stamina as he gets closer to racing season. His diet is also not too strict, but he tries not to eat too much junk food.

Sauser’s reply to the question of racing with Stander again is simply: “I like mountain bike stage racing, especially in South Africa which has become my second home. The race is extremely well organised, and the racing level high! During the race there is a lot of hype and some rivalry builds up between the top contenders. To then finish as the strongest team overall, is awesome. Burry is an all or nothing rider, and I like that attitude! And he’s a very nice guy, with the potential to win!” Commenting on Stander’s injury last year, he said that he knew there was no way they could keep going. “Burry wouldn’t have let me down. So all you can do is to accept it! I’m very pleased that he’s knee is fine and that he had a great season.”

Sauser adds: “There’s no magic secret to training for the Epic. I’m my own coach and I’m a pretty tough guy when it comes to racing. I see that I do lot of good quality workouts and not so much base training. Our racing is two hours and for that you need to be explosive. The longer distances I have in my blood and I don’t need to train for much, although it’s nice to do a longer ride here and there. The difficult thing for me is the intervals. I’m generally a healthy eater and try not to stress my digestion system when I’m training hard. I love to have a cold draft beer after a ride, though!”

According to Stander: “I’m very excited about this year’s Epic. I think the most important ingredients to win this race are a good support team, a strong partner to tow you and a positive mindset. My driving force is that I want to do better each time I race.” He would also like to bring home the U/23 World Championship Gold Medal this year.

Sauser adds that you need a steady race every day, no major mechanical issues and a great team. “Plus being awake 1 minute before the alarm goes off in the early mornings!”

With regards to the new route of this year’s Absa Cape Epic, he says: “I like change, and I bet it will be great to have a couple of days at some of the venues. The new route setups will be bigger and better, giving the public better access. On the other hand, it was cool to start in Knysna also and travelling across the Western Cape. Ask me again after the race.”

In his free time Stander enjoys spending time with his girlfriend. “Although, at the moment I have very little free time.”

Sauser enjoys skiing in the winter. “During the summer and autumn season I spend lots of time free riding with my specialised Enduro or Stumpjumper and only my backpack, going from hotel to hotel. This is the best time of year to spend time on a bike. After sport I really like spending time in coffee shops with friends.” His ambitions for 2009? “Defending my world champ title in Australia, and winning the World Cup overall for the third time.”

Says Kevin Vermaak, founder and director of the Absa Cape Epic: “The Absa Cape Epic has become an institution on the global mountain biking calendar. As the largest full service, mountain bike stage race in the world and the first and only mountain bike stage race to be classified HC (hors categorie) by the UCI, the race annually hosts the world’s most accomplished and legendary mountain bike riders.

“All eyes will be on the Western Cape as the world’s top riders vie for a position in what is billed to be the most competitive mountain bike stage race on the international racing programme for 2009,” Vermaak concludes.

For those not participating in the full race, there is a call for entries into the one day mountain bike race, the MTN Vigne à Vigne presented by Cape Times. Interested riders can register online at www.vigne-a-vigne.com.

Follow the action along the route and encourage your favourite team. Visit www.cape-epic.com for more details and to see where the riders are online.

For more info on Christoph Sauser, please visit his website at www.sauserwind.com.

Share in the legend!

Marco Carvalho  has started to paint his masterpeice! Incase you missed the whole thing-Marco is a loyal Christoph Sauser supporter and has decided to use is talent to support this South African Chairty Project. He is a well-known and popular Portuguese artist who is painting this picture to auction off. All the proceeds will go to the songo.info bmx charity project.

 Marco will be writing a little more about the painting when it is finished.  We will let you know the process to follow if you would like to make a bid on this exectional painting. If you have any queries please email songo.info@gmail.com

On a completely different note, Burry Stander had a fantastic Giro del Capo and ended up an incredible 15th overall, 2nd u23-not bad for a mountain biker who is doing his first Giro!! His time was 14 h 52′…looking forward to the Cape-Epic.

These photographs are from the township of Kayamandi, which is situated on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. They show what daily life is like in this community:

There are no services. Rubbish is left to lie in the streets with dirty washing water occasionally washing it away, to further clog the unmaintained storm water drains. The matchbox homes are built on top of each other, out of whatever can be found – pieces of wood, plastic, tin… in summer they are hotboxes and in winter, they are death grippingly cold.

Kayamandi means ‘sweet home’ and that is what it is for the 33 000 people who live there. It is home. No matter what us first worlders thing of it. Where ever you look, there are laughing and smiling people. Happy to be alive. Happy to have opportunity and a chance to make something of themselves, to be successful. For me, I see more success in Kayamandi than anywhere else. People who have so little and yet are so happy.

There is a general excitement amongst the kids, who are waiting for the first bit of earth to be moved on the BMX track site. But the songo.info team has along way to go, there are still kilometers to be bought and donations to be made. I wish I could take everyone into Kayamandi, to experience a gratefulness like never before.

Christoph Sauser and Burry Stander are riding the Cape-Epic for this cause, to generate money so that the songo.info BMX project can become a reality. I urge you, be part of making a difference through this South African Charity Project.

Gary Marescia, the owner of the Westlake and Northgate cycle-lab , has bought 2 kilometers of the ABSA Cape Epics 950km which will be riden by the current marathon world champion (Christoph Sauser) and South Africa’s shinning mountain biking star (Burry Stander).

Cycle-lab has purchases these kilometers to support the construction of the songo.info BMX track in Kayamandi. On behalf of all who are involved in this wonderful South African charity project, we really appreciate your generous donation!

“For Cycle Lab Western Cape it’s a pleasure being able to contribute to this cause. Cycling, in comparison to other sports has a relatively high money entry point, so if we can help give children an opportunity to experience ‘normal’ play activities like riding a bike in a safe environment as we experienced as kids, it’s worth it. Sport plays such a huge influence on children’s development, both physically, but most importantly…. mentally”

Christoph Sauser, Fraser Cartmell and Silvio Bundi

Fraser Cartmell, has purchased 1 kilometer in support of the songo.info bmx project.

Fraser is a half-ironman specialist from the UK, and has recently returned home, after spending 3 months training in Stellenbosch, which I have heard him say, he loved, and will be back for another training block. Having got to know him personally, I rekon you could never find a nicer guy! Thanks so much for you generous donation to this South African Charity Project.

Two years ago, at a sports event in the mountains I met Susi and so I got interested in MTB and startet to ride mountain bikes as well. With that sport I have met so many interesting and good people and I could experience lots of excitement and satisfaction. Since Susi is a great and trustful person, I did not have any hesitation to support this super idea with a little donation”

Claudia Mummenthey, on behalf of her German friends, has bought 2 kilometers of the ABSA Cape Epic.

Her friends wanted to donate their money to a South African Charity, and Claudi has chosen to give it to the songo.info BMX project.

Through your donation you are going to be a part of a new facility , the BMX track in Kayamandi, which will bring hope to many children. Thank-you for your generosity.

I think this is an excellent project that will add real value to the lives of the kids that get to use this BMX track.

I fully support the principle of the JAG Foundation that getting kids involved in sport and teaching them about health and fitness will help them say no to drugs.

I’m pleased to see local people like Songo and Elana Meyer working with international sports stars like Chrisoph Sauser to get South African children into sport. Well done Songo.info and the JAG Foundation!

Today I am flying back home to Switzerland, from America. I have been visiting Specialized for product testing, photo shoots as well as attending the first stage of the Tour of California.

Good times, but now I am ready for home agian. All this can take a lot of energy from you, even without doing any major cycling workouts.

The Cape-Epic is not so far away any more, so I better get rid of travelling legs and jet lag at home, and then kick my butt on my bike agian!