Two days with MTB World Champions
Have you ever spoken to a MTB world champion? Or had a world champion take you out for a buddy ride? Have you ever had a meal cooked for you by a world champion? Have you ever been cosily and exclusively put up in a B&B with a world champ? Well Thys Neser and Brett Sachs can answer yes and more on all these counts, having just spent three days in the company of not one, but two world champions – Christoph Sauser (Multiple World Championships) and Rebecca Rush (24 Hour MTB World Champion) – both part of the Specialized world team. Unfortunately Burry Stander had to leave for Pietermaritzburg after the Epic. We could have had this experience with three World Champions!
Christoph Sauser is heavily involved in the Songo project and every mountain biker worth his/her salt would have followed Christoph and Burry’s unbelievable Absa Cape Epic adventures under the Songo name. This is the name of the charity of which Christoph Sauser took ownership. The first Songo project is being run in Kyamandi – a black township on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Songo has built a BMX track and has purchased at least 50 BMX bikes as well as proper MTB gear for the children of Kyamandi. They also have about 30 mountain bikes for proper dirt road riding. Brett and I watched six year old kids racing around on the track. Various older kids also participated – boys and girls. While watching these children becoming bike riders, the thought came up to start something similar in our hometown: a Songo/Club 100 / Diepsloot project, with a link to Northern Farms. Ultimately you need at least two “champions” to run the project: someone from the township and the second from Club 100 to take ownership. We undertook to investigate this and report back to Christoph. We could even link it to a race such as the Epic. Possibly more about this later.
Brett will be writing a technical report on the innovation and dedication within the Specialized team. I have to report on the human side of the Specialized team and of course on their champions. Unfortunately there are some things that we have to keep to ourselves and our MTB friends will just have to see where we have improved and then follow…. Some of the other things we can tell you. Just don’t tell the other local Clubs.
Firstly the guys were extremely relaxed after a race with the intensity of the Epic. Mental relaxation, as well as physical rest and play, are important post-race elements. So although we were ready and eager as beavers to start training at 05h00 on our first day with the world champion, we only got going after 10h00. Africa has had its effect on Mr Sauser and we started even a few minutes after the hour! Our heart rate average for the next 150 minutes was not even 70% – I wonder what CS’s average was – most probably not even 50% – so it was just play. Christoph was great and listened to our stories and answered our questions. No ego, no humouring a team of guys over 112 years old (combined), no showing his strength – just riding like we sometimes do when we are just enjoying our bikes.
The rest of the day, the two mechanics cleaned and packed all the bikes in order to send them to America, Switzerland and Pietermaritzburg for the first World Cup. The evening our host was the cook. Special ostrich steaks and vegetables were prepared by him and we can confirm that he enjoys a glass of wine for good health. The whole Specialized team attended the dinner. That was after Brett and I had a nice massage from Claire, the soigneur. We had the full treatment, but she also showed us how to massage ourselves with a massage foam roller – cool when on tour. Brett peppered the mechanics with questions in order to extract all their secrets; and of course gave them a lot of his own thoughts and advice!
The team showed us a video recording of the incident when Burry and Christoph lost the Cape Epic due to a 1 hour penalty. Burry was taking a drink from his bottle, and hooked a tree/root and went down hard destroying the front wheel of his bike. The DCM team was with them at that stage and stopped to assist. It is amazing to look at this whole incident on TV – it was recorded by a Brazilian TV team on a motorbike. Eventually they decide to give Burry the DCM bike (They could not provide a wheel due to the fact that they used a lefty front fork). The motorbike picks up the damaged bike to transport to the water point about 4km further and the three riders leave. Then Max Knox looks at the damaged wheel in his hands, shakes his head and starts running. What a great commitment by DCM.
On the second morning, we were back on the bikes. We decided not to hurt Christoph too much. Dan Hugo (one of our most promising X Terra athletes competing in the USA) also joined us. We didn’t hurt him either. Once again we were totally accepted by these two athletes and we finished the ride feeling sure that Christoph would perform admirably in the SA Cup, and of course in the World Cup race the following weekend in KZN. Our job was over and our fling with the Specialized team was almost at an end.
This was most probably a once in a lifetime experience for normal riders like ourselves. It was special to have been accepted and embraced by a highly professional team. We left with renewed respect for the team and their champions: we arrived as strangers, but left as friends. The Specialized team can be sure that they have gained two committed, passionate fans!
I am sure we will be invited next year to assist with the Specialized/Sauser team again. Until then.
Safe riding.
Brett Sachs and Thys Neser
Browse Timeline
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
