Four World Championships and five Cape Epics: the story of MTB legend Christoph Sauser hits the shelves

Christoph Sauser, one of the most important riders in the history of mountain biking, will be the focus of a new book just announced by his wife, Andrea Marcellini Sauser. The work, titled Shifting Gears – The Christoph Sauser Story, will be published on November 21 and aims to uncover the most personal side of an athlete who marked an era in XCO and XCM.

The story of one of the great legends of MTB will come to a book: Christoph Sauser will have his own biography

The story of Christoph Sauser will for the first time be presented in a book dedicated to his sporting life. His wife, Andrea Marcellini Sauser, has just announced the release of Shifting Gears – The Christoph Sauser Story, a biography that chronicles the journey of one of the great figures in international MTB.

The interesting aspect of this project is precisely who has written it. Andrea has spent 15 years sharing her life with the Swiss ex-cyclist and has been able to closely witness many of the experiences behind a top-level sports career. That personal perspective will be one of the elements that will distinguish the book from a simple collection of results.

RECOMENDADO

From MTB to road racing: Decathlon plans women’s team featuring some very familiar names

“All I can do now is be patient”: Victor Koretzky undergoes third surgery as he continues to struggle with the injury that has kept him out all year

UCI leaves Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla off its first list: what will happen in 2027?

Q36.5 launches the Vampire Hooded, a winter jacket developed for Tom Pidcock with an integrated balaclava

Gobik Envy review: a technical gilet that offers far more than meets the eye

Hutchinson unveils FlashAir, its new pocket-sized electric pump for road, gravel and MTB

Andrea herself has explained that, although many currently know her for her work organizing cycling competitions, she also has a background in journalism. For years, she wrote a column in the magazine BikeAction and has now revived that facet to tackle her first book.

As she has hinted in her announcement, the work will address the ambitions, difficulties, and sacrifices that accompany an elite sports career. A story that, therefore, will not be focused solely on victories, but also on what it means to remain among the best cyclists in the world for years.

The book listing published on Goodreads also includes Christoph Sauser among its credits and notes that the foreword is signed by Mike Sinyard, founder of Specialized, a brand closely linked to much of the Swiss's career.

Four world titles, two World Cups, and five Cape Epic

Talking about Christoph Sauser is to talk about one of the fundamental names in the evolution of competitive mountain biking. The Swiss was a key figure in a generation where he raced alongside figures like Julien Absalon, José Antonio Hermida, and Nino Schurter, excelling in both Olympic cross-country and long-distance events.

His palmarès includes the world title in XCO achieved in Val di Sole in 2008, three World Championships in XCM (2007, 2011, and 2013), two overall World Cup XCO titles (2004 and 2005), and a bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

However, one of his greatest contributions to MTB came in stage races. Sauser was one of the great dominators of the Cape Epic, where he accumulated five overall victories between 2006 and 2015, partnering with riders like Silvio Bundi, Burry Stander, and Jaroslav Kulhavý. In 2015, he became the first cyclist to achieve five victories in the prestigious South African event.

His career was also deeply linked to Specialized, a relationship that lasted through much of his major international successes.

When it will be published and where it can be purchased

Shifting Gears – The Christoph Sauser Story is scheduled for release on November 21, 2026, initially in English. It will be available in electronic and print formats through Amazon, although there will also be signed printed copies that can be purchased via the link provided by Andrea on her social media.

Additionally, the author has confirmed that a Portuguese edition is planned for early 2027.

In the coming weeks, Andrea will also share new stories and details related to the book, an opportunity to better understand the content of a work that recovers the journey of one of the great protagonists in the history of mountain biking.