As a racer, the 42-year-old from Bern prepared meticulously for the big competitions and always endeavored to get the best out of his equipment. Anyone who got to know him a little better knows that the outwardly ascetic-looking Sauser was already a great connoisseur back then - from weeks of trail riding to various culinary delights. His top athlete and culinary side therefore shaped his professional future. Sauser probably never expected that his culinary streak would prevail.

Decided against the dream job

Firmly welded to Specialized, Sauser was certain during his sporting career that he would work for his sponsor afterwards. In fact, he stayed with the high-end brand from Morgan Hill after his transition to "normal" professional life. Employed 100% as Performance Manager, Sauser took care of a wide range of issues for the cross-country team. "It was a cool transition for me to switch from being a pro to working life like that," he looks back.

But then Christoph Sauser was offered a new position internally: Global Marketing Manager. What sounds like a dream job to many mountain bikers was too political, too bureaucratic for him and: "There's a lot of talking in this job and very little tangible production."

Half measures have never been Sauser's thing. And, in order to make a difference, a move to Morgan Hill in the USA would have been necessary.
"I've always liked being my own boss and wanted to build something interesting. Thanks to the pressure from Morgan Hill to leave my comfort zone, I then decided to do something completely different."

No longer a performance manager but an ambassador for Specialized, Christoph Sauser introduced his race partner Simon Andreassen (left) to the art of riding the Cape Epic this year. Photo ©Shaun Roy

The new "horizon"

Why one of the most successful mountain bikers in history became a coffee roaster can be explained by more than just a pronounced connoisseur gene. Compared to the biking hobby baristas, Christoph Sauser is a coffee savant. This can be seen, among other things, in the fact that he brews his own filter coffee. The coffee that flows through the paper bag is all the rage among coffee aficionados. And rightly so, says Sauser: "You can't get the variety of flavors that a top coffee has from the beans with a portafilter machine." Incidentally, most Italian coffee blends are roasted far too strongly and espresso is a concentrate that allows for a much less complex taste experience.

For the man from Bern, coffee is now more than just a professional hobby. It is his professional future. A race in Colombia, in the middle of the coffee-growing region, sparked his interest in looking further than the tastiest roast blend. "I spent a year reading, attending courses and trying things out, and thanks to great connections from Colombia, I was able to visit small, remote coffee farmers there and now import their excellent raw beans."

Sauser roasts the raw beans (left) for the various brewing methods. Photo ©José Crespo

Coffee is his new passion, and for Sauser this involves more than just roasting. "I believe in direct and fair trade, innovation and perfection. Horizonte connects coffee lovers with coffee farmers whose stories we know and in whom we are happy to invest."

Sauser imports the coffee beans from Ethiopia and Kenya via a specialty coffee trader in England.

He processes these in Leysin (VD). He set up his own roastery there last winter, installed a packaging line and had an online shop programmed, which will be operational from April 15, 2019.

His own boss and "girl for everything". Sauser likes the versatility of his new job. Photo ©José Crespo

True to the brand and focused

As an ambassador, he continues to ride for Specialized, as a coach or at stage races. With "Horizonte Coffee Roasters", however, he has taken on a new challenge. Now he wants to win over as many people as possible for his specialty coffee. For beginners, he has good-natured varieties with which it is easy to make a good coffee. And those who have worked their way up to the higher art can also find suitable beans from Sauser.

Christoph Sauser is happy with his decision: "Actually, I work more than before. But with the varied tasks that this job entails, it suits me very well. What's more, being self-employed is not so far removed from being a racing driver: it goes up and down, but ultimately the red thread of success must always go upwards."

A "happy camper" despite more work: Sauser suits his role as a roaster. Photo ©José Crespo

www.horizontecoffee.com