Sauser will change teams together with his mechanic Benno Villeit, having worked his way up to become one of the best and most successful mountain bikers in the world with Markus Rainer and Alex Wurz over the past three years. "It's tough to suddenly end a seven-year collaboration with Cannondale. But the options offered by Specialized are excellent," says the overall World Cup winner about his change of team. Incidentally, Sauser negotiated on Monday during a freeride tour and later throughout the night until a solution was found in the early hours of the morning.

According to Sauser, Cannondale will become stronger next year with the "Heijdens Ten Tusscher Racing Team", which would not have been the ideal environment for the Swiss rider. Markus Rainer will also remain in mountain bike racing, but the exact form is still open. The situation of Cedric Gracia, who was Sauser's teammate until this season, is also not yet clear. Ride will report on this as soon as details are known.