TALAVASEK HAS GREAT respect for Sauser—a racer he converses with in German and who shares his interest in small technical details. With bikes in production, Talavasek can now focus on Sauser's needs for the cross-country mountain-bike world championship. He designs a custom front derailleur attachment that will save a few more precious grams.

Capron and the marketing department thought out the Epic's public unveiling long ago. The plan is to send Sauser the new bike a month before the championship race in Italy. He'll discreetly practice on it beforehand. On race day, he'll unveil it at the start line and stow it quickly after the finish. In a best-case scenario, he'll win, and the cycling press will demand to know what he's riding.

But there's no guarantee he'll stand on the podium. Sauser has raced since 1993 and won bronze in the 2000 Olympics. At the world-championship cross-country race, he's placed in the top ten eight times and come in second twice, yet victory has eluded him.

By May 2008, the first Epic frames are in production in China. Frames from the pilot run are sent to HQ for still more testing, which shows that a vital part of the rear suspension is failing because a component has been poorly machined. Talavasek fears that racing the bike can lead to shock damage. Capron worries about bad publicity in the event of a mechanical failure. Days tick by as Trujillo works to get the vendor to recut the part. Sauser has been involved in the bike's development and believes it will help him win. When he's told about the problems, he makes it clear that he has to race on the new bike.

The svelte, matte-black frame and superlight cranks arrive in Milan just days before the race. Sauser's friend and mechanic, Benno Willeit, quickly builds it up with the parts he's stockpiled all spring. Sauser and Willeit make up one of the more maniacal racer-mechanic partnerships on the pro circuit, and the bike they build is a good two pounds lighter than the one Specialized will ultimately sell. They outfit it with extra-light plastic water-bottle-cage fasteners and sketchy, wafer-thin aluminum disc-brake rotors and caliper bolts. They put on flat carbon handlebars, grip shifters, a custom seatpost, and just two chainrings. The lower weight will aid Sauser's acceleration on flats and climbs. But he has just four days to try out the new bike.

The race lasts a little more than two hours, and mechanic Willeit watches closely, hoping the bike won't fail. After the third lap, Sauser takes a commanding lead. On an uphill section, he jokingly tells his team manager that he's in "standby" mode. Sauser crosses the line as the new world champion almost three minutes ahead of his compatriot Florian Vogel. The press swarms around the victorious racer, mainly to ogle his bike at close range and snap photos.

"I was the best rider in the world, riding the best bike in the world," he tells them. Back in Morgan Hill, Talavasek and the rest of the crew celebrate. And then, soon enough, they turn their attention to the next iteration of the Epic.