An ever-present of the UCI World Cup circuit since making his debut in 1997, the G.O.A.T is also the focus of a new documentary ‘Not Done Yet’, which follows Minnaar’s quest to end his career on an all-time high. Watch the full documentary now on Eurosport Cycling!
We would like to thank all the contributors, especially Thomas Sandel – Norco Team Videographer, for his superb footage and support throughout the project.
Follow the Norco Race Division on social media:
Greg Minnaar (@gregminnaar)
Gracey Hemstreet (@graceyhemstreet)
Lucas Cruz (@lucascruzmtb)
Norco Race Division (@norcoracedivision)
Norco Bicycles (@norcobicycles)
Thomas Sandel (@thomassandell_)
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I’ve never really thought about how I’d want people to see me as a race in years to come but maybe it’s been able to say that every world champion or great Rider that came through the sport I’ve beaten them Head to Head it’s incredible just what he’s been able to accomplish he’s just brilliant like he’s a legend in his own time he’ll kill himself love to win at anything whether you like him or you don’t like him what the guy has done for how long he’s done it for puts him in a class of one he’s the greatest of all time he wants to go out as the best just watching what we had built crumbled right before our eyes there’s no ways I can end like this okay can we get a think up Greg i’m Greg man from Peter Marburg in South Africa I race on the Santa Cruz Syndicate and I race downhill mountain [Music] biking you remember when you meet Greg and I good looking fast smart than they yeah and you have to compete against him how would I sum up my relationship with Greg that’s complicated mostly good he’s very kind gentle he’s softspoken very caring he puts a lot of people before himself fussy picky pain in the ass nobody’s as big a pain in the ass because I think because we’re friends Greg manard is undoubtedly for me the goat he’s won four UCI World Championships in downhill he’s won three overall titles and he currently holds the record for elite men’s wins at 23 which puts him in a class of his own he works really hard he does the work but he also does the other parts I’ve never met anybody party that hard and wake up and be absolutely fine sorted me out could have another beer now I’ll remember him is the funniest guy I’ve ever known just a PE right now to Greg’s Got That Rock Star Quality if he walks into a cafe or he walks into a bar it’s more likely a bar and people don’t know who he is he has that magnetism how’s that delicious I don’t know how he keeps doing it week and week out the Old Goat still there and give him a run for the money which is cool to see unreal awesome the goat I I started in Motocross I made the switch to mountain bikes and then just felt like down it was more my thing Greg manard first arrived on the scene by the age of 17 in 1999 he did a few select UCI World Cups he did a full season in 2000 and after that it was just sort of onwards and upwards from there my second season in Elite racing to get through the season to be head-to-head against Nicholas F who was 10 time world champion second overall 28 points behind Niko I think it would be nice i’ speat him though you know he’s like a hero in the sport and he you up against him and you catch up to points and going into the final round and you head-to-head in the last run of the season and you pip him to take the world cup over I mean that was that was incredible I still don’t think I really understood that I just beat Nik I think it was just too overwhelming this is some of the race winning bikes back from 2001 World Cup Series bike this is incredible how small and rickety this little thing is at my my first world championship winning bike in 2003 the Honda’s from 2005 when you sit on it you realize how small they are how did we ride them and then I made the switch to Santa Cruz that was in 2008 we’re going into Fort William World Championships in 2007 Hond announced that they were going to pull out of Downhill Racing at the time I ended up crashing going over the handlebars and really ruining my shoulder and um the season closer was the following weekend in svenia and couldn’t obviously ride but I was ready booked to go so I went and supported my team I met this guy Rob Ros and um so that’s how it all got started ring I drinking beers at the bottom of a downhill watching World Cup racing to my gloves I’ll sign them for you if you want you hold those they smell there’s quite a few guys in the mountain bike circuit that they have the race at K but they don’t have the personality and my goal was to find the people with both that’s what made it what it was it’s a Syndicate it’s not a team it’s a Syndicate group of individuals that are likeminded and are after the same goals but they want to have fun while they’re doing it start to the morning I pushed for Greg to be on the team it wasn’t just roscot making that decision he he took my advice too on who we should have on the team anyone else we need him at every race I think LIF your game makes you feel good about yourself having good people around you cool Greg adapted in extremely well to the family atmosphere that we embraced and he he has told me before it that’s the reason he’s probably raced as long as he has is because of that Bas and the family and the love and the friendship and the support that um was all part of Rob’s Vision that I was able to help um manage with myself and Greg we found a good mix early on Kathy running the whole show Ros Scot we were all likeminded and made something good of it and now it’s it’s tough to pick riders that fit into the mold of the syndicut it’s about time it was it was really comfortable it was a smooth transition into Syndicate and I I found like and it you probably tell been there since 2008 that it was a place where I’ve really felt home wild that boys he joined the Santa Cruz Syndicate won an overall title straight away in 2008 2012 another UCI worlds title followed and then probably the biggest R off them all was that 2013 UCI World Championships in Peter Martinsburg his hometown the chance to win the UCI world champions rain stripes in front of his home crowd go up to the [Laughter] top coming back to like a little town where I’m from being able to race in front of the local crowd it’s like once in a lifetime [Music] opportunity and not many people get to experience that and this is it the start the start Hut they built it pretty good cuz it’s still up almost 10 years later the pressure that was on him to win on his home track was absolutely unreal but he took it like every other race just the amount of noise that the crowd generated at the finish line was [Applause] insane guys was thinking like I remember warming up you could hear the crowd through the valley you could hear them down the bottom it’s quite far [Applause] [Music] away being world champion 2012 automatically put me at number one so I had to start last you know there’s some riders that gone down early it’s like some blistering times in the afternoon the wind blows up through the valley and up the hill so you know I knew there was going to be a headwind and my mechanic Marsh at the time was trying to like duct tape over my laces and like he was just he was freaking out and I was like Mar just calm down it’s going to be all right um but I just knew I had to like absolutely nail those tabletops perfect and get on the gas cuz we’re going to have a [Applause] hit I was second going into the last split yeah there was a rock section I remember there’s only a few of us that jumped it and you could clear the whole Rock section but I was kep tagging a rock and then snapping the rim and like losing pressure on the way to the line I did maybe four of them four wheels in practice a mechanic Mar was like oh you need to change your line and I was like there’s no way just put TI in on S I’m sure I’ll make it to the Finish Line before the tire goes down in the final race clip The Rock got on that finish straight to my tow was going down and it was all squirming down to the Finish Line it was like it was it was this close I was brought up in the city and I have a house really close to the Finish area it was definitely going to be a a once in a half time opportunity to win this race and I had to do it I mean you cross the line and you just look for reaction from the crowd cuz you know if if you wanton it they were going to be cheering if not they they probably beat you up in Marburg I mean who knows throw a bottle of brandy at you I don’t know and so look at the crow the crow just go nuts and it was like you absolutely exhausted it was it was so incredible it really was I just remember the crowd going incredibly wild looking up as saw my family in the grand stands it was in mates and it was cool really cool it was it was probably the toughest race of my life cuz I had to win [Music] it I couldn’t drop that opportunity bat Mana was what a day what a [Music] day he went through a couple of really hard years late in his career where he had injuries and just had a lot of like hard things happening and you just kind of had thought like oh he might finally be done and then it was like another Resurgence won some more races and won a World Championships to see him doing that after all these years I think to me that’s like gives me something to look up to for sure I thought my last season was going to be in like 2013 then I continued to race and I had like some success and then a world championship in in 20 one I’ve put the the effort in this last period as if it’s my last season I think everyone goes like oh you’re in your 30s now you got to have one season left I wish I just ignored everyone but that’s also motivates me I feel like if it is my last season I want to make sure it’s a good one normally when one of the big names retires in D Hill the last season it can kind of become a bit of a Rolling Stones farewell to a bit of a celebration lap with Greg that wasn’t the case cuz he could still win them Fort William I think hung really heavily for for people knew about the sport and knew about Greg maybe this is my last shot to to really get another world championship metal um you know and uh no better place than Fort [Music] William my season’s been terrible I mean it’s honestly the worst season I’ve ever had in my career it’s been frustrating it’s been hard he’s got the speed he’s been a strong as ever even after his injuries and he’s just not had the luck to get the results I could think back to a time when I when I’ve just haven’t gained one bit of momentum like I’ve had Greg man the greatest of all time it’s been a bit bad luck for sure I mean punching pretty much three times in three runs and and lens hard kicking up the season season wasn’t great it’s over it’s over twice on the Roll come on then went into um Leo gang I had that shock issue going up to the start of my final then went road to trees I don’t think it’s been a great reflection of the effort put in I mean the speed’s there and and the fitness is there and and the bike’s great now but the results haven’t shown it the one thing is is if if lady like does turn we need to be ready to take advantage of [Music] it I don’t know that he’s having fun this year I think it’s just been so hard and he’s had some injuries that have kept him off the bike for long periods I’m sure he’s got more good races in him I just hope that he gets out when it makes sense to him personally and not like this drive to just do better cuz we’ve seen that happy birthday to [Music] [Applause] [Music] you to be honest I’ve had season most my Seasons don’t start well I don’t ride enough downhill in the off season but this season I thought I was coming in right we’ve had this new bike my teammates on on mixed wheel bikes they they ride a couple sizes smaller than I do and you know we got three Riders riding um the same bike and I’m on something different my bike definitely didn’t get the time to needed to to be ready for the World Cup for certain things and when he feels like it he’s able to turn off that spinning brain of thinking about everything and carry on but he can also go down the rabbit hole of just this is unridable there’s no way I can make this work which is just it’s not the case that’s in your head something Lo the V but he needs things his way 100% that’s just how he functions I just couldn’t get the bike to turn I I was really battling to get traction under the rear whe and and grip cornering so um and then just in the rust stuff the bike was just spitting me all over the place in years past we’ve figured out ways to communicate and we’ve been able to work through things lately it’s been impossible I really think it depends on the amount of stress that’s involved in the situation and the performance what have we got last ever since I’ve known him he’s been picky it’s gotten to the extreme because I think he needs that little extra bit to be competitive he needs the edge down just the N yes through the length of the Syndicate we’ve had actually for the longest time we didn’t have any change up of riders you know the Riders stuck around while I was on the team we had very very good luck with having really great meshing personalities of the mechanics and the racers that um in the past gave them a lot of success D Hill is a really funny sport in that it’s one person on track but it is a team sport and if something’s not right in that back room staff then that one person on the track cannot give the 100% that they need to win Cathy cesler moving on from The Syndicate and Rob Rosco selling his shares in the Santa Cruz bikes company it must have been huge for Greg it must have been like two wheels coming off a car at once Life Time and MAX Greg third it split one so far you know there were two pillars in that especially that race team that held it together and for them to both step away must have altered things internally in a massive way 1.3 after the last split look at that puppy hello how are you you’re far more interesting than b how are you a attention I’m going to puy SW yeah well you want to swap what happened there Charlie haton 0.9 into the Le Greg currently pza how do you find that time tomorrow I’m going to yeah yeah well you have to you have to try at least anyway yeah the good thing is I’m on the pace B so like you know 3 seconds over what 3 and a half minutes whatever it is is actually not much if you can find that little bit of speed no no I can find it it’s nice that I’m finally it you know that’s such a season where it’s been like punches and rain and Mechanicals and jeez I’ll squeeze the lemon all right well I look forward to seeing you squeeze the lemon tomorrow thanks squeeze hard thank you good luck thank you no it should be good good job thanks than do I feel great on the bike I mean we’ve had some great testing the last couple weeks leading into this um although my results this season haven’t quite shown it putting a lot of effort trained really hard and we put a lot of development into the bike and yet a little bit more going into to this race hello and you are all very welcome to the 2023 UCI cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland it’s Ste Hill Day in Fort William thank you the uccl world championship is a lot different to most other championships it’s it’s One race and it’s that one run that counts to be world champion you know racing the World Cup series is slightly different we have a series of races to to be the overall Champion but for cycling it’s just that one race thank you gra you’re going to win tomorrow to try you are you are incredible if I did I’ll be screaming for you thank you thanks a lot thank you hello you I’m good thank you it’s hard because all that pressure is on that one run and you can go and go hard and heavy and make a mistake and slip further back in the field or you can put it all together but you have to attack you’ve got to race it you’ve got to go hard so there’s such a fine balance between pushing too hard and getting it just right or riding too tight and stiff and nervous trying not to make a mistake and so it’s really tough it’s not it’s not an easy one to win to be a world champion is everything I mean there’s loads of great riders that have come through the sport that have you know only won one world championship or or haven’t managed to win one at all so it’s not something easily done every there were lots of rumors at the start of 2023 season that he was going to retire this was going to be his last season right at the start of the year you looked at the calender and you went UCI World Championships Fort William you just got the sense that a very Greg Minar thing to do would be to take another world’s title do the mic drop boom and walk off into the sunset for Williams like it’s not really a a track that I absolutely love racing it’s um it’s a it’s a venue I love coming back to you know the crowds are crazy it’s uh it makes you feel like this race away from home but it’s a real hard race to to [Applause] race it’s been a special place because he’s known as the king of Fort William uh he’s won seven times there’s no one even close to that even though I’ve had like a lot of success there I still feel like every race I can back I need to try and beat the G I don’t feel like coming in going this is my track I’m going to win it regardless it’s it’s never been that way it’s probably one of the things that uh hinders me the most is probably the lack of confidence that I do have you know in 2007 we raced the World Championships here Greg man one of them the greatest downhillers of all time it didn’t go very well for me I I crashed Midway in the forest and uh dislocated my shoulder and got up and rush and Tred to get my way down and finish fourth so that wasn’t great um and so I I feel like I’d like to give the world Champs a better shot than for William that’s added some pressure on to me to make sure that I’m ready for this weekend [Music] The Breakfast of Champions Sy what do you call them banana Oak pancake banana Oak pancake how’s that you have to [Music] ask plan is to get up then learn the track get up to speed hope you have a good day out there when in a UCI dinal World Championship I personally think it’s one of the hardest things you can do in cycling requires a complete commitment to a very very fine line between precision and Chaos One race for a world championship title the rainbow Stripes your name written into the sports history forever c p tr’s ster every check we the two oldest Riders here that is it yeah and then and then my teammate Eric and then blanky we checked it on the list yeah I have no idea can I do a selfie yeah sweet stoked I think he feels like he’s running out of time he obviously wants to finish on top I know he’s capable he knows he’s capable he knows he can do it he works so hard he’s he’s so committed com looking at him you can see he’s a coil spring that intensely has had to go up and up and up over the years I don’t think there’s any D Hiller goes into the gate laughing and singing It’s a serious sport you can get hurt you can get hurt for very little [Music] mistakes he’s a bit bed and bruised but um I think he’s not he’s not too bad he’s not written off this [ __ ] I think now when it’s more likely to be near the end of his career he’ll feel upset about it for longer than usual just because time is running out [Music] honestly I think he’s done what he needs to have done like he’s proven himself and he doesn’t need to do anymore if everything lines up he can do it he’s still one of the most talented Riders out there here [Music] [Applause] CG Minard leaves the start Hut in Fort William he’s into the woods where he has made so much time in the past looking good 1.1 back 1.1 back it’s not undoable for the goat the 41 year old from Peter Marburg four times a UCI world champion seven times a winner here in Fort Williams oh he built rear tire re Tire gone saw him really hit that R hard and it just blew the tire and that is a massive massive disappointment for a lot of the fans here who came to see one of the absolute Heroes of down hill racing the only Rider on the start list today to have started that race back in 2002 the first one yeah what shame Greg manard out of the UCI World Championships [Music] we got up for the final the rain came unfortunately um our team were just really unprepared for the rain I didn’t really have my bike I wasn’t really settled going into the stock gate I was still waiting for the guys to fit mud guards and stuff which is to me was was a bit unsettling I mean we’ve already gone through crashing trying to recover trying to heal now you you’re dead in with bad preparation you know the the Run was was going all right you know I was pushing hard I was trying to go for it and than the ti him off it’s sad it’s it’s normally a good track and but flip we’re nowh we’re in the [Music] bush today I just feel desperate for him because it’s something he so badly wanted he never really says much and today after he’ had his crash his shoulder looks dislocated his body is banged up and he just said I want us so badly he works so hard and it’s just it’s heartbreaking somebody of that stature and that’s been around in the sport for that long can’t leave on that kind of note I was really ready for this my training was right my preparation was right I was prepared this was my Pinnacle to me this was the main thing and I was really prepared in every single way but there’s a lot of um Mar Corner that wasn’t prepared I don’t know I just guess it doesn’t mean the same to everyone [Music] started a lot of history it’s almost 20 years ago that we started and on top of how ill prepared the team was to support him which would have never happened on our watch we were hoping he could pull it off and kind of a great end the whole point was you know to go out on top talking to his wife just going hey we’re going to Corner him right after and just announce it right then and there that this is it things uh they don’t always play out that was hard it was infuriating it was more about just watching what we had built just watch it crumbled right before our eyes they’re not necessarily the right people for the job that’s what it comes down to I think I’m just so disappointed because I it was so out of my control I I’m really disappointed because it’s it’s definitely my final stretch this is this is my last my last straight of my career and I don’t have a team around me that that has the same focus and vision that I have and and that’s really frustrating I was hoping this would be my last but it’s just such a way to end any kind of world championship but this is one that I wanted to win this is uh one that I was ready for I mean uh when I was heading up I was ready jeez I don’t know I don’t know things have yeah things have to change it’s just not good enough really it’s honestly I probably won’t start another race until get sorted out um cuz I don’t think it’s fair that I put the effort in and and uh there’s no preparation on WE they in that’s how I feel [Music] tell us about your your season so [Laughter] far this has probably been my like toughest season in what I’ve been racing World Cups now since 2000 so this has been my toughest one it’s you know I’ve I’ve had a lot of bad luck but I’ve also just you know had a lot of problems and and issues along the way it’s just been a it’s just been a real struggle I knew I had the pace and I was feeling good and just everything and anything that could happen happened to me like from Flat tires to you name it it was just all going wrong the one that the race that kept me up the most was going into Fort William this year but that is definitely One race I wish I could have redone I mean it was just horrific from the start some of the problems that came up and I had a feeling were going to happen and I’d raised them and it we didn’t move quick enough I think that’s possibly the most annoying part of it but it’s it’s I feel like I’m a little bit of an opportunist and I feel like there was a good opportunity there to do well and I haed when you you see an opportunity and and it passes by so easily get it mate my my goal was to win World Championships and I would have probably called it a midseason um there would have been no better way to stop but I feel like I’ve had I can honestly say the worst season of my career and for many different reasons but it it definitely has it hasn’t been fun at all and and one of the main reasons why we race is cuz we do enjoy it one of the really fascinating things about the riddle of the 2023 season Greg by his own admission was having the toughest season he’d ever had but at the same time the team had a really really good year Jackson Goldstone was the only Elite male racer to win two UCI World Cup Downhill races in his first year as an elite which is unheard of Nina Hoffman won in Andor they won Team of the Year The Syndicate were the best team last [Music] [Applause] season but not in Minard corner of the garage and I think that would have been a real Puzzler for him that would have been an even bigger one to sort of [Music] unpick I think at the start of the 2023 SE season you definitely have to say Greg didn’t have anything to prove to anybody I think whether you like him or you don’t like him the length of his career and what he achieved in that career puts him really in a class of one I think what was fascinating at the start of the 2023 season was what did Greg have left to prove to Greg morning how are you are you good yeah You’ been well hey cool [Music] he has said he does not want to end as if he is hanging on he has said that very clearly and but of course it’s a a very hard balance because you have a fixed number of races anything can happen I think that will be probably one of the biggest challenges he faces in his career it it’s really hard to to retire was my life from being sort of 16 17 years old racing week in week out at World Cups traveling with the with the little circus that we have at all these races although I knew I was going to retire and I really enjoyed the year that I did retire it was the next couple of years that I found really tough what do I want to do jeez I’m nervous of quitting the sport I end up being a drunk at a bar I think we’re all nervous I know I’m just kidding I think that’s also what’s kept me in in this for so long is I really just love racing downhill it’s it’s so unique and and so special in so many ways there’s nothing like [Music] it I don’t feel like I want to go to anything CU I came from Motocross into mountain bike and uh I find it’s the one thing that I I still do with my friends we still go ride mountain bikes it’s I I love every part of it yeah I enjoy surfing playing golf and I do do that in my like days off and I enjoy that but there’s definitely no the feeling like racing down a bike and I think that’s what’s kept me on the sport for so long as I absolutely enjoy it that much I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else it doesn’t worry me stopping racing what I’m nervous of is stopping and going I’m missing this and I need to come back and race again and and that will never happen it’s quite a tricky one but I feel like um I’m definitely not nervous to stop I just want to make sure I stop at the right time hey thanks for [Music] that first ride back it’s so damn hard to win and uh but I just love the challenge of it I love like just trying to push yourself that much harder you know uh trying to hit Corners faster than you know you can but you can still get away with 1 or 2% over that that adrenaline at the bottom knowing that you’ve got down with taking all these chances it’s all worked out is it’s pretty cool feeling no I don’t think I’ll ever be done with a sport it’s just such an incredible sport to being in it take to watch and there’s no ways I could just be done with it when you’re racing and you’re you’re starting to drop off then you kind of go that’s a good time to stop but I don’t think I’ve dropped off the pace you know it’s just been under pressure to try and get that result and it’s just been a whole lot of bad luck thrown in between so it’s been like a a respeed for disaster so I that’s why I just like there’s no ways I can end like this okay let’s kick it off clap look at that let’s hit it he’s back first things first why did you part waves with a Santa Cruz Syndicate yes did you have to start with such a heavy hitter I mean um me leaving Santa Cruz wasn’t really my decision you know once I joined Santa Cruz and met Rob and this whole Syndicate thing was going and you know for me it was my place to finish racing at the end of last season I kind of got blindsided a bit trade off to mons and and you know I was excited to go to California to see Santa Cruz to plot and plan 24 season cuz I felt like I didn’t really have a fair shot at raceing in 23 and I need to come back and give it my best shot I was blindsided with with what went on and you know and and these things happen and you know eventually I just said to like so it up and and move on and yeah emotionally it was tough but after that meeting when I left that when I left the building I actually looked around and I was like pretty content that was going to be the last time I was going to visit that place there’s no you know there’s no way you can be treated like that and keep going so I was pretty I was pretty comfortable leaving you know once things ended with Santa Cruz I I didn’t have too many options I was super fortunate to to find an opportunity with NOCO he partnered ways with The Syndicate after 16 years and yeah Greg Manar shocked everyone went to Norco racing division when this opportunity with nor came they’re like great you set up the team you build this platform for the future Riders hello bro you know he has this opportunity and I was like really that that’s amazing so it’s been so cool to set this team up like I want it and it’s so nice to come to a training camp where we’ve got a busy schedule we got a lot of stuff to test yet because there’s a plan in place because we got the right people in the right job it’s completely stressfree as a rider thanks Joan thank you it’s something I’ve been wanting for a while and it’s it’s amazing that it’s happening now I think the Norco the new team the new setup the New Deal he’s got has given him something that he didn’t have at the start of 2023 which is an offramp out of racing I think what kind of lay over the horizon scared him a bit and he didn’t know what that would be whereas I think he’s F something on this new team the reward potentially lies in what he can do with Norco and developing that team developing everything around at the Riders the bikes staying in the sports staying part of it he loves racing he loves being at the races and I think maybe he finds something he wasn’t expecting to find you know Noca has been around for 60 years but until I met the engineering I had no idea what their buils in the last couple of years look at Tommy bring out the camera and he walks around carrying the bike with one arm this is the leveling up and professionalism that I want to see that that I’ve been wanting for the last I don’t know how many years it’s not just a felt good yeah I think it’s going to work well it is faster it is more consistent it’s the right direction the experience at The Syndicate it obviously wasn’t how he wanted to part ways with them but I also think it maybe for him crystalized what he wanted in a team yeah I think I’ve used a bit of what Rob brought in place in the right people and I’ve pulled that in with the culture of performance and I think we’ got great personalities I really feel like you you need to get to know these guys hello Gracie you’re already seeing in Norco racing division everyone’s got a rule everyone gets about it the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly but it’s also very efficient there’s a lot of work going on Sean Sal from Norco said to me he wants to have the fastest bike and the best team in the world and so that’s what we sitting out to do and just a competive person so if it’s not competing on the track I’m competing and building this team to be the best team it’s another way of expressing your competitiveness you I’ve been Racing for 20 plus years of World Cup I can see where there’s gaps I can see where there needs a position filled and I never had that opportunity every time I I I wanted to try and suggest or move into some I was you know quite clearly told I’m a rider and put back in the box it’s been sketchy I I haven’t had this opportunity to to pass on knowledge to younger Riders being a team director that is what I’m put in place to do to guide these Riders to to to aiming to be a number one team it’s new to me it’s it’s nice being able to pass on knowledge that I’ve got in racing to the younger guys in 12 months you know I want to have a successful team and by successful I feel a platform for writers to excel at 42 years old I feel I can still win races or else I wouldn’t be racing but the future of this is about the younger Riders I would be a a happier racer and person if I saw Gracie win a race or Lucas winning a race cuz they totally can I I really feel they can for me success now would be if if one of the other Riders won a race I want this to be the best team out there I mean that’s success um if I get on the podium and win a few races man that would be just like a dream come true I don’t want to be racing World Cups if I’m I’m just there for for being a name I I I want to be there cuz I’m competing I want to be there cuz I’m challenging for for wins and podiums so I’m definitely fired up for this season it’s you know ad my made you take it one year at a [Music] time what do you hope that the sport looks back on you as hey man that’s a pretty tough question how do you come up with this like this is like deep stuff yeah I mean I don’t even think I speak to my wife about stuff like this me [Music] I think you can see some people are incredibly physically gifted some people are really strong and fast and some people are just not going to lose mentally and he’s definitely on that side of things brilliant I would think of him as just being one of the most consistent Riders of all time he just finds a way to kind of keep doing it and I’m sure he could do it for another 3 to 5 years if you really wanted to the thing that really stands out when you talk about Manar is that you look at those 25 years and you look at the Riders the big names who have been and gone from the sport in those two and a half decades and he’s beaten every single one of them every single one of those names has advanced either the technical side of the sport the approach to the sport the technique side of the sport the physical side of the sport and every single time there’s one denominator he comes up with a way of beating them his career and his stats are going to be the thing I think people will most remember him for but I wish more people could actually know him personally and know how just the most amazing funniest person he is cheers guys thanks
22 Comments
legend 🇿🇦
Lank lewe die GOAT! Greg Minnaar one of our best Sport Ambassadors! 🇿🇦💪🏽
A good production! Really engaging.
I'm impressed with the honesty in the views/perspectives from the various people. Pity they didn't get someone from the current Sydicate to contribute. It does show that there is always more than one side to a story. As disappointing as the way in which the split happened is, I'm just chuffed that the GOAT has found a space where he can continue to give value to a team (and still race) – and you can see how it's clicked for him, from his energy in the last few bits of his interview! I'm looking forward to this. And yes, I do hope he does kick some young ass this season 🙂
Champion.
Впервую очень нужно оставаться при любых обстоятельствах человеком. Грег человек с большим количеством побед UCI, и ему не чего не нужно ни кому доказывать. О нем пишут и говорят. Его знают по всему миру как чемпиона скоростного спуска, лучшего среди лучших в своем деле. Если Santa Cruzz ставит ставки таким образом, ну ок, ариви дерчи ребята. С вами было хорошо, а без вас ещё лучше. Иногда нужно сделать шаг назад, чтобы потом сделать два вперед. Надеюсь в новой команде у Грега будет всё то о чем он так долго мечтал, и мы ещё за него поболеем на трассе в Форт Уильяме 💪🏻😎
-legend but never to make the podium again sorry greg, there are to many new fast guys now time to hang up the dh bike and get e bike
Im from BC and Norco is a household name here. Norco has been on the leading edge of the bell curve for decades in bike design. Their focus on racing combined with Greg, Gracie, Lucas riding for them. I expect big things in the future. Been a rough start to the season but still looking strong. Greg has never seemed more content. Well done.
Wow that was great…What a legend, I remember starting to ride in 2006 and his name being THE name in DH. I hope he finds a win to close out his career the way he wants to. Also, seeing Stevie Smith in some of the clips is a tear jerker :/
Actual tears in my eyes bru🤍
I really really wish you all the best in your life, you are an enormous inspiration for anyone anywhere!
Man I would love to see Greg take a win this year 🙏🏾
Steve Peats ego: “Giving me a run for the money!”.
Peaty… Your “run” was over 10 years ago!!!
Seems lke somebody couldn't get the rights to Gregs legendary performances over the last 20 years 😅 doc is lacking to be fair. Theres so much more to Gregs story and Im looking forward to when Red Bull cover it 🔥
Greg for world champs this year 🔥😎
Thank you, a great insight to a great rider and ambassador for Mtn biking.
I wonder what the full story was with Santa Cruz, he didn’t really go into it, maybe he can’t. Maybe they have moved onto Jackson.
Weird that Lyle didn't get a title card.
Why does Ric Mclaughlin look like he crawled out of a crack den
I am not the biggest fan of Greg but I am Big fan of this Video! 😃 Great job guys 😎✌🏻
Great doco, cool insights. It’s a real shame to see the split between Santacruz and Greg after so many years and also to see how emotional Rob was. Great to see Greg so stoked on Norco and fired up for another season.
I'm having his baby!!
What a great hommage to an great athlete👍
There is no such thing as retiring from racing. Next year he will compete at junior boys.
Thank you for sharing this!! GREG!!! SA legend!! 🐐🐐🐐🐐