After winning the 2021 World Championships and becoming downhill mountain biking’s most decorated rider, Greg Minnaar, a.k.a. “The Goat,” got off to a bit of a slow start at the first round of the 2022 DH World Cup. So, after finishing up the first round of the DH World Cup, Greg heads back to the Alps at the Santa Cruz Syndicate headquarters to fine tune the bike, body, and mind for the remainder of the UCI Downhill World Cup.
Finding the flow on the DH race bike is key for top level athletes, so Greg alongside his mechanic Lyle Hyslop, work closely as a team to identify and tackle obstacles that unlock possibilities. Together, they fine-tune Greg's bike to achieve a comfortable and confidence inspiring base line setup for the remainder of the season.
After the pieces come together and the race bike is dialed in, it’s time to focus on the body and mind. Some down-time gym work and time to hone in the mental game, are just what Greg needs to come back charging hard for the next block of racing.
In recent years, Greg has taken to his Santa Cruz Bullit eMTB to level up and get more out of his training rides. The ability to customise the settings based on riding terrain, gives Greg the versatility and personalisation needed perfectly match ideal training conditions.
"The eBike came into my life in lockdown. This was a tool that I can train on, do twice the distance on this mountain, get to the top three or four times, and get more downhilling out of it. There's no better way to ride than being able to ride most days on a bike that's so similar to a downhill bike."
The early season reset is just what Greg needed to find his pace again and hit the final rounds of the world cup with confidence. Searching for seconds on the clock, it’s all about the quality time spent off the clock.
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This article first appeared on pinkbike.com
