It wouldn’t have been fitting if Greg Minnaar’s illustrious racing career had ended in 2023. A frustrating season that saw the greatest men’s downhill racer of all time post a series of race results far from his customary, classy best. Fortunately, Minnaar and Norco found each other at the right time and we will get to see the 42-year-old maestro end his racing career on his terms. We were fortunate to interview Minnaar recently to find out more about his future and the much-speculated Norco deal.
Words: Sean Badenhorst | Photography: David Nogales Tarragó
Norco was established in 1964. It produced its first mountain bikes in 1984 and was already dabbling in full-suspension mountain bikes in the early 1990s. It’s been selling bikes internationally since 1995 but is primarily dominant in Canada. In celebrating its 60th anniversary, Norco is on a mission to raise the profile and the global awareness of the premium bike brand.
By signing Minnaar, Norco achieves both objectives and also secures the expert input of the most experienced Downhill racer in history to both help develop faster bikes and mentor young racers.
As South Africa’s leading mountain bike media, TREAD Media was given the opportunity to interview Minnaar ahead of the official announcement about his joining forces with Norco.
What does the Norco deal involve?
I am the Team Director of Norco Factory Racing. I will race for at least one year and then continue to build a world-beating team with Norco. I have already placed some key staff members who I believe are incredible at what they do. In order for racers to perform at their best, they need all the right support, both trackside and behind the scenes – this includes rider mentorship and equipment engineering. Beyond 2024, I may continue to race, or I may just focus all my time and experience on building the best Downhill Racing team in the world. Either way, I will be with Norco for a good few years.
Who will be the Norco Bikes team racers in 2024?
Obviously, I will be racing this year. I still love racing and feel I have more that I can still achieve. I bring a lot of experience to mentor the younger riders on the team. The other two racers are Lucas Cruz and Gracey Hemstreet. They’re both young Canadian racers with great potential. I also have my eye on other young Canadian racers for the future and we will be supporting them through The Source, Norco’s youth development programme.
Who have you brought on board to the team set-up?
Well, with 24 years of World Cup racing experience, I know what my dream team looks like. I have already placed some key staff members. I brought in Kathy Sessler to manage operations. I worked with Kathy for several years. She knows how to get things done – and smoothly. I have also hired Tom Duncan, who was my personal mechanic for the second half of 2023. He is my lead technical guy who will manage the team’s technical support at races and be our liaison with the engineering crew. I have appointed Alan Norway to be the team manager. Alan is a great coach and trainer. He coached Rachel Atherton through all her success. I feel he is the best person to support Gracey. Perhaps the least known, but most exciting part of the team are the Norco engineers. They’re essentially the foundation of the team because they’re doing amazing work with the bikes!
Tell us more about the engineering team?
To be honest I didn’t know much about Norco until a few months ago. I had no idea they had such a strong engineering team. The engineering team comprises Adrian Ward, Colin Ryan, Kirk McDowall and David Cox. Adrian worked in Formula 1 for seven years and, as a team, they are all about absolute precision. They also have impressive technology at their disposal, including suspension dynos. Without going into too much detail, they have the ability to adjust anything on a bike independent of the rest of the bike. What this means is they don’t have to make any compromises. I’m really excited about the new bike they have been working on and my preliminary test rides on it have been very positive.
To what extent were you involved in the design and development of this bike?
Nothing at all really, other than the fine-tuning that’s been happening since my testing late last year. They actually launched this bike in July last year. But it’s customisable for each rider which is impressive! It’s so adjustable. Everything on the bike can be isolated and adjusted. I reckon it’s the privateer’s dream bike. It’s certainly any pro racer’s dream bike. I don’t know many bikes that you can isolate and adjust each section. My goal with Norco is to build the fastest DH bike with the fastest team!
What else can you tell us about the new bike?
I have spent only a few days on it. I was surprised how comfortable it is right away. It’s a bit shorter than what I’m used to, but the height (BB to headtube) is similar to what I have been riding. I stand taller than most riders, so I need that height. They used all my measurements to customise this bike to suit me. It has a high pivot, which is different for me. A lot goes into a high pivot but it’s not far off what the VPP (Virtual Pivot Point) was. I like it. The pedalling and handling feel good.
They have a bunch of bike data and then all my data as the rider, which they correlated. With the code they have written, they can see what I am feeling on the bike! That really impressed me. With this team, we intend to explore more ways to figure out how riders can find time in certain sectors.
One thing that surprised me was that I didn’t have to adjust much. Everything was in place when I got there for testing. It’s testament to just how prepared these guys are. This is the culture at Norco, which is amazing. They bring a whole new technical level to Downhill and it’s this area that we plan to push.
A different level to what you’ve experienced?
Downhill racing has come such a long way. Look at Specialized and Commencal, who have incredible set-ups. They squeeze every bit out of racing. Those two teams are the ones leading the way. From a racer side, that helps you excel and rebound when you are having a tough time. The focus needs to be on figuring out ways to help the rider find time in certain sectors. The sooner you can set up the bike, the sooner you can get speed. This team of engineers really brings something fresh to Downhill and I’m looking forward to seeing the results this year.
How has the change of brand allegiance affected your motivation?
I don’t think it’s affected my motivation. I have always been motivated. I put a lot of effort into last season. I came back from a fractured neck and a wrist injury and I was physically at my best for most of the season. At Monte St Anne I separated my shoulder, which was the only physical issue I had really. There were some good moments when things went well, but there were a lot of mechanical issues, which made it difficult to maintain the momentum I am accustomed to. Emotionally, I was also burned out. It definitely wasn’t the way I wanted to close out my racing career, which was no doubt part of the motivation to accept Norco’s offer.
Do you feel the new DH format with a semifinal and final on the same day suit you?
I thought it would suit me. But it’s a tough one. Tough both mentally and physically. You can’t afford to take it easy at any point on the course in the semi-final. Then, not too long after you must repeat it. It’s similar to what we did in that very short Covid season in 2020. You push so hard in a race run. Now you have to do it twice in the same day. It’s taking me a bit of getting used to, but I like it. Physically, I’m one for a good time after a race, but I found I was quite knackered after a day of two high-pressure race runs.
Do you feel you are still able to compete for a win at a World Cup or World Champs?
I have always said I won’t race if I don’t think I can win. So yeah, I feel it’s possible in 2024. After only five runs on the Norco DH bike, I already felt up to pace. It’s really easy to ride and I felt super comfortable. To feel that good so early after a long break from a DH bike is unusual. I still need to do some sharpening up in terms of physical conditioning, but I will be ready for the World Cup season start in May. I am also motivated with the new team’s setup. Our goal is to be the best race team on the best bike.
Which component brands will you be aligned with in 2024 – tyres, suspension, racing apparel, pedals?
There will be some changes to our partner brands. We will still finalise these over the next few weeks. Our objective is to build the fastest bike. And to do that, we need the best product. So, we will choose the best product in each category that we feel will help us achieve our objective.
What can we expect from Norco in terms of a presence in South Africa?
I know the brand has been available in South Africa previously, but I’m not sure about the current set-up. It needs to happen though. It is a great brand with high quality throughout its range of mountain bikes and South Africans should have access to this.
See also: MINNAAR TO NORCO – THE SURPRISE SOUTH AFRICAN LINK
