His injury is under control. His new bike is dialled. His podium in Les Gets confirms his confidence is high. His record on this course is impressive. South Africa’s Greg Minnaar will contest his 28th and final UCI Downhill World Championships in Andorra this week. He could even win it. We spoke to him about his last World Champs dance.
By Sean Badenhorst
We knew it was imminent, but it’s still hard to believe that Greg Minnaar will end his illustrious career soon. At the opening ceremony of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra on Monday night, 26 August, Minnaar, the rider who has competed in the most editions of the sport’s global showpiece, was asked to give a speech and it ended up being the first official confirmation that his racing career culmination is near (we have published the full speech at the end of this article).
Did we appreciate Minnaar enough in the past couple of years as he raced well beyond the usual retirement age/stage of a world-class downhill racer? We South Africans sure did. Even when the sport’s greatest male racer experienced lows, we supported him, hoping for some of that Minnaar Magic. And just when we began to feel like his powers might be fading, he delivered a spellbinding performance that fired us up and made us even more proudly South African. The best example being when he won his fourth World Championships title at Val di Sole three years ago at the age of 39.
As we appreciate Downhill Mountain Biking’s GOAT for the final time at a World Championships this week, we can be assured that he’s going into this race as prepared as ever and – as always – in with a shot at the win.
The last time Minnaar raced was on 6 July at Les Gets, where he finished third and secured his first podium finish of 2024. You will recall it was a rain-soaked final that saw Minnaar, the 30th best qualifier, come down the mountain first, using all his experience and skill to avoid sliding out and crashing on a super slippery course. Contrary to what some may think, his eventual third place wasn’t lucky. The conditions changed during that final, but not necessarily for the worse.
“Les Gets was a tricky one. Those that went earlier, like I did, had like a hard-pack glassy trail surface, but good visibility, whereas riders later in the race had better ground, softer ground, but worse visibility. So, I feel it was a pretty even race. Ultimately, it was a good confidence boost for me and the Norco Race Division,” remarked Minnaar.
“We’d got the bike set-up right and obviously dealing with injuries through the first half of the season, we hadn’t really been able to show our potential. Although some may have felt it was a surprise, I didn’t feel like it was a major surprise to be on the podium,” he added.
Minnaar’s first season with his new team, Norco Race Division, started disastrously with two crashes at the Fort William World Cup where he injured his shoulder. But while most might have sought a break and possibly surgery, Minnaar, whose racing lifespan is now rather limited, opted to race on. A ‘Grade 3 shoulder separation with some shards of bone floating around the AC joint’ was the diagnosis back in May.
“It sucked to be injured in the first race of the season. I decided to push through because there’s no better place to test than on a World Cup race track. I felt like I needed to keep progressing and that needed to be at the World Cups even though I was nowhere near in great shape to race.
“But as I started to feel stronger on the bike, my confidence wasn’t quite there. It’s taken a bit of time, unfortunately, but I felt it best to push through and keep getting bike time. It’s one thing I have lacked a lot with all the travelling I have been doing in recent times,” explained Minnaar.
Getting the new bike dialed has also been one of Minnaar’s 2024 challenges. Known to be obsessive about his bike set-up, Minnaar says that it was finally feeling dialed before the World Cup in Les Gets.
“We did a lot of testing in the build-up to and during Val di Sole (the fourth World Cup on 15 June). I made some big changes to the bike set-up just because I hadn’t felt that I’d gone through all the settings and didn’t feel like I was exactly on top of the bike. It’s been a hell of a year, but I finally felt comfortable going into Les Gets. And we have done more testing after that, so I feel very ready right now,” said a relaxed Minnaar on Monday.
Not surprisingly, 42-year-old Minnaar has contested more World Championships than any other racer – in any discipline. He also has an impressive World Championships medal record, with three bronze, four silver and four gold. The last of those silver medals came at the 2015 World Championships in Andorra, the venue of the 2024 World Championships.
Minnaar’s World Cup record in Andorra is also pretty impressive, with two third places and three second places. Until now, a major race win there has eluded him. And the last time he raced there, last year, he was second. It’s relevant to point out that Minnaar has a home in Andorra and that’s where he bases himself when in Europe. So, it’s as close to a home race as he can get these days. But he says he doesn’t have as big an advantage as he’d like.
“Well, I have got a whole bunch of South Africans coming in; and I have a whole lot of friends coming to up to watch. If that’s the advantage I get, then I’ll take it. But in terms of local knowledge, not much of a benefit. Loic Bruni, Loris Vergier and Amaury Pierron, all live in the same neighbourhood as me in Andorra. So, any local knowledge I have, I think they have as well,” chuckled Minnaar.
The downhill racing at Andorra used to take place at Valnord, but in 2022, this moved to Pal Arinsal. It’s essentially the same venue, but two different slopes. As to why he seems to perform well in Andorra, Minnaar says it’s a combination of the conditions and the familiarity.
“It’s hard to put a point on exactly why I do well at Andorra. I don’t know if it’s the loose, dusty surfaces or the high speeds, but it just seems to suit me. Even on the two different tracks, the conditions are generally the same. Over the years, we have come here often to do testing, even in the winter. Maybe just having a lot of knowledge of the course and gathering data on the bikes over many years makes it seem more familiar. I have been racing here since 2003. It has terrain that I find predictable and I guess that’s the advantage I have here,” said Minnaar.
GREG MINNAAR’S RECORD AT ANDORRA
- World Cup 2023: Second
- World Cup 2022: Ninth
- World Cup 2019: 11th
- World Cup 2017: Second
- World Cup 2016: Second
- World Champs 2015: Second
- Catalan Cup 2015: Second
- World Cup 2013: Sixth
- Catalan Cup 2013: First
- World Cup 2009: Third
- World Cup 2008: Third
With more than a month’s break from racing, Minnaar has used the time to fine-tune himself for his final World Championships.
“My preparation has gone really well and all the testing we have done on the bike has been really good. I think we have put ourselves in the best possible position for this race. I still feel that I am able to challenge for the win,” he said confidently.
Minnaar will contest the qualifying run on Thursday, 29 August and the final on Saturday 31 August. Still to be confirmed, but SuperSport is hoping to broadcast the final live.
Greg Minnaar’s final World Championships speech:
Reflecting on a journey that started almost three decades ago.
From my first World Championships in 1997, I remember arriving back in South Africa with my mind made up that this was the career I wanted to pursue. Filled with naive confidence, I didn’t realise I was heading into a dance with my ultimate challenge. Downhill became my obsession. It opened up opportunities and taught me to keep pushing the limits. It gave me an understanding of risk and a mentality that enough is never good enough.
I’ve had some amazing wins; some heartbreaking losses and I have got a few scars that will remind me of these battles forever. From a struggling privateer, to my first World Cup win in 2001 to 20 years later and winning the World Championships in 2021 – each experience has taught me a valuable lesson about resilience, determination and the importance of never giving up.
One of my proudest moments was being the first African cyclist to receive a medal from the UCI. This opened the gateway for South Africans and Africans in all cycling disciplines to dream bigger and to reach higher.
Over the last two decades, I have raced against the best our sport has seen and they have all pushed me to recreate myself and be able to come back and challenge. It’s been an absolute privilege and honour and I am grateful for every person that’s been a part of this journey with me.
It was a dream come true to win the World Championships in South Africa in the city I was born and raised. Eleven years later and the wheel has turned full circle. And here in Andorra in the parish I now call home, my heart swells with gratitude and bittersweet emotion that I will be gearing up for my 28th and final World Championship.
A huge thanks goes to my wife, my family, my team, my friends and all my fans. Your support has meant the world to me. Your sacrifices have kept me going when things have been tough. I’m still amazed at what we have achieved together, whilst still having a great time.
Riders, good luck. Trust your training. Embrace this challenge and be the best that you can be.
