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So pleased for greg minnaar, just saying 🙂
total legend!
His achievements are pretty good, but more importantly that’s the first time in 20 years I’ve called a race right! Tiny little snippet of him on Vital Raw yesterday, looked supremely confident, turns out he had reason to be!
P.S. you’re about to get grief for the massive spoiler 😉
Oops, TBH though, maybe not the best place to be if youre trying to avoid the result?
I timed my break at work so i could watch the last of the elite men, then got called out! Cant beleive I missed that, not quite the same when it's not live.
P.S. you’re about to get grief for the massive spoiler 😉
Yeah. Thanks for that pal 😐
I can see some more world cup wins on this form, absolute legend and goat. Imagine if he had the right size bikes years ago.
Prat. Absolute prat of a thread title
He’s the man! Another level and proving himself on that track too
And I though Hannah dropping DH info into an XC results post was bad!
It looked for a few minutes like we might have two women’s mountain bike world champions on our small island, but as Tahnee Seagrave was knocked of th …"
If you don't want to know the result of a bike race, avoiding a bike forum would probably be sensible.
Prat. Absolute prat of a thread title
You know? Cathro says it every time; if you haven't watched the race, get of the internet.
Goat got goatier.
Disagree. I expect to see a "DH at Val di sole" thread if course, that's a given. But putting it in the title for me is just wrong. Sure it wasn't 100% obvious but it was a reasonable assumption to make.
It didn't spoil the result as I enjoy watching the racing, but does remove some of the tension from the maybes
“ I expect to see a “DH at Val di sole” thread if course, that’s a given. But putting it in the title for me is just wrong. ”
+1
Maybe the forum needs a splash page that says, 'If you don't want to know the result of any race, anywhere, any time, look away now.' Obviously it would make browsing the forum more difficult but maybe a day away from the this place wouldn't be the worst for some people.
I think it's fair to have a thread dedicated to a soon-to-be middle-aged man who just beat a field of riders who are between 10 and 20 years younger than him.
How anyone can have a quarter of a century of winning Downhill races is beyond my comprehension.
Legend.
If you don’t want to know the result of a bike race, avoiding a bike forum would probably be sensible.
+1
I think theres a certain type that searches Internet forums after competitions to find spoilers to be offended by.
Nah, doesn't matter that it's a bike forum. It's still possible to have a bit of consideration and awareness for folks that might not have had the chance to watch yet.
No big deal obviously, but it's incredibly easy to not give away any results in a thread title, just as I wouldn't go on a Cluedo forum and title a thread 'it was Professor Plum in the drawing room with a candlestick' 😂
Just a bit of awareness is all.
Still, awesome to see Greg take the win. Well, it will be when I get the time to watch it 😉👍
Nah, doesn’t matter that it’s a bike forum. It’s still possible to have a bit of consideration and awareness for folks that might not have had the chance to watch yet.
Yeah, but this thread isn't really about an individual race result. It's about a guy doing something that seems like it should be impossible. If Vergier, Bruni, Brosnan, or pretty much anyone else had won then there probably wouldn't be a thread dedicated to the rider. What Greg Minnaar has done needs a thread dedicated to the man, I reckon.
It's entirely possible to avoid the results of a mountain bike race. If your need to comment on tyre threads outweighs your need to avoid the race result then maybe the race result wasn't that important to you?
I have purposely avoided all bike forums since yesterday. Recorded the races, just watched them this morning and now I am on STW!
I just dont look on the web if I want to keep the element of surprise with the results, its a no brainer 😉
Well done Minnaar and at nearly 40 years of age!!! Superb!!
It’s still possible to have a bit of consideration and awareness for folks that might not have had the chance to watch yet.
Fo'shure, but it doesn't take the mind of a genius to realise that internet bike forums might be one place to avoid before watching a bike race.
Yeah, same as it doesn't take a genius to think maybe, just maybe, not everyone who comes on here might have watched it so I know, why don't I use a bit of tact on my thread title... It's a very simple thing to do.
I'm usually pretty good at avoiding the result if I haven't got to watch it yet, but then most people on here who start race threads have a little thought to keep the title, titled in a way that doesn't give it away.
No biggie.
Well done Greg. Proper ledge 👌
I was on the side of the 'no spoilers in thread titles' people but if you were that bothered you'd have watched it by now surely.
Cool 👍
Really sorry for letting the cat out of the bag, but again, if you dont want to know a result just stay away from anywhere you might seen it until you do maybe?
If you're not going to have Mountain Biking News on a Mountain bike new site where do you expect to find it ? Practical Guinea Pigs?
I was on the side of the ‘no spoilers in thread titles’ people but if you were that bothered you’d have watched it by now surely
Yes, by now I can get, we're 24 hours on. But this was only 3 hours after the event, I'd been out cycling. You know, that other thing cyclists do at the weekend when not watching the racing.
As above, following morning fair enough, a couple of hours after the event, dick move.
But this was only 3 hours after the event, I’d been out cycling.
And before you watched the replay you absolutely had to come here to see what pearls of wisdom had been dropped during your ride?
If you prioritise checking what a bunch of middle-aged men have to say about the world rather than watching the race then was it really that important to you?
Like I said earlier, it was a truly remarkable achievement and the man deserves a thread, not just to celebrate this win, but to wonder at how the hell someone can do this for a quarter of a century.
I don't think we should have to wait 24 hours because some people want to check what's going on in the Covid and Brexit threads before they watch the race.
Can I be I unfashionable and say it’s a bit of both.
If you don’t want to know the results, stay off cycling web sites.
If you are putting up a new thread, maybe title it a little less obviously. (Who let the GOAT out?)
Never use the web for sitting even vaguely e related if you don’t want to know the result
Gah. Spoiler in the title isn't cool at all.
Gah. Spoiler in the title isn’t cool at all.
Actually, there wasn't a spoiler. A spoiler would be something like 'Minnaar - 2021 World Champion'.
In order to put 2 and 2 together and figure out he won you would have to know there was a race on. And if you knew there was a race on surely you would know enough to stay off MTB websites.
Have you ever tried avoiding a football score? That takes some serious dedication. No TV, no radio, definitely no internet of any kind, and a lot of sticking your fingers in your ears and going, 'LALALALALALA, NO DON'T TELL ME, I'M GOING TO WATCH IT LATER!'
You had two websites to avoid and you couldn't even manage that? Seriously, I know some people pay to use this place but does that mean you can't avoid it for even a few hours?
Think we’ll need a new Minaar appreciation thread seeing as this one has turning into a spoiler whingefest instead of OPs seeming intention of celebrating how awesome his achievements have been, and showing no sign of stopping.
Think we’ll need a new Minaar appreciation thread seeing as this one has turning into a spoiler whingefest
We'll have to wait at least a week or two. Can't risk spoiling the result for anyone who won't have gotten round to watching it.
GORDONS ALIVE! Put spoiler alert next time.
Put spoiler alert next time.
Again, I'll make the point that Cathro does. Every. Single Time; watch the race before you hit the internets...It's not hard.
Have any of you ever visited a bike website other than here and Pinkbike? Cyclingtips, cycling news etc all have the results of the day's races at the top of the homepage and the name of the winner of the race the article is about in the headline. Because they, apparently naively, assume that cyclists visiting a cycling website have come to hear cycling news. Imagine if the BBC News site was reporting on the Afghanistan crisis two days late just in case someone was waiting to watch the Friday news on Sunday.
Anyway, it is pretty cool that Minnaar is still winning. The bottom of the internet keeps talking about how Gwin is washed up, the new generation of riders are faster and looser than ever and there Minnaar is, trucking along same as he was when I was in high school.
Anyway, it is pretty cool that Minnaar is still winning. The bottom of the internet keeps talking about how Gwin is washed up, the new generation of riders are faster and looser than ever and there Minnaar is, trucking along same as he was when I was in high school.
This is the part I really can't get my head round.
Still being competitive in your sport at the age of 40 (I think he turns 40 in a few months) isn't that remarkable when it comes to endurance sports but even then you're starting to come to the end of your career.
I'm roughly the same age as Minnaar and I stopped high level competition in my early 20s. I've still got niggly injuries that bother me to this day and my sport wasn't anything like as physically demanding as Downhill. I wish I knew how he did it.
Missed the "live" race, so thought I'd watch the replay later that night. Redbull TV wouldn't work, Eurosport only had the mens race (and no Warner!) so thought I'd try the Youtube redbull channel - only to see the winning runs in the 'recommended for you' slot! Utter crap!!
Well pleased for Greg though, but how unlucky was Reece Wilson!
@BruceWee I am in between Greg and Nino in age, and despite being 'fit' relative to the average bloke on the street, I definitely feel like I'm aging these days.
I think its no co-incidence that Minnaar, (and also, to a lesser Extent, Nino Schurter) are both extremely successful at a late point in their careers, but they are also clearly intelligent, hard-working, bright people. Minnaar clearly works incredibly hard, he has surrounded himself with the support he needs from a great team (including a 'manager' who also knows what is required for a long successful career).
Greg always interviews well, sees the bigger picture, is mentally very strong and analytical I think. A perfect example is that he always makes an experience on Dialled and has an eye for detail that the Fox lot must long for in some of the younger athletes!
I'd be willing to bet that even though (as the instagram stories from everyone will attest!) they partied hard after the race on Sunday - I bet Greg was still up on time ready to crack on with the day, whatever that may be.
Its as much from Minnaars head as his body I think. Very, Very impressive. Its telling that I dont think you'll find anyone from the entire professional MTB world, riders, teams, media etc, who is anything but delighted for Greg.
I think DH is mostly courage and head games. There's obviously a fitness element as well, but it's clear that the fitness required to compete for 4-5 mins at a time is something that folk can hang on to now into their later years.
He was saying this weekend that he wasn't sure he could hang on at the bottom of the course though.
I think it is also about strength, or rather strength to weight. All other things being equal, your speed is determined by being able to absorb the compressions and stay in control (as Minaar's comment about launching the final big drop illustrated). That requires a certain type of muscle, possibly also a certain type of nerve connection to it. The right training will help for sure, but there may also be a genetic element to it.
It was a great result to see unfold, a proper win for a proper racer on a proper track against proper opposition.
Its telling that I dont think you’ll find anyone from the entire professional MTB world, riders, teams, media etc, who is anything but delighted for Greg.
When he did his talk tour a while back at the theatre my sister and brother-in-law work at I asked them how he was away from the public eye and they both said he was super polite, helpful and just a great person in general. No sense of nastiness about him whatsoever. A lot of 'stars' that go through the place have a nasty side to them that comes out behind the scenes but there was no sign of it with Greg. Hans Rey was the same but not as chatty, safe to say the theatre has a good impression of mountain bike shows!