|
|
Greg Minnaar Part #1
1st July 2004
Writer: James, Photos: 23 Degrees
We manage to get an interview with Greg Minnaar, possibly the most talked about rider this year. He is equipped with the new Honda bike and is making waves in the sport.
 1) Full Name?
Greg Minnaar
2) Age?
22
3) Location?
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
4) Whats your favourite UK track?
Pately Bridge (not sure of the spelling).
5) And favourite in the world?
Arai Mountain, Japan.
6) What would you say about your performance in 2003?
It was a great year, achieving the final objectives of winning the World Championship and NORBA titles. I also really had fun on the Haro team, they're a great bunch of guys.
7) What’s South Africa like for riding?
Cool. I have three downhill tracks near my place which are all varied and offer different technical qualities. I also have excellent jump parks and motor cross tracks nearby. To top it off, it's summer when I'm home in the off-season so it's always good to get out and go train.
8) How did you first get into MTB?
My parents bought a bike shop when I was 11 so it wasn't long before I got into riding MTB's.
9) You're very tall, how do you think this helps you when you're riding?
There's no big advantage in being tall or short. Being tall helps me get late on the braking because with my tall body frame I can get my weight further back on the bike and brake later, but because I'm heavier, I have to brake more than guys like David Vasquez or my team mate Cyrille Kurtz. So there are advantages and disadvantages. Being tall sucks when it comes to air travel!
10) What do you think of the Honda bike?
It's cool. It's definitely working well and creating a lot of media interest which is good for our sport.
11) What influence did you have in the design/specification?
The only thing was geometry, to suit my height. Other than that, all the co-sponsor equipment such as Maxxis tyres, Mavic rims, Shimano brakes, Easton bars and seat posts, SDG seats, ODI grips, DT Swiss spokes, these were all personal choices.
12) We saw you racing in Moelfre Hall before Fort William, what did you think of that compared to NORBA or World Cups?
I really like the relaxed atmosphere. NORBA's are bigger but there is so much going on, schedules get changed and messed up a lot, but the NPS races in the UK are very much about the racing and the people are really supportive. I always love racing in the UK when I can.
13) You're paired with Cyrille Kurtz this season, how do you rate his chances in the future?
Anyone who's seen him race will know, this kid has a bright future. To qualify 10th in Fort William at just 17 is impressive. He's very smooth on the bike, very efficient. Don't forget, he finished third to Sam Hill and Gee at the Worlds last year, and those guys are ripping it up in elite this year. I think Cyrille has a good chance to win the Junior World title this year.
14) Have you noticed a big equipment advantage from moving to Honda? How?
I can't really say too much about this, but for sure the relocation of gear changing to the center of the bike makes the center of gravity more forward, and the bike more stable. There is a great team of engineers and mechanics to support us and that's always reassuring. We haven't had a single mechanical all season (except when I crashed this week in MSA and broke my front brake reservoir).
15)What were your first impressions when you rode the bike?
At first it was not so dialled, so my impression was average, but I could see the potential for development, so I knew this was the way to go.
16) If you weren’t riding bikes, what would you be doing?
Riding motor bikes, maybe even studying ornithology..........whatever.
Thanks Greg! Best of luck for this year. Look out for part two!
23 Degrees Sport
|
|
