6 July 2015
South Africa’s Greg Minnaar has re-written the record books after he won his 18th Downhill World Cup crown in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Saturday, 4 July.
The win, Minnaar’s second of the season in four attempts, means that he moves one above Englishman Steve Peat on the list of all-time World Cup wins. It also means that Minnaar moves up to third place in the overall standings with three rounds remaining in the season.
“I’ve never been so nervous on the hot seat,” Minnaar told the UCI’s official website.
“I’m trying to soak it up [18th win]. It was nerve-wracking watching [Loic] Bruni coming down. It’s incredible because I didn’t feel I had it in me this week to win and I just wanted to put in a solid run.”
He added: “I think the conditions played a huge part, being so rough and tricky. I’m stoked to win my 18th World Cup, just a bit overwhelmed, really. I just tried to be safe everywhere and carry speed where I could. I knew it was going to be super close and I didn’t think I had it in me, but the team put in a big effort with bike testing all week and it paid off.”
Take the ride through Minnaar’s helmet camera in Lenzerheide:
Lenzerheide World Cup results (downhill men):
- Greg Minnaar (RSA) – 3:00.535
- Loic Bruni (FRA) – +0.960
- Lucas Dean (AUS) – +1.807
World Cup overall standings:
- Aaron Gwin (USA) – 749
- Loic Bruni (FRA) – 645
- Greg Minnaar (RSA) – 633
Source: News24Wire
