FINALLY THE BRIDE, PEATY WINS THE BIG ONE, MINNAAR HIS BRIDESMAID. Sept. 8, 2009 - Canberra, Australia Finally in the record books, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Steve Peat (SRAM/RockShox), makes history as he bags the big one winning the UCI Downhill World Championships in Canberra, Australia. Syndicate’s Greg Minnaar finishes a mere .05 behind Peat in the closest margin in World Championship history, and Mick Hannah takes the last medal just .69 behind Peat. I’ve just finished dropping off the rental van and riding my bike home from Avis in Temecula, which concludes the last ground logistics from the Syndicate’s World Champs trip. I can now start on this press release and I just thought I’d write it from my point of view. There will be plenty of releases with the standard interviews, so I’ll give you my take on the lead up to the World Champs and how we got there. Riding home today across the meadow with the wind blowing through the tall grass reminded me of how we started the season on safari in South Africa which resembled the open meadow I just rode across. The season was wide open then and full of promise, and now we are writing the final chapters to the 2009 downhill race season with most of the promise realized. As I pedaled my jet-lagged legs up the single-track I thought what makes this world champs win so special is the emotion. At the end of the day it is just a bike race, someone rode their bike fast down a hill and was faster than the others. That is just a fact. But what makes it so special is that the man who did it has had a 15 year career of winning every race but the world championships, and to finally do so, on his terms, makes it gratifying for every fan, sponsor, support crew, and every family member involved, or who has ever been involved in Steve’s career. These people make up the building blocks of the foundation on which Steve can excel, and every sacrifice Steve has made, his family has made, every effort his support team put into him, it was a payday; one whopping huge payday of relief, respect, excitement and satisfaction for a job well done. With tears flowing, a choked up Steve said, “This is the way I wanted to win it, with all the top guys having their best race, no mechanicals, no crashes, totally legit. It is going to take some time for this to sink in.” The road to Canberra started with the 6:00 am arrival of the Syndicate into Sydney a week and a half before the race to acclimate to the time zone. First stop, Bondi Beach for breakfast on a fine spring day. Doug was the only brave soul to take a dip while the others enjoyed some Frisbee on the fine sand beach. Checking into the Holiday Inn within view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House young Bryce and I took a dip in the rooftop pool. Paul Begg was meeting us later to show us the hotspots, but the boys needed fancy shoes to get in the clubs so shopping we went. Minnaar tested his shoes out doing his version of the moonwalk while Josh picked out a pair of very pointed shoes, and Steve pimped himself out in a slick version of slip-ons. Hitting the rooftop for evening cocktails we were treated to a bat show, thousands and thousands of bats were flying past us coming from the Botanical Gardens on their way to find a nice evening meal. Ben Monroe picked us up and whisked us off to the most amazing Thai dinner we’ve ever had. Meanwhile the UK mechanics arrived and joined us for the rest of the evening’s entertainment. A few of us got some sleep, but some were in the hot-tub rooftop at 6:00 am soaking in the sunrise. Lunchtime we hit Deus, a vintage and custom motorcycle shop and café that is a must stop for anyone passing through Sydney. After lunch we made the hour and a half drive to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains for four nights of rest, relaxation and some training rides. I made sure the boys were eating well and we had some great meals, the standout item being the Sweet Potato Soup recipe that Steve gave me. Scott Sharples and Bryn Atkinson live nearby, and Brian Lopes flew in and we had a neighborhood full of talent. Some went golfing and hiking, and some of us went to the movies and saw Inglorious Basterds (a must-see movie). We had a fun rental car and cruised the small main street of Katoomba. Arriving back to the rental house the boys treated the front garden to a trim, well, tore it up in the name of fun, and lucky for us Paul’s brother Michael (the home-owner), took it all in stride and had a laugh with us: Sadly, Greg received the news that his beloved Grandmother had fallen ill and had be admitted to the hospital. By evening she had slipped into a coma. I worked on flight details to send him home, but by the next morning she had passed. It was a difficult time, a time where this incredible job we have takes a toll, to miss the things in your personal life, and to be a world away when they happen is a downside to the wonderful experiences we do hav