wtd: background on Peaty and Warner

bluechair84

I'm doing an inspirational characters lesson with some year 7s, each student will have to write a story with a message based on their own experiences. I will do an example and, as with the way most of my lessons turn out, it will have a MTB slant.
So, if Peaty is our inspirational character, what made him different to Warner who he spent much of his earlier career besides? Was it skill? Pub time? Committment? Or maybe just career change? Why did Peaty go on to win the champs in 2009 whilst Warner became a commentator?

Some of the things I think I know; they both used to ride for Giant, then MBUK, Peaty went on to start Royal Racing and then the Syndicate whilst Warners performances weren't great and he took up commentating.
/\ any of this an accurate start?

bluechair84

Just found an interviewwith him that corrects my shite history of Peaty. So the other sie of the question then, what was the difference between Peaty and Warner and why did their careers go so differently?

supersonic

I can give you a fair bit about Peaty (we went to the same school, born in the same town - though never really met!).

Peat started racing in his teens on a fully rigid Kona. He got a deal with Saracen in 1995 (never raced for Giant), then Team MBUK (who may have had Giant bikes at the time), before moving to GT, Orange then Santa Cruz.

He won his first DH World Cup with GT, though Warner was the first Brit to win one at Kaprun in 1996.

I think Rob had a lot of bad luck with injuries and retired earlier. Steve also seemed a little more professional in his approach too, though there is no doubt both are fantastically naturally gifted riders.

Also see the interview with BR:

http://www.bikeradar.com/racing/article ... eat-15903/

bluechair84

Yeah just found that interview thanks for the info. What I'm after is whether the tack of my discussion is going to be that Peaty put in the effort (kids, eat your greens and work hard) which made him worthy of his titles, or that Warner just didn't get lucky (sometimes life gives you a bad hand but you can always come up trumps with it - ie Warner moved on to commentary). I was under the impression that Warner was more a party personality, but in the interview Peaty quotes 'drinking' as his training regime .

Ultimately, it will go in one ear and out the other so I can tailor it to suit the message I want to give - but respectfully, I don't want to slander anyone.

supersonic

When they both started they weren't the most disciplined :-). I think both would agree with that! Just look for old Team Saracen stories ;-).

I think Peat became the total pro though after. Sure he likes to drink, afterall he is from Sheffield, but when it comes to the racing and his team is the rider that the others want to follow. Dedication and determination, none has it more really. Still racing at 37!

Not to say that Rob wasn't as dedicated, but always seemed to have a more relaxed style on the scene, and we all know his stories about fitness and not pedalling (though he does really!).

Maybe Peat is just the better rider? Hard to say really, but one thing is for sure, both of them pushed DH in the UK to the forefront and did a hell of a lot for the sport. Without them I doubt we'd be seeing the Harts and Brycelands. Peat is the reason I started riding and got a Zaskar!

allen.coulson

Here is my challenge: Steve Peat did become champ - but was it not in 2008?. No one else became champion that year - because there is only one winner. The others are not to be disregarded for their performance during the race or for their subsequent careers - where it seems to me Rob Warner is an enduring Champion in commentating.

Why not use the Athertons to make a different point about fitness and dedication being the route - plenty of AV material for them and the kids will relate to that.

Can't you ask one of the syndicates to send you a rider to give a talk?

Thewaylander

Didn't rob always say, he had alot issues, with mindset for the reace period.

bluechair84

allen.coulson wrote:

Here is my challenge: Steve Peat did become champ - but was it not in 2008?. No one else became champion that year - because there is only one winner. The others are not to be disregarded for their performance during the race or for their subsequent careers - where it seems to me Rob Warner is an enduring Champion in commentating.

Why not use the Athertons to make a different point about fitness and dedication being the route - plenty of AV material for them and the kids will relate to that.

Can't you ask one of the syndicates to send you a rider to give a talk?

That would be epic if Josh popped by And whilst Peaty has a few titles under his belt I wanted to quote his recent ones.
bringing the Athertons into it is a good idea too actually, one of their films training would be ace. Plus I get to oggle Rachel.

tom_howard

Doesnt Peaty have a book out? Warners major problem was his knees, they went early on and got worse, there were some races that by the second half of a run he literally couldnt pedal.

My own opinion, based on reading interviews in mags over the last 12 years is that Peaty always had his eyes on the mtb prize, never really deviating unless it improved his riding. Also, look at the guys he was riding with in his first formative 'big money pro' team at GT. Lopes (acknowledged by many as the perfect pro athlete) Hans Rey (consumate pro, wore a watch on each wrist to promote Swatch) Mike King (bloody quick) and Eric Carter (pretty handy) If that lot cant make you a bloody quick pro mtber, noone can. Probably didnt hurt that he was living and riding with Palmer too.

By contrast, Warner went through phases in a sort of love/hate relationship with riding, but kept at it for the money (his words, in a column a couple of years before he quit) which I guess thats why his head wasnt always in it. Also, he stayed here, meaning he wasnt always in the heart of the 'scene' in So-cal so had noone really to sponge, I dont mean that in the tramp sense, more soaking up the ethos of the other riders right place at the right time, much like all the guys at the post office trails in Aptos (or sheep hills back in the day).
Hes now found his calling in using his gob and talking about his passions, MTB and MX (bet hed commentate on moto trials too if he could, his first love).


Oh and Rach isnt that hot. Oh no wait, that was a 100% lie

bluechair84

Having met Rachel, I can confirm this is a lie.


Ok having seen her fram afar, hiding behind a bsaeball cap with arm in cast behind a fluffy microphone over others shoulders whilst she interviewed Hill... I can confrim this is a lie.

And it's good stuff on Warner and Peaty, I'll use it today Howard.

benpinnick

Its all a bit hazy now, as I was much younger back then but as I remember it....

Although in it for the money, when Rob dropped out from racing, the DH sport was going through a pretty tough time financially, and he looked alot more at MX as an outlet for his talent. At the same time, Steve married Adele and became a little more focused (IMHO), got a solid deal with Orange, and he decided to stick with the DH, as he was one of the few riders that had a decent enough deal to make a go of it. Meanwhile the previously quite dominant Giant DH team began to fade away as they couldn't justify the spend, leaving Rob with a decision on what to do. Courses back then tended to favour fitness over skill, as we didn't have as many real mountains that could be ridden on, and so Steve had the natural advantage, as the fitter, SPD rider.

Ultimately they both liked a drink. If you find Brant Richards photo stream on flickr, theres some old pictures of the DH scene from around 2000, you'll no doubt find both peaty and warner fairly inebriated. I think its mainly a case that only the very committed riders survived from that era. The UK had plenty of talent, but few could earn enough bucks to get through the year. Looking back at the list of sponsored (and talented riders) from back then, I can think of only a handful that still race, and none that do so at the level of Steve. I agree with Tom that being in the US helped alot back then. The Euro DH scene was a bit shambolic, and if you weren't in so'cal, you were no-where.

bluechair84

Thanks for the input guys, I think I pulled off another inspirational lesson about idols, and they came up with some interesting morals including 'you're never too old' and also, 'the grass is greener on the otherside', which had nothing to do with my story. Naturally, I slapped him upside the head and gave him press-ups for not listening properly.