Leevamark

According to Gwin, it was: "Just a freak brake malfunction that led to a crash." Then he added: "Guess that's racing!" He's a solid dude. For sure he's disappointed, but he doesn't let this kind of stuff define him. Looking forward to seeing what he does in Norway, and hey- he's got the overall title.

His line selection IS crazy good. It's an instinct. And yes, he IS comfortable at that blitzing speed. He's havin a blast, mainly.

I know Aaron personally, and I can tell you- he cares about a LOT more than winning. It does him an injustice (though I don't think you intended to) to say "nothing else in the world matters to him" but winning. Aaron is a deep dude. MANY things matter more to him than winning. That's one of the secrets to his calm, laid back and humble nature, and it's one of many reasons he's totally OK when things don't go his way on race day. Oh he does want to win- you can be sure of it- but he doesn't let it define his worth as a person. You're right about his work ethic. He's a super focused, hard working guy. He has a respect for the sport, and a respect for his boss (Jesus), that requires him to give it his all, and not take it for granted. Beyond that- the dude is just havin' the time of his life. He loves to ride. Has since he was a toddler. Just something he was born to do.

Actually, during his time racing moto- he had tons of injuries. Bad ones too. That is ONE of the reasons he eventually gave it up. He's taken some good spills in MTB as well. The average fan just doesn't always register how bad the spills are, because he has an ethic that makes him jump back on the bike and gut it out, and often even still make the podium!