Shaun Palmer, Nicolas Vouilloz, and John Tomac, were all idols of mine in the late 90′s when I first starting riding mountain bikes. Today, I still have much respect for them and what they’ve done for the sport. As far as I know, Tomac and Vouilloz are no longer racing mountain bikes, and neither was Shaun Palmer until recently. Videos and more after the jump…

After 10 years of being away from the sport, the Palm, Palmer, or Napalm as some call him, is back on the bike and plans on competing in a number of downhill events throughout the year. I’m stoked to see Palmer back riding and competing with all the young guns. I’d love to see him go head to head with Steve Peat this year, but it’s certainly going to take a lot of training on Palmer’s end for him to get back in the game. The bar has risen pretty high since the late 90′s, and there are quite a few talented riders dominating the top spots of professional downhill racing nowadays. Bike technology has changed, the courses have changed, and like most sports, it is more competitive. However, with a little time I believe Palmer stands a chance of taking a podium or two.

Not only is Palmer training for the downhill circuit, but also for the 2010 Olympic games, which start just next week. Having missed the 2006 winter games because of an injury during practice, Palmer is back for another shot. He will be competing in the snowboardcross event on the US team, and if his past performances say anything about his will to win, I’d say he’s got a pretty good shot at gold.

And just around the corner is the 2010 Sea Otter Classic, where in 1998 he placed 1st in the Dual Slalom event. Will we see Palm there as well? I hope so.

Shaun Palmer Returns to Downhill Mountain Bike… – More Mountain Bike Videos