Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast

This week I’m sitting down for a chat with the GOAT himself, Greg Minnaar. We talk about his early career with teams like Animal Orange, Global Racing and Honda. Find out a bit about that amazing looking Honda bike and what the project was like to be a part of. We also chat about Greg’s more recent performances from the last few years, and how he plans to approach taking the title fight to Loic and Amaury in 2020. Thanks to O’Neal for setting up the opportunity to chat to Greg in a beautiful old bar in the heart of Leeds… just keen an ear out for the Grandfather clock!!! You can follow Greg on Instagram @gregminnaar, and if you want to check out his tour in the UK then you can head to speakersfromtheedge.com. To be in with a chance of winning an O’Neal Blade Hyperlite IPX Helmet, as worn by Greg himself, head to instagram and follow @onealracing, and then comment on their post about this podcast episode before 26th October, when one of you will be selected at random. To listen to our previous episode with Greg, head here. This episode of the podcast is supported by O’Neal. O’Neal have been kitting out top riders for many years, including of course, Greg Minnaar. I spent last winter in their Legacy Pant and was a big fan. Super comfortable, not too hot, and great in a wide range of conditions. To be in with a chance of winning one of 10 pairs of Legacy pant‘s, make sure you’re on our mailing list before the end of October, when we will pick 10 of you at random. Just head to downtimepodcast.com/subscribe fill in the form, and don’t forget to confirm your subscription (check your junk mail!). If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Phunkt

This week it’s time to hear from one of 2019’s rising stars, Veronika Widmann, who finished 3rd overall in this years world cup standings. I didn’t know that Veronika was going to be at Hardline, so I was stoked that she was there, and up for recording an episode together. We talk about how she got into riding, her time riding cross country, how she got into downhill, and racing World Cups, her 2019 season and plenty more… so without further ado, here’s Veronika Widmann. You can follow Veronika on Instagram @vero_widmann This episode of the podcast is supported by O’Neal. O’Neal have been kitting out top riders for many years, including of course, Greg Minnaar. I spent last winter in their Legacy Pant and was a big fan. Super comfortable, not too hot, and great in a wide range of conditions. To be in with a chance of winning one of 10 pairs of Legacy pant‘s, make sure you’re on our mailing list before the end of October, when we will pick 10 of you at random. Just head to downtimepodcast.com/subscribe fill in the form, and don’t forget to confirm your subscription (check your junk mail!). If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Moonhead Media

This week it’s time for a catch up with the double threat himself, Eddie Masters. Eddie has had an amazing season in both downhill and enduro, taking his first EWS win. We sat down for a catch up a couple of weeks ago at Hardline to find out more about how his season went, including how he’s getting on with the injury that he sustained in Northstar, and what it takes to be at the top in DH and Enduro these days. You can follow Eddie on Instagram @edmasters This episode of the podcast is supported by O’Neal. O’Neal have been kitting out top riders for many years, including of course, Greg Minnaar. I spent last winter in their Legacy Pant and was a big fan. Super comfortable, not too hot, and great in a wide range of conditions. To be in with a chance of winning one of 10 pairs of Legacy pant‘s, make sure you’re on our mailing list before the end of October, when we will pick 10 of you at random. Just head to downtimepodcast.com/subscribe fill in the form, and don’t forget to confirm your subscription (check your junk mail!). If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Red Bull Content Pool/Bartek Wolinski

So this week on the podcast I’m sitting down with Ric McLaughlin. If you’ve watched the coverage of the Downhill world cup, or the EWS then you’ll have seen Ric at work, bringing us trackside insight from the world’s top riders. We sat down to find out more about his career, how he ended up in his current role, and what it takes to bring us the awesome coverage that we get from world cups and EWS rounds. Ric’s passion for the sport is clear, so sit back and have a listen to what he has to say. You can follow Ric on Instagram @ricmclaughlin This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to here to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Red Bull Content Pool

So this weekend I headed to Red Bull Hardline, to try and bring you some chat with the riders, and hopefully give you a bit more insight into what it’s like to ride at an event like this. It was my first time there, so I didn’t know what to expect, and it was a little trickier than I expected to get access to the riders throughout the weekend… but I did manage to get some interviews for you. So here is a short episode featuring Brendan Fairclough, Laurie Greenland, Kade Edwards, Bernard Kerr and plenty more. I hope you enjoy listening… If you want to listen to a specific rider, here’s the list Olly Davey 2:25 Cole Lucas 5:50 Bernard Kerr 7:55 Gaetan Vige 9:50 Brendan Fairclough 12:35 Charlie Hatton 14:40 Kaos Seagrave 17:25 Kade Edwards 20:35 Matt Walker 22:30 Laurie Greenland 25:35 Sven Martin 30:05 Joe Smith 31:50 Bernard Kerr 33:55 This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to here to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. To check out the Precision Hydration blog on changing your hydration strategy as you get older, head to this link. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Me!

Snowshoe was the most exciting finale to a World Cup season ever! Join me, Eliot and Neko to find out more about what went on. We chat with Neko about how he designed the track, and what he was looking to achieve. The challenges the riders faced, and who really delivered at this amazing race. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to here to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. To check out the Precision Hydration blog on changing your hydration strategy as you get older, head to this link. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

This week I’m joined by one of Enduro’s rising stars, Matt Stuttard. After a huge crash in 2017 where he was told he may never ride a bike again, Matt has worked his way back up the field. With a solid 2019 season so far he is currently ranked 17th in the overall, even though he is racing as a privateer. We sat down to find out more about Matt’s story, and just what it takes to breakthrough in World Enduro these days. If you want to follow Matt, you can find him on Instagram @mattstuttard46 and on Facebook @MattStuttardRacing. He’s also on YouTube here. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to here to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. To check out the Precision Hydration blog on changing your hydration strategy as you get older, head to this link. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Sven Martin

This week was World Champs at Mont-Sainte-Anne, and once again the racing was amazing, with super tight margins in both the men’s and the women’s category. I’m joined by Neko Mulally and Eliot Jackson, to find out more about what went on. I also want to wish Brook Macdonald and Kate Weatherly full and quick recoveries from the crashes that took them out of contention this weekend. Get well soon! If you want to enter the raffle to win Neko’s worlds bike, and support the great charity work that he’s doing with Can’d Aid, then head to candaid.org This episode of the podcast is supported by Misspent Summers. This crew of some of the sports top journalists produce the Hurly Burly DH yearbook, and the World Stage EWS yearbook, along with some awesome merchandise at missspentsummers.com. Check out what they have to offer, and join their newsletter before the end of September to be in with the chance of winning a selection of their books and an item of merchandise of your choice… just head here. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. To check out the Precision Hydration blog on changing your hydration strategy as you get older, head to this link. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Nathan Hughes

This week I’m joined by one of the UK’s top riders, Matt Simmonds. Matt has had a long career in DH, including a 2nd place in Meribel in 2014. He’s taken on a season of Enduro World Series, and is now back in DH riding on the super interesting Cannondale Twin-Shock test project. Join us for a chat to find out more about Matt, his career so far, and a bit more about that awesome Cannondale project. To follow Matt on instagram, you’ll find him @mattsimmondsdh. The suspension set up service that Matt mentioned can be found at j-techsupension.co.uk. This episode of the podcast is supported by Misspent Summers. This crew of some of the sports top journalists produce the Hurly Burly DH yearbook, and the World Stage EWS yearbook, along with some awesome merchandise at missspentsummers.com. Check out what they have to offer, and join their newsletter before the end of September to be in with the chance of winning a selection of their books and an item of merchandise of your choice… just head here. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. To check out the Precision Hydration blog on changing your hydration strategy as you get older, head to this link. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

This week I’m joined by Meg Whyte and Adam Brayton. We sat down in their camper at the recent Hopton round of the UK Downhill Series to chat about getting into racing, the state of the UK scene, how they keep fit while travelling, World Cups, Hardline and plenty more. So hit play and find out more about two of the UK’s fastest racers. To follow Meg on instagram head to @meg_whyte, and to follow Adam, head to @adbrayton. In the episode we discuss their training from Fit4Racing which you can find out more about here, and Meg’s Pro-Pilot training aid which you can find here. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. To check out the Precision Hydration blog on the importance of pre-loading your hydration before exercise, head to this link. This episode of the podcast is supported by Komoot, a route planning and navigation app that’s actually designed to work for Mountain Biking, and they have a totally FREE offer for you! With Komoot you can create routes on your phone or your computer, and take them offline so you don’t even need a phone signal. Komoot does the hard work so you can enjoy your ride. As a Downtime listener, Komoot are offering you a free regional map bundle of your choice, all you need to do is head to komoot.com/g or click here and use the code DOWNTIME. The offer is open until the end of August 2019, so give it a go. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.

Our last episode with Yoann Barelli was super popular, so I thought it would be good to get him back on for a catch up. He’s had a tough start to the season with an unlucky knee injury putting him out for the rest of the year. So we chat about his season so far, the injury and journey to recovery, his photography, drug addiction, doping and much more. So hit play and enjoy catching up with the one and only Yoann Barelli. To find out more about Yoann, you can follow him on Instagram @yoannbarelli, or to see more of his photography, you can follow his @barelligraphy account. Yoann has also started a YouTube channel which you can find here. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. This episode of the podcast is supported by Komoot, a route planning and navigation app that’s actually designed to work for Mountain Biking, and they have a totally FREE offer for you! With Komoot you can create routes on your phone or your computer, and take them offline so you don’t even need a phone signal. Komoot does the hard work so you can enjoy your ride. As a Downtime listener, Komoot are offering you a free regional map bundle of your choice, all you need to do is head to komoot.com/g or click here and use the code DOWNTIME. The offer is open until the end of August 2019, so give it a go. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes

Lenzerheide put on a show for us this year, with multiple track changes and mixed conditions making it a challenging race. The Lenzerheide of old, renowned for being a ‘bike park’ track, was changed to become a rider favourite. We were treated to another awesome race with Marine and Amaury making a charge towards the overall titles and putting Tracey and Loic under increasing pressure. It’s time to chat with Eliot and Neko to find out more about what went on. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. This episode of the podcast is supported by Komoot, a route planning and navigation app that’s actually designed to work for Mountain Biking, and they have a totally FREE offer for you! With Komoot you can create routes on your phone or your computer, and take them offline so you don’t even need a phone signal. Komoot does the hard work so you can enjoy your ride. As a Downtime listener, Komoot are offering you a free regional map bundle of your choice, all you need to do is head to komoot.com/g or click here and use the code DOWNTIME. The offer is open until the end of August 2019, so give it a go. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Nathan Hughes

In this episode, I’m joined by Cotic main man, Cy Turner, to chat about one of the big topics of 2019, mixed wheel size bikes. I’ve been riding a Cotic FlareMax, which is their 29inch short travel platform, for a while. I’m relatively short at around 5ft 8, so was interested in whether or not a 27.5 rear wheel would be beneficial for me… as it turns out, Cy was experimenting with that as well, so we got together to give it a go. We chat about our testing, what we found, why mixed wheel size bikes are being seen at the races, what to consider if you want to go mixed wheel size on your bike, and also catch up on some other technology trends and get Cy’s take on that too! To find out more about Cotic, you can head to cotic.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @coticbikes or Facebook @CoticLtd To see the high pivot bike that Cy mentions in the episode, head here This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. This episode of the podcast is supported by Komoot, a route planning and navigation app that’s actually designed to work for Mountain Biking, and they have a totally FREE offer for you! With Komoot you can create routes on your phone or your computer, and take them offline so you don’t even need a phone signal. Komoot does the hard work so you can enjoy your ride. As a Downtime listener, Komoot are offering you a free regional map bundle of your choice, all you need to do is head to komoot.com/g or click here and use the code DOWNTIME. The offer is open until the end of August 2019, so give it a go. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to

Val Di Sole 2019 was a hell of a weekend with constantly changing track conditions, crazy storms, topsy turvy quail results, and new winners in all the categories. So let’s check in with Eliot and Neko to find out what it took to take the win on this insanely rough Val Di Sole track. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. This episode of the podcast is supported by Komoot, a route planning and navigation app that’s actually designed to work for Mountain Biking, and they have a totally FREE offer for you! With Komoot you can create routes on your phone or your computer, and take them offline so you don’t even need a phone signal. Komoot does the hard work so you can enjoy your ride. As a Downtime listener, Komoot are offering you a free regional map bundle of your choice, all you need to do is head to komoot.com/g or click here and use the code DOWNTIME. The offer is open until the end of August 2019, so give it a go. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Nathan Hughes

This week, I’m joined by Fabien Barel. I grew up watching Fabien race, so when I got the chance to sit down with him at the Les Gets World Cup, I was super excited. We sat down after hours in the Canyon pits, and chatted about a more philosophical approach to racing and life in general. We hear Fabien’s thoughts on the importance of passion, how he tries to instil that in the Canyon team, and we touch on his 5 pillars of riding. I love the way Fabien thinks about things, and we were a little short of time… so a part 2 will follow in the near future. This episode of the podcast is supported by Precision Hydration. Hydration is an often overlooked element of performance, not just in racing, but in riding and life in general. We all sweat at different rates, and lose different amounts of sodium in that sweat, so it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ fix. Precision Hydration realise that, and are here to help you optimise your personal hydration. Head to PrecisionHydration.com to complete the questionnaire and get your own hydration plan specific to your needs. As a Downtime listener, you get 20% off your entire order by using the code DOWNTIME at the checkout. This episode of the podcast is supported by Komoot, a route planning and navigation app that’s actually designed to work for Mountain Biking, and they have a totally FREE offer for you! With Komoot you can create routes on your phone or your computer, and take them offline so you don’t even need a phone signal. Komoot does the hard work so you can enjoy your ride. As a Downtime listener, Komoot are offering you a free regional map bundle of your choice, all you need to do is head to komoot.com/g or click here and use the code DOWNTIME. The offer is open until the end of August 2019, so give it a go. You can follow Fabien on Instagram @fabienbarel You can find the Wikipedia page for Sophrology here If you are enjoying the podcast, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free, and it means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. All the links you need are at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can also find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and most of the podcast apps out there. If you want to support the podcast, and show that you’re part of an ever growing crew of riders who are listening, learning, and getting faster, then head to downtimepodcast.com/shop and get hold of a t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or mug. Shipping is FREE worldwide on orders over £30! If you want to share tips and advice with other podcast listeners on anything mountain bike related, you can join our Facebook group, head to www.facebook.com/groups/mtbperformance/ request permission to join the group and get involved! Our back catalogue of amazing episodes is available at downtimepodcast.com/episodes Photo – Boris Beyer