MOVING THE NEEDLE : The Andrew Neethling Podcast

Blake Samson has lived a life most riders have never heard about.

Before becoming one of mountain biking's most recognisable presenters and content creators, Blake grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe before his family fled the country and started again in England with almost nothing.

In this episode we dive into that incredible journey, his rise through professional freeriding, life behind the scenes at GMBN, content creation, burnout, and what it really takes to build a career in the bike industry.

Clemens "C-Dog" Kaudela joins the show to share the story behind DarkFest's biggest jumps, his engineering approach to building world-class freeride features, lessons from Rampage, and why big air mountain biking continues to evolve. It's an inside look at one of freeride's most creative minds.

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Supported by Kenda Tires EU 

Episode Presented by Monster Energy

Jordan Williams continued his incredible form, the level of racing reached new heights, and qualifying proved once again that simply making the finals is becoming one of the toughest challenges in mountain biking.

On the women's side, Vali Höll strengthened her grip on the overall, Gracey Hemstreet bounced back with another podium, and Sasha Earnest continued her impressive rise with back-to-back podium finishes.

Sven Martin joins Andrew Neethling to break down everything from Andorra, including Jordan's incredible pace, the evolution of World Cup downhill, Specialized's dominance, the brutal qualifying format, the biggest storylines from the women's race, and the behind-the-scenes insights the TV cameras never capture.

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The La Thuile World Cup delivered one of the most demanding downhill races of the season.

Jordan Williams finally claimed his first Elite World Cup victory, Vali Höll returned to the top step, and the depth of the field continues to redefine what it takes just to qualify for a final.

This week I'm joined once again by Alan Milway, fresh from the mountain, to break down everything that happened in Italy.

British downhill racer Ethan Craik joins the podcast to share his journey from Junior World Cup Champion to one of the sport's most exciting rising talents. We dive into the injuries that threatened to derail his career, the mindset behind his comeback, life with the SCOTT Downhill Factory Team, and why he believes his best racing is still ahead. A fascinating conversation with a rider who's quickly becoming one to watch on the World Cup circuit.