Jun 24, 2026
Andrew 'Needles' Neethling joins The Ride Companion for a full
race-chat episode covering the current state of World Cup downhill,
the brutal new qualifying format, Luca Shaw missing finals after
winning a World Cup, Finn Iles’ incredible back to back wins, Anna
Newkirk’s breakout victory, team pressure, privateers, broadcast
storylines and what downhill needs to do to grow.
We also get into Andrew’s wild Mountain of Hell experience, his
unofficial top-10 before a controversial DQ, arm pump, bike setup
for mass-start racing, World Cup salaries, team dynamics, Warner’s
Race Companion and why downhill racers are basically modern-day
gladiators.
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