Today we’re catching up with Yoann Barelli. Yoann has been making some big changes in his approach to riding and racing over the last few years. He’s worked hard to make his mountain bike career align with his values and reduce his impact on the environment. This season he’s taking that to the next level by launching the Into the Gnar Progression team. We sat down to catch up and find out how his new programme is going and hear how he got on at Freeride Fiesta in Mexico. Hear the thinking behind the Progression team and what he’s setting out to achieve with that project. Yoann also shares some news on a product he’s been developing that will be launching soon. So sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Yoann Barelli.

You can follow Yoann on Instagram @yoannbarelli and watch his channel on YouTube here.

Supporting Partners

CushCore

I’ve been using CushCore for a few years now and yeah they help protect your rims, but what I really love is what they do to the way the bike rides. The bike is more damped, it rolls faster and maintains momentum better over rough terrain. They really do allow you to go bigger, corner harder, and ride faster with total confidence.

CushCore have amassed 24 EWS wins and 94 podiums. In World Cup downhill they have 27 wins 96 podiums, 7 world championships and 3 world cup overall champions. Pretty impressive eh!

If you want to go bigger, corner harder and ride faster with total confidence then cushcore.com is the place to head.

Magura

I've been really impressed with the Magura MT7 Pro brakes that I've been using for the last couple of months. What's even better is the ability to tune the brakes to be prefect for you with their #customizeyourbrake options for performance, ergonomics and aesthetics.

You can find out more about Magura over at magura.com. Head to their YouTube Channel for lots of in-depth info and give them a follow on Instagram @magura_bicycle.

To be in with a chance to win your very own set of MT7 Pros and heaps of customisation option, just head to this post on Instagram and follow the instructions before the end of February 2022.

Podcast Stuff

Downtime EP

Downtime EP issue 1 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast, expands on them, and takes them into a stunning print-only format. EP is the perfect companion for some quiet time away from the distractions of modern life. Beautiful to have and hold, and a timeless piece of mountain bike history.

Just head over to downtimepodcast.com/ep and you’ll be able to save yourself £5 off of the cover price with an annual subscription for just £20 plus postage.

Merch

If you want to support the podcast, and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that's using renewable energy. So check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop.

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Photo - Travis Bothner