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Ella Conolly: From XC Burnout to 2025 EDR World Cup Champion!

The Ride Companion

Release Date: 07/09/2025

Olly’s Brutal Injury & Davi’s INSANE Amazon Purchases show art Olly’s Brutal Injury & Davi’s INSANE Amazon Purchases

The Ride Companion

We're back for a long overdue catch up episode folks! We’re back with a long overdue catch-up episode! Olly and Davi dive into the current state of the podcast, what the future might look like, and the chaos that’s been happening behind the scenes. Olly breaks down his recent injury and how his foot photos somehow blew up on Instagram, while Davi reveals the wild rabbit hole of TikTok led Amazon purchases he’s fallen into. The lads also get into Meta glasses, night riding, finding community, motivation, AI music, and loads more. Episode Sponsors:-  - For a limited time, our...

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Tom Isted: Inside Red Bull Rampage 2025 (Judging, Building, Injuries & More) show art Tom Isted: Inside Red Bull Rampage 2025 (Judging, Building, Injuries & More)

The Ride Companion

Tom Isted is back on The Ride Companion! Fresh from Red Bull Rampage 2025, Tom stops by the studio to break down every detail of his time in the Utah desert — from building his line and flipping flat drops, to navigating event politics and dealing with the fallout from Adolf Silva’s crash. Tom shares how he manages risk, his honest take on judging, and what it really takes to earn respect at freeride’s biggest event. Plus, behind-the-scenes stories about his dig crew, surviving the chaos, and balancing family life while being one of the world’s most versatile mountain bike riders. We...

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Rob Warner talks Red Bull Rampage, ADHD, new music career and more... show art Rob Warner talks Red Bull Rampage, ADHD, new music career and more...

The Ride Companion

Rob Warner is back on The Ride Companion! In this episode, Rob joins Olly and Davi to talk about his first ever trip to Red Bull Rampage, what it was like to finally see the venue in person, the true scale you can’t capture on TV and what it feels like watching riders hit massive freeride lines for the very first time. The lads also dig into the harsh realities of athletes pushing big-mountain freeride and action sports to the absolute limit. Rob opens up about living with ADHD and autism, how it feels being so publicly outspoken about it, and how commentary helps him find flow state. He...

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Gee Atherton: Bottling Fear, Mindset, Hardline Future & The Crash That Changed Everything show art Gee Atherton: Bottling Fear, Mindset, Hardline Future & The Crash That Changed Everything

The Ride Companion

The legend, Gee Atherton is on the podcast! In this episode Gee opens up like never before. From bottling fear and the brutal lessons of the Knife Edge crash, to the mindset shift that’s carried him from World Cup Downhill racing into big mountain freeride projects. We get into the story of Atherton Bikes and why the family had to start their own brand, why having a World Cup race team was non-negotiable, and what it really takes to build a bike/brand with his family. Gee talks about the future of Red Bull Hardline, why the course has to keep getting bigger, faster and gnarlier, how fear...

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Duncan Ferris on The Psychology of Trail Building, 4X Racing and More show art Duncan Ferris on The Psychology of Trail Building, 4X Racing and More

The Ride Companion

Trail boss Duncan Ferris is on the podcast! Duncan Ferris has lived two MTB lives: from 4X racer and World Cup track builder to shaping the UK’s most ridden bike park trails at BikePark Wales. In this episode, Duncan takes us from the Bristol BSX scene, to building World Cup 4X tracks like Schladming, Vigo and Villingen and finally chasing down the National Champs jersey after 20 years. We dive deep into trail building psychology, why braking bumps form where they shouldn’t, why variety in a crew is essential and how riders unlock creativity on a trail. Plus Duncan shares the BikePark...

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Phil Atwill Talks Style, Mental Health, Team Management, Downhill and More show art Phil Atwill Talks Style, Mental Health, Team Management, Downhill and More

The Ride Companion

Phil Atwill is on The Ride Companion Podcast! In this episode, Phil joins Olly and Davi to talk about his incredible career (so far), from making riding fun at Aston Hill and earning his first pay cheque as a pro, to dealing with injuries, pressure, and the infamous 2017 hardtail World Cup protest run. He talks about his long-standing relationship with Propain Bikes and how it inspired the creation of the Propain Positive Team, his move to Greece, and why he’s so dedicated to growing the local MTB scene. Phil also opens up about the state of downhill racing, mental health, and balancing...

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Red Bull Rampage 2025 Preview (with Brendog) show art Red Bull Rampage 2025 Preview (with Brendog)

The Ride Companion

Join Brendan Fairclough, Olly Wilkins and Davi Birks as they preview the Red Bull Rampage 2025 mens rider list.  You're not going crazy either, this is an excerpt from our recent episode with Brendan Fairclough. Get early access & ad-free episodes → You can also support our long term partners: - Marin Bikes: - Focus Bikes: - HUEL: Get 15% OFF with code 'RIDE' at - Hiplok:   - Play Fantasy Downhill at The Race Companion: - Get 10% off Troy Lee Designs with code 'theridecompanion' at - Athletic Greens: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel...

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Dan Milner on Wild Adventure MTB Photography (North Korea, Afghanistan & More) show art Dan Milner on Wild Adventure MTB Photography (North Korea, Afghanistan & More)

The Ride Companion

Adventure photographer Dan Milner has spent three decades turning a bike into a passport. From North Korea to Afghanistan, from camping among polar bears in Svalbard to being buried by a 10-day Alaskan blizzard, his career has been about chasing risk, chasing stories, and suffering for the photo. During this episode we get into the infamous 1994 MBUK self-timer 'selfie' that started it all, smuggling bikes onto gondolas in flip-flops, why real risk changes as you age, the strange normality of Pyongyang, bivvying through a typhoon with minders in polythene raincoats, and the wild beauty of...

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Anton Thelander: From Slopestyle Phenom to Burnout & Finding the Love Again show art Anton Thelander: From Slopestyle Phenom to Burnout & Finding the Love Again

The Ride Companion

Swedish mountain bike royalty Anton Thelander is on the podcast! On this episode of The Ride Companion Anton talks about going from local skateparks and Sweden’s MTB school to Red Bull Phenom, a 4th place at Joyride and a Rampage debut before suffering the effects of burnout. In this brutally honest conversation Anton opens up about Martin Söderström’s mentorship, Canyon signing, that first Red Bull helmet reveal and the tough years. Anton opens up about depression, losing contracts, moving back home, and how he started rebuilding with therapy, movement, a new toolbox for his mind, and...

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Brendan Fairclough Reveals His Gnarliest Build Ever + Rampage 2025 Predictions show art Brendan Fairclough Reveals His Gnarliest Build Ever + Rampage 2025 Predictions

The Ride Companion

Brendan Fairclough is back in the studio to reveal his gnarliest build ever and give us an exclusive first look at his wildest project yet, a 9m treehouse to under ground tunnel build we’ve (temporarily) named MTB OBLIVION. We cover why Bren’s sitting out Rampage this year, the mental game of competing in Utah, who he’s tipping for the win (Godziek, TVS, Emil, Zink?), and the chaos of creating a viral freeride line on a shoestring budget in the Surrey Hills. Episode Sponsors:-  - Invisiframe → 15% off kits, decals & more with code REFRESHANDRIDE: - Troy Lee Designs...

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More Episodes

What does it take to become the 2025 Enduro World Cup overall champion... without a factory team and without ever planning to go pro?

In this episode, we sit down with Ella Conolly, the 2025 EDR World Cup overall winner, to hear about her incredible journey. Ella opens up about growing up in Inverness and leaving British Cycling’s Olympic program, to discovering enduro (thanks to a knock on the door from Tracy Moseley) and going all in on a new discipline with limited funding, no plan and a passion for adventure. We talk about privateer life, her calculated approach to risk, how she fuels race weekends, finding joy in the process, the power of building your own path, discover wether will Ella plans to race downhill and much more more...

Follow Ella Conolly: @ella_conolly

New merch drops soon + you can support the show by checking out our ad freee  Patreon!
BIG thanks to this episode's sponsors:

WORX Tools → 15% off the full range with code THERIDECOMPANION: https://uk.worx.com

Hiplok → Head on over to http://hiplok.com/trc to claim your exclusive offer and keep YOUR bikes YOURS.

You can also support our long term partners:

- Marin Bikes: marinbikes.com/gb

- Focus Bikes: focus-bikes.com

- HUEL: Get 15% OFF with code 'RIDE' at huel.com/

- Hiplok: https://hiplok.com/the-ride-companion 

- Nissan Vans: nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/primastar.html

- Play Fantasy Downhill at The Race Companion:
theracecompanion.com
instagram.com/theracecompanion

- Get 10% off Troy Lee Designs with code 'theridecompanion' at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr

- Athletic Greens: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs at athleticgreens.com/RIDECOMPANION

- Compex: Get 20% off with code ‘THERIDECOMPANION’ at compex.com/uk/

- Worx: Get 15% off with code ‘THERIDECOMPANION’ at worx.com

- LAKA: Get 30 days of FREE insurance with code ‘RIDECOMPANION30’ at laka.co

- HKT Products: Use code ‘PODCAST’ for 10% off the entire site.


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Edited By: Doug Tucker, onlyflightdispatch.com & TRC Media House

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