One of mountain bike racing's most important and influential men is our guest on The Inside Line this week. Martin Whiteley, owner of the YT Mob, has been involved in World Cup MTB racing since the very beginning. From racer to UCI delegate to team owner, he is a veritable encyclopedia of race knowledge. Lee Trumpore sits down with Martin to discuss the health of World Cup mountain bike racing now compared to the past, the talents of riders like Greg Minnaar and Aaron Gwin as well as the future of racing. Dig in, it's full of incredible history and facts of our sport. 

There's an Outkast song with a quote describing Teddy Pendergrass as cooler than Freddie Jackson sipping a milkshake in a snowstorm. That quote could easily be attached to the one and only, John Hall, mechanic for Aaron Gwin and the YT Mob. From his South Dakota roots racing BMX to New World Disorder-inspired hucking, John landed in Southern California when he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Not wanting to return home after his service, he worked construction and eventually landed a job as a bike mechanic at a shop in Hemet, California. Combine a willingness to work with a little bit of timing, luck and friendships and eventually John found his way to working with Aaron. Fast-forward to today and he's helped earn boatload of World Cup DH wins and provided design input on the new YT TUES. Get inspired by a steady demeanor and strong work ethic and enjoy this Inside Line with Mr. Cool John Hall. 

Have you ever climbed 1,000,000 vertical feet in a year on your mountain bike, let alone a VP-Free? Have you ever coughed so hard your jaw locked open? The legendary Sergeant of Suffering, Mark Weir has. Weir is a NorCal MTB legend who has given us Hell Ride, helped blaze the pumptrack trail and taught us that epic adventure is what getting into the mountains is all about. Marco Osborne is a young, upstart American enduro racing pinner who learned all he needs to know from Mark Weir. At the TDS (The Dirty Sanchez) Enduro a couple weeks ago, Vital's Brandon Turman sat down with Weir and Osborne to see talk enduro racing, suffering for your trails in Marin county and putting your wheels where your heart is.

It is with great pleasure to share this week's Inside Line podcast with you. The incredibly funny, energetic and honest Leigh Donovan, American mountain bike racing legend and World Champion, gets on the mic to talk race history, sponsorship highs and lows, dealing with anxiety and how important it is that we get more people safely on mountain bikes. I've always been a fan of hers but have a new respect for all that she accomplished and achieved throughout her career after this interview. I hope you enjoy it and learn as much as I did. -gordo