No elite US male racer has won the prestigious season-long title in nearly 35 years and it’s the first by an American since 2019: ‘I love this sport.’
Blevins won the men’s race Sunday to secure the overall crown. (Photo: Piotr Staron/Getty Images)
Published October 6, 2025 10:07AM
Christopher Blevins is poised to do what no U.S. elite male rider has done in nearly 35 years — win the mountain bike World Cup series title.
Blevins blazed to victory Sunday at Lake Placid for his third World Cup win of the season that pushes him over the top to win the first U.S. overall World Cup title in cross-country since Kate Courtney in 2019.
Even with one more stop in Canada, Blevins has enough points to take the prestigious season-long title.
“Thanks to everyone in my corner. I love this sport,” Blevins said. “Everything about it, it was a beautiful race. It’s been an amazing year with the team, and I had to believe in myself agin and again.”
He is set to become the first elite American male since John Tomac in 1991 to win the overall World Cup title.
The World Cup crown caps a banner year with the Specialized Factory Racing star, who also won silver in the world championships behind Victor Koretzky in Switzerland last month.
The Durango native grew up riding alongside cross-country pioneer Ned Overend, winner of the first World Cup title in 1990, and Vuelta a España champion Sepp Kuss.
The 27-year-old is already a two-time Olympian, and this latest milestone will set him up going into the next Olympic Games in 2028 Los Angeles on home dirt.
Blevins’ huge season is also a big boost for U.S. mountain bike racing, with Durango, Colorado, recently selected to host the 2030 world mountain bike championships, four decades after the Colorado town hosted the inaugural edition in 1990.
