{"id":45564,"date":"2021-07-27T18:17:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T00:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/durango-mountain-biker-christopher-blevins-puts-on-show-at-summer-olympics\/"},"modified":"2021-07-28T00:17:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T00:17:00","slug":"durango-mountain-biker-christopher-blevins-puts-on-show-at-summer-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/durango-mountain-biker-christopher-blevins-puts-on-show-at-summer-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"Durango mountain biker Christopher Blevins puts on show at Summer Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Christopher
Christopher Blevins of the U.S finishes the men's cross country mountain bike competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday in Tokyo, Japan.<\/span>Thibault Camus\/Associated Press<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

There was only one American in the men\u2019s mountain bike race at the Olympic Games Monday afternoon. That man was Durango\u2019s own Christopher Blevins.<\/p>\n

In his debut Olympic performance, the 23-year-old finished in 14th place after riding about 20 miles over steep climbs, across large rocks and down big drops.<\/p>\n

Blevins finished 2 minutes and 59 seconds behind gold medal winner Tom Pidcock of Great Britain. Switzerland\u2019s Mathias Fl\u00fcckiger took home silver, and Spain\u2019s David Valero Serrano earned bronze.<\/p>\n

The race started off fast and furious, with 38 of the world\u2019s best mountain bikers sprinting away from the start line. Blevins started on the third row, close to the back of the pack. However, there are about 75 fewer riders to contend with compared with a World Cup race.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom my vantage point, third row is the same regardless if there\u2019s 100 riders behind me or just 15 more,\u201d Blevins said in an interview with The Durango Herald<\/em>. \u201cThe UCI sanctions everything here, so they\u2019re playing the same start line music and everything. So even though you see everyone in their national team uniforms, it still feels like a World Cup, which is good, just knowing like we\u2019ve done this before and know how to roll with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Blevins of the U.S competes during the men's cross country mountain bike competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics Monday in Izu, Japan. (AP Photo\/Christophe Ena)<\/span>Christophe Ena\/Associated Press<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In the first minutes of the race, another rider slipped, causing a bottleneck, and riders dismounted their bikes and ran. Blevins got caught up in the chaos but remained focused.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m typically a really good starter,\u201d he said. \u201cEven though this was a bad start, it played in favor of my strategy, which was to come on strong at the end. So it was good that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the race went on, Blevins used his world-class fitness and technical riding skills to navigate the course near Izu, a city south of Tokyo. He rode steadily and eventually made his way into the top 15 riders, which was his goal from the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about just staying in the moment and trying to give all your attention to the line you\u2019re trying to hit or getting up that climb as best you can and not thinking about the pacing or the overall kind of arc of the race,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Blevins used straightaways on course as opportunities to pass other racers, including the start\/finish straight. He also said that he used the technical sections to recover and regroup before making big pushes on the climbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though you can\u2019t go faster than the other riders, and you\u2019re behind them, you can recover better than them, and then pass them on the next climb,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Blevins\u2019 performance was the second best of any American male mountain biker who has competed in the Olympics. The best result was set by Durango\u2019s Todd Wells, when he rode to a 10-place finish in London.<\/p>\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Blevins of Durango at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland in 2018. \u201c(The Olympics) feels like a World Cup, which is good, just knowing like we've done this before and know how to roll with it,\u201d Blevins said this week in an interview with The Durango Herald. (Wayne Jones\/Associated Press file)<\/span>Wayne Jones\/Associated Press<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Blevins says he is content with experiencing his first-ever Olympics and is motivated for the next summer games in Paris.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Olympian is dreaming of an incredible ride for a medal, but with this being my first games, I just wanted to put a ride together I was proud of and use it for motivation to come back for Paris in three years, and that certainly happened,\u201d he said. Crossing the line, it was really just taking in that moment and realizing what just happened. After every race you have that moment but especially here. I was just happy and content.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of the time difference between Japan and the United States, friends, family and supporters of Blevins stayed up into the early hours of the morning to catch the race live \u2013 it started at midnight MDT. One such supporter was Christopher\u2019s sister, Kaylee Blevins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very nervous,\u201d she said. \u201cJust wanted him to be able to put together the race that he wanted yesterday. In talking to him the day before, I just had a good feeling about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kaylee said Blevins enjoyed the course and was in his element during practice sessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristopher would be adding some style to something that was already extremely challenging for everyone else,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, yeah, I think it was a pretty appropriate course for his skill set.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Blevins, one of the brightest stars in American cycling, was the only American represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Blevins honed his riding abilities and Olympic dream while growing up in Durango. He started off as a BMX racer and originally dreamed of competing in the Olympics in the BMX discipline. But he also found success as a young mountain bike racer with the Durango Devo program.<\/p>\n

Chad Cheeney, the cofounder of Durango Devo, who has known Blevins since he was a child, also agreed that the course suited him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch an epic man-made course,\u201d Cheeney said. \u201cIt looked like something Blevins could handle with panache.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the television cameras mostly focused on the leaders of the race, fans could catch a few glimpses of Blevins in his Team USA kit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw him a few times on the big screen and wanted more,\u201d Cheeney said. \u201cHe is so stylish on the bike. I bet he made some fans smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI stayed up late to watch the race, and was just so happy that it was Chris there representing us,\u201d said Durango-based professional mountain biker Payson McElveen. \u201cIt was clear how much it meant to him. There is kind of a funny feeling of unity and national pride with the Olympics too. That might sound obvious, but it really did feel like Chris was over there for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kaylee Blevins credits Durango Devo with instilling a love of bikes that led to her brother being a successful athlete. The group\u2019s tagline \u201cNever forget the feeling\u201c has moulded many Durango mountain bikers, including Tour de France cyclist Sepp Kuss, who is a few years older than Blevins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Sepp, my brother and a lot of Devo alum before him have really talked about how the \u2018Never forget that feeling\u2019 mantra was really ingrained into all of us that grew up through the program,\u201d Kaylee said. \u201cI think that really speaks to Christopher\u2019s attitude about riding a bike. It\u2019s like never forget the pure joy of why you started this. The awareness that that mantra brought to Christopher\u2019s approach to the sport has allowed him to manual and be goofy getting ready for the Olympics days before it because he just loves being out on his bike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Blevins pops a manual while riding on Rim Trail in 2018 near Fort Lewis College in Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Blevins also uses his voice to support and be involved with multiple nonprofit organizations. Both Christopher and Kaylee are ambassadors for the Outride program, which seeks to improve the lives of youths through cycling. He also works with the Silver Stallion Bike Shop, which connects bikes with Navajos.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether he\u2019s competing at the Olympics or has a really bad day, I think he\u2019s really capable of looking forward to what\u2019s coming up next but also being very appreciative of the moment he\u2019s in,\u201d Kaylee said.<\/p>\n

A combination of fast riding, engaging riding skills and an intelligent and thoughtful personality has earned him a large base of supporters in Durango and around the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been truly incredible and one of the most special things I\u2019ve experienced in my career,\u201d Blevins said. \u201cI always get love and support from Durango, but especially in this moment, I think that\u2019s been the best part of being an Olympian is hearing all that from back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blevins\u2019 Olympic ride adds to a legacy of Olympic participation among professional riders in Durango, which started when Travis Brown competed at the 2000 Games in Sydney. Wells competed in the next three games, and in 2016, Howard Grotts rode in Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n

A couple of other Durangoans were at the Tokyo race. Tom Neb, owner of San Juan Cycles, was at the games serving as a mechanic for Team USA riders. Neb also wrenched for Team USA at the London and Rio Games, in addition to countless other international races.<\/p>\n

Sofia Gomez-Villafa\u00f1e, a Fort Lewis College alumnae, raced in the women\u2019s mountain bike event on Tuesday, representing her birth-nation of Argentina. Gomez-Villafa\u00f1e finished in 23rd place amid muddy and slick track conditions.<\/p>\n

Blevins knows that there will be countless young riders watching him on TV and following along on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of young kids from Durango who can wind up here,\u201d he said. \u201cJust believe in what the bike can do for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Durango's
Durango's Christopher Blevins started near the back of the pack and finished in 14th place Monday during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. (Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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