Whole Athlete/Specialized Team Wins Four 2016 National Championship Titles!

In the thin air of Mammoth Mountain for the second straight year, the US Cross Country National Championships would once again crown the fittest of champions. And Whole Athlete/Specialized came prepared for the 8000+ ft. elevation, as the team earned an impressive four National Titles among seven podium finishes.

Gorry is the two-time U23 XC National Champion. (photo: PB Creative)

Even with a wheel change on his second of five laps, Cypress Gorry won his second consecutive Under-23 Title. He followed his XC win with a solid 6th place in the Pro Short Track the following day.

Blevins wins his second Junior 17/18 XC Title. (photo: PB Creative)

Just two weeks after his 4th place ride at the World Championships, Christopher Blevins successfully defended his Junior 17/18 Title. The win marks seven consecutive XC National Titles for Blevins since age 12.

The hotly contested Junior Men's 15-18 Short Track begins.

15-year-old Quinn Simmons stunned the Junior 15-18 Short Track with a late race attack, holding off the charging field for two full laps to take the win. His Short Track victory followed a bronze medal ride the day prior in the Junior 15/16 XC.

Simmons is the Junior STXC Champion. (photo: PB Creative)

Kelsey Urban and Haley Batten (Luna) rode away from the rest of the women's Cat 1 Short Track field with just a few laps remaining, only to battle for the win in a two-up, headwind sprint. Urban prevailed as she took her first National Title. Her win came just 24 hours after finishing in 4th in the XC the day prior.

Urban is the Women's Cat 1 STXC National Champ. (photo: PB Creative)

Anders Johnson showed once again that he excels at high elevation, landing squarely on the podium in both the XC and STXC with the bronze and silver medal.

Johnson peaking for Nationals - when it counts. (photo: PB Creative)

Gorry's season is just getting going as he prepares for the Mont Sainte Anne U23 World Cup. (photo: Bill Freeman)

Junior 17/18 XC Podium. (photo: Kenny Wehn)

Under-23 XC Podium.

Cat 1 Women 17+ STXC Podium. (photo: Kenny Wehn)

Junior 15-18 STXC Podium

2016 Top-10 National Championship Results:

Cypress Gorry - U23 XC 1st
Christopher Blevins - Junior 17/18 XC 1st
Quinn Simmons - Junior 15-18 STXC 1st
Kelsey Urban - Cat 1 Women 17+ STXC 1st
Anders Johnson - Junior 15-18 STXC 2nd
Anders Johnson - Junior 17/18 XC 3rd
Quinn Simmons - Junior 15/16 XC 3rd
Kelsey Urban - Junior 17/18 Women XC 4th
Cypress Gorry - Pro STXC 6th
Jason Rowton - Junior 17/18 XC 7th
Jason Rowton - Junior 15-18 STXC 7th

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized:

07/30: Boston Rebellion ProXCT - Walpole, MA
08/06: U23 World Cup #8 - Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec
08/13: Windham ProXCT - Windham, NY

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Blevins Shines at MTB World Championships

In the battle for the Junior XC World Championship title, Christopher Blevins came away with an impressive and hard fought 4th place finish. The stellar ride from the 18-year-old on a highly technical course in the Czech Republic is the top Junior men's result for the US since Walker Ferguson won the title back in 2000. The last US Juniors to hit the top-10 were in fact former Whole Athlete/Specialized riders Neilson Powless with 8th place in 2014 and Kate Courtney with 6th in 2013. A bright future awaits these talented young athletes.

Blevins comes through the technical "rock n roll" rock garden.

Nearly 100 Junior men from all over the world came to the Czech Republic to compete.

Held in a stadium built for the biathlon world championships in 2013,
fans showed up in the tens of thousands throughout each day of the MTB Worlds event.

Blevins warming up on rollers in the "box", the staging area for start line call ups.

The massive race production provided excellent viewing options on the multiple big screens around the course.

Next up for the Whole Athlete/Specialized:

07/15: US Cross Country National Championships - Mammoth, CA
07/16: US Short Track National Championships - Mammoth, CA
07/30: Boston Rebellion ProXCT - Walpole, MA
08/06: U23 World Cup #8 - Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec
08/13: Windham ProXCT - Windham, NY

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Gorry Victorious at Angel Fire ProXCT

Taking his first elite victory in the ProXCT series, Under-23 National Champion Cypress Gorry earned top honors at the high elevation Chile Challenge in Angel Fire, NM this weekend. The win comes on the heels of a podium finish at the Missoula ProXCT and with just three weeks until the National Championships in Mammoth, CA.

Gorry flies through thin air on his way to victory. (photo: PB Creative)

Adding to a successful day of cross country for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team, Anders Johnson battled to the podium with 3rd in the UCI Junior race, while Quinn Simmons earned 4th in the highly competitive Junior 15/16 field. Gorry and Johnson then capped off the weekend with with 6th and 10th in the Pro Short Track on Sunday.

Johnson continued his build toward Nationals with yet another strong performance. (photo: PB Creative)

Simmons excels at the high elevation of Angel Fire. (photo: PB Creative)

Gorry wins the Chile Challenge ProXCT, his second ProXCT podium in two weeks. (photo: PB Creative)

Check out all the team's top-10 results here.

Next up for the Whole Athlete / Specialized:

07/01: World Championships XCO - Nove Mesto, Czech Republic
07/15: US Cross Country National Championships - Mammoth, CA
07/16: US Short Track National Championships - Mammoth, CA

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Masterful Missoula for Blevins, Gorry and the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team

With less than two weeks to the World Championships, Christopher Blevins underscored his UCI World number 1 ranking with a convincing win in the Missoula Junior UCI World Series XC.

Blevins primed for Worlds. (photo: PB Creative)

And kicking off his mid-season start with a bang, U23 National Champion Cypress Gorry reveled in Missoula's climbing-intensive course with an impressive 5th place in the UCI HC Pro cross country race. Gorry followed his XC performance with another podium finish on Sunday, riding to 4th in the Pro Short Track, joined by Carson Beckett with a strong 6th place.

Gorry ramping up to defend his U23 title at Nationals in a few weeks. (photo: PB Creative)

Gorry and Beckett charging the short track. (photo: PB Creative)

In the UCI Junior Women's race, Kelsey Urban landed squarely on the podium in 4th, topping off her form for the upcoming World Championships in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Jason Rowton and Anders Johnson each earned top-10 finishes in the highly competitive UCI Junior Men's XC event on Saturday, and again in the Pro Short Track on Sunday, completing a solid weekend of racing for the two Junior racers.

 

Urban ready to do battle at the World Championships. (photo: PB Creative)

Rowton and Johnson earned top-10 finishes in both the Junior XC and Pro STXC. (photo: PB Creative)

Blevins tops the Junior UCI XC podium.

Gorry on the Pro Men's XC podium.

Check out all the team's top-10 results here.

Next up for the Whole Athlete / Specialized:

06/25: Chili Challenge ProXCT / Junior UCI XC - Angel Fire, NM
06/26: Chili Challenge Short Track - Angel Fire, NM
07/01: World Championships XCO - Nove Mesto, Czech Republic
07/15: US Cross Country National Championships - Mammoth, CA
07/16: US Short Track National Championships - Mammoth, CA

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Blevins Shines in Albstadt

The Albstadt World Cup hosted one of the the biggest Junior UCI Series races this past weekend in Germany, and Christopher Blevins stepped up to the challenge with an impressive victory for Team USA. Just a week after narrowly missing the win at the French Cup in Ussel by only 15 seconds, Blevins was determined to hit the top step of the podium. Blevins' win in Albstadt and 2nd place in Ussel come on the heels of his overall victory at the Course de la Paix Juniors road stage race in the Czech Republic earlier this month. It's been quite a May of European racing for the young up-and-comer.

Blevins on fire in Europe this Spring.

Also performing well at the French Cup in Ussel was Kelsey Urban with a solid top-10 finish, while back on US soil Carson Beckett and Anders Johnson both took XC victories as well. Beckett earned top honors at the White Lightning XC Pro race in Kentucky, as Johnson swept all three stages of the Junior MTB Dev Tech in Utah.

Urban grabs a top-10 in Europe.

Beckett earns his 2nd win as a neo-pro.

Johnson has four wins so far in 2016.

Check out all the team's top-10 results here.

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Whole Athletes Soar at Home and Abroad

Christopher Blevins continues to shine this season with a huge victory at the Course de la Paix Juniors road stage race in the Czech Republic. Racing for Team USA, Blevins rode a consistently strong and tactically savvy race to take home the win in the prestigious UCI Nation's Cup event, also qualifying him to the 2016 Road World Championship Team.

Blevins wins the Peace Race. (photo: PatRESS.cz)

Meanwhile back in the US, Quinn Simmons and Anders Johnson led the charge on the dirt this weekend with impressive podium finishes in each of their events. Simmons took the win in a four-person Junior relay team at the 12-Hours of Mesa Verde in Colorado, while Johnson was the top Junior with 2nd overall in the Pro/Elite Soldier Mountain XC in Utah. 

Simmons having a breakout Spring.

Johnson on the Pro/Elite podium.

Check out all the team's top-10 results here.

Next up for the Whole Athlete/Specialized riders is the USAC Spring European Race Camp, in which Christopher Blevins, Jason Rowton, and Kelsey Urban will go up against some of the world's best Juniors at the French Cup in Ussel and the UCI World Cup in Albstadt, Germany over the next two weekends.

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Whole Athlete/Specialized Goes Big at Bonelli

Bonelli Park hosted the third round of the ProXCT and second US Junior UCI cross country this past weekend. Graced by Spring rain and world-class competition, the event treated riders to challenging conditions and top notch racing...and the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team came ready to play. Six top-3 finishes, including two wins capped off a fantastic race camp for the team. 

Blevins attacks the Pro Short Track. (photo: Simmons)

Johnson wins the Junior Short Track with late race solo attack. (photo: PB Creative)

In as many weeks, Christopher Blevins won his second Junior UCI cross country, followed by an impressive 2nd place finish in a very deep Pro men's short track race. Meanwhile, Anders Johnson took a bold solo victory in the Junior short track event.

Blevins has three Junior XC wins and three top-3 Pro STXC finishes (photo: PB Creative).

Kelsey Urban showed excellent Spring form with her third top-3 Junior 17/18 finish in three consecutive XC races.

Urban is no stranger to the Junior Women's podium (photo: PB Creative).

14-year-old Quinn Simmons had a breakout weekend, with a strong 2nd place in the hotly contested Junior 15/16 XC, then set up his teammate's victory in the short track with the penultimate attack.

Simmons on the attack in the Junior STXC (photo: Wehn).

In his first year as a 17/18 Junior, Jason Rowton had yet another solid and consistent pair of races with 11th in the international Junior UCI XC and 3rd in the Junior short track. 

Rowton has shown impressive progress all Spring (photo: PB Creative).

Carson Beckett faced his first Pro UCI HC event as a U23 and moved from a 61st starting call up to 30th by the end of a wet, muddy, internationally competitive race. He followed the XC with a strong 11th place finish in the talent-deep Pro short track on Sunday. 

Determination on the face of Carson Beckett in the Pro Cross Country race. (photo: Wehn)

Beckett graceful in the muddy conditions (photo: PB Creative).

(photo: Simmons)

Check out all the team's top-10 results here.

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Phenomenal Fontana for Whole Athlete/Specialized

The second stop of the ProXCT series and first US Junior UCI event for 2016 in Fontana, CA saw the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team come away with six podium finishes among nine top-10 results. Christopher Blevins went two for two with the win in the Junior UCI cross country amid a highly competitive international field. Anders Johnson and Jason Rowton both hit the top-10 as well, earning critical UCI points toward their international rankings. Kelsey Urban followed suit in the Junior Women's UCI race with a strong 2nd place finish, while at only 14 years of age, Quinn Simmons landed on the Junior 15/16 podium in 3rd.

In the short track races on Sunday, Blevins followed his win the week prior with another impressive result in the Pro field with 3rd. Rowton and Simmons landed on the Junior podium in 2nd and 5th followed by Johnson in 6th, while Urban finished out a solid weekend with a top-10 in the Pro Women's race.

Blevins on his way to victory in the Junior UCI XC. (photo: PB Creative)

Urban with yet another podium finish in the Junior Women's UCI Race. (photo: PB Creative)

Johnson had strong rides in both the Junior XC and STXC.(photo: PB Creative)

Rowton on track in the Junior UCI race. (photo: PB Creative)

Simmons hits the podium in both the cross country and short track races. (photo: PB Creative)

Blevins in the Pro short track breakaway group on his way to a podium finish.

Next up for the Whole Athlete / Specialized Team:
04/09/16 Bonelli Park ProXCT (Junior UCI)
Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Blevins Unbeatable as Whole Athlete / Specialized Lands Five Podium Finishes

Christopher Blevins led the charge at the Bonelli ProXCT #1 this weekend with a solo win in the Junior 17/18 Cross Country, followed by an impressive sprint victory in the Pro Short Track on Sunday. 

Blevins wins the Pro Short Track the day before his 18th birthday. (photo: PB Creative)

Jason Rowton joined Blevins on Saturday's XC podium in 4th, a result that was nothing short of amazing after being airlifted to the hospital from a severe crash only three weeks prior. Teammate Anders Johnson also rode well, narrowly missing the podium in 6th. 

Rowton on his way to a podium finish in his first-ever Junior 17/18 race. (photo: PB Creative)

Johnson kicks off his season with a strong ride in the Junior XC. (photo: PB Creative)

And kicking off their seasons with pure podium performances, Kelsey Urban took 2nd in the Junior Women 15-18, while Quinn Simmons was also 2nd in his first-ever Junior 15/16 race. 

Urban on her way to a podium finish in the Junior Women's Race. (photo: PB Creative)

At only 14, Simmons has a bright future ahead. (photo: PB Creative)

Resplendent in stars and stripes, Blevins takes victory in the Junior 17/18 XC. (photo: PB Creative)

Next up for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team:

04/02/16 Fontana ProXCT (Junior UCI)
04/09/16 Bonelli Park ProXCT (Junior UCI)

Stay tuned for more exciting news!