BENTONVILLE, Ark. — USA Cycling unveiled its 23-rider cross-country mountain bike roster for the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships during an announcement Tuesday at the Ledger building in downtown Bentonville.
The championships will take place Aug. 30–Sept. 14 in Valais, Switzerland, bringing eight disciplines together at one location for the first time. The cross-country events are scheduled for Sept. 9–14, with short track races in Zermatt and Olympic cross-country (XCO) events in Crans-Montana.
Christopher Blevins, the current World Cup overall leader, headlines the elite men’s squad alongside Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley, both of whom move up from the under-23 ranks after podium finishes at last year’s world championships. On the women’s side, Haley Batten returns following a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, joined by former world champion Kate Courtney and current World Cup leader Savilia Blunk.
Kalene Griffith, president and CEO of Visit Bentonville, called hosting the announcement a natural fit.
“We’re always proud to be the mountain bike capital of the world and be able to showcase what we have in our community,” Griffith said. “Our partnership with USA Cycling allows our city and our team to continue that growth nationally and internationally. By ourselves, as a town of 76,000, it would not be doable. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Batten’s silver medal performance in Paris was the best-ever Olympic finish for an American in the discipline. Amos, just 22, placed seventh in his Olympic debut, and fellow U.S. rider Savilia Blunk finished 12th in the women’s race. Blevins was hampered by mechanical issues but remains one of the country’s top medal prospects for future Games.
USA Cycling CEO Brendan Quirk said Bentonville’s role goes far beyond public events.
“It’s not just that we’re proud Bentonville is home to the U.S. National Mountain Bike Team — I actually think it’s an essential ingredient in the ambitions we have as an athletic program,” Quirk said. “What Bentonville gives us in spades are those technical skills. Whether it’s our juniors or our best elite athletes, the time they spend here is really critical.”
Quirk pointed to the success of riders such as Batten and Blevins, who have trained in Bentonville, and to the area’s growing cycling culture — from e-bike commuting families to thriving junior programs — as key to future American podiums.
The roster includes Arkansas talent Landrie McLain of Bella Vista, a junior at Bentonville High School, racing with the Bear National Team.
Team USA Cross-Country Roster
Elite Men: Riley Amos, Christopher Blevins, Bjorn Riley
Elite Women: Haley Batten, Savilia Blunk, Kate Courtney, Gwendalyn Gibson, Kelsey Urban, Madigan Munro
U23 Men: Brayden Johnson, Dan English, Ivan Sippy, Jack Spranger
U23 Women: Vida Lopez de San Roman, Makena Kellerman, Bailey Cioppa
Junior Men: Rowan Nistal, River Valdez, Kian Reid, Benjamin Bravman
Junior Women: Elisabeth Knight, Landrie McLain, Ingrid McElroy
Quirk said the team’s sights are already set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“We had the most successful Olympic Games in the history of American cycling in Paris,” he said. “Our goal is 10 medals at L.A. 28. Every day, that’s what we’re thinking about — and Bentonville will be a critical part of how we get there.”
USA Cycling’s participation in the World Championships is made possible through the support of dedicated donors and partners. To support the USA Cycling National Team, members can donate to the USA Cycling Foundation here. Our supporting partners who have a shared mission to elevate the sport of cycling include HOVERAir and Visit Bentonville
The cross-country races will be broadcast in the United States on FloBikes.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
