Christopher Blevins Joins Tailwind Athlete Lineup

Christopher is a two-time Olympian, a world champion, and a uniquely gifted cycling talent with major race victories in mountain biking, road cycling, BMX, and cyclocross. His ability to seamlessly jump from one cycling discipline to another, while performing at a world-class level at each, has established him as one of the most exciting American talents the sport has seen in a long time. Christopher won US XC Mountain Bike Nationals in the Junior category for 7 years straight. More recently, in 2021, Christopher represented his country with a strong performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Later in the season, he won the first-ever UCI Short Track World Championship and the final XC World Cup of the year in Snowshoe, West Virginia, becoming the first American male to win a World Cup in 27 years. In the 2024 season, Christopher has earned two World Cup 2nd placements and a World Cup win at Marirpora along with competing at the Paris Olympics. When he isn’t deep in the race season, Christopher embraces his creativity through hip-hop music and spoken word poetry. Christopher also runs his own video production company Stilspoke.

Chris! We can’t express how excited we are to have you on the team. Can you talk about growing up in Durango, the Devo program, your early experience with Tailwind, and what made you fall in love with cycling? 

Growing up in Durango made it easy to fall in love with the bike. It’s something I naturally fell into at a young age through days at the BMX practice and rides with Durango DEVO. Each DEVO practice was about fun and exploration, and with such a good community of friends and coaches, it was easy to keep pursuing the bike all the way up to where I am now. Tailwind was likely the first drink mix I scooped myself, at the end of a DEVO practice one summer. It’s so cool to come full circle and work with a brand that's been there since the beginning. 

There are so many nutrition options out there and you are one of the top cyclists in the world. What brought you to Tailwind? 

The biggest reason I’m working with Tailwind is its support of the Silver Stallion nonprofit, the brand’s connection to Durango, and its support of cycling community in general. It means a lot to work with a brand that supports impactful programs that get kids on bikes. Tailwind also has a ton of flavors that make sure you have variety. When you're drinking 50-75 carbs an hour on rides and ending with a recovery shake every day it's important to mix it up. Tailwind gives you those options and is the exact formula I need for race day and long training rides. 

You like writing and making music, what inspires you in these creative outlets? Talk about what got you into rapping and spoken word.

My freshman year of high school I did a poetry slam that made me realize I love the process of working with words and having an outlet to express myself. It's a good way to balance what I do as an athlete and I've found some fun ways to integrate this creativity into what I’m doing in the bike world.

Besides writing and music, what are some of your other passions? 

I’m passionate about the different roles the bike can play in benefiting people’s lives. There are so many applications of it, but it's simply a great tool to build communities, support health initiatives, and create connections. I've been a part of the Silver Stallion nonprofit for a few years now, which works to support bike programming across many areas in the Navajo Nation. There's a lot of kids who shred on Navajo, and the Stallion is helping them find pathways to continue with the bike. I'm excited to see this effort keep growing and for Tailwind’s support of the organization!

Favorite movie/TV show? 

I've been super into the second season of Severance!

What races are you most looking forward to this year? 

The first World Cups in Brazil along with World Championships in Switzerland!