2026 USA World Champs Team Riders Announced

The list below via USAC email

USA Cycling Announces the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Team

24 cross-country athletes and 25 downhill racers will compete in Val di Sole, Italy from August 26-30 following an impressive World Cup season. 

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – August 11, 2026 – The 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships return to Val di Sole, Italy, from August 26-30, 2026, where the world's best mountain bikers will compete for rainbow jerseys across five disciplines: Cross-Country Olympic (XCO), Cross-Country Team Relay (XCR), Cross-Country Short Track (XCC), Downhill (DHI), and E-MTB.

The Trentino region has long been one of the sport's premier destinations, having previously hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2008, 2016, and 2021, in addition to serving as a regular stop on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit.

USA Cycling will field teams across the Junior, Under-23, and Elite categories, with 24 cross-country athletes and 25 downhill racers competing throughout the week. The team arrives in Italy following one of the strongest World Cup seasons in recent history for the American program.

On the cross-country side, Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) made an impressive return after breaking his collarbone in the opening round of the season, earning a World Cup podium in just his second race weekend back. Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) had a breakout campaign, claiming his first career World Cup podium before adding two more podium finishes and his first Elite World Cup victory. Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon Ford Racing Team) has been one of the most consistent riders in the world, collecting four World Cup podiums while regularly racing at the front of the field. All three riders also captured Elite national titles at the USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships.

In the Under-23 ranks, Makena Kellerman (Escondido, Calif.) has emerged as one of the top talents, earning her first career Short Track World Cup victory before immediately following it up with a second consecutive win.

The American downhill squad has been equally impressive. Nineteen-year-old Asa Vermette (Durango, Colo.; Frameworks Racing) wasted little time making his mark in his rookie Elite season, capturing his first Elite World Cup victory after a dominant junior career. He has since added two more World Cup podiums. Luca Shaw (Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) also reached a career milestone this season, earning his first Elite World Cup victory in Loudenvielle. Ryan Pinkerton (Aliso Viejo, Calif.; Mondraker Factory Racing) claimed his first Elite World Cup podium with a bronze-medal finish in Pal Arinsal before successfully defending his Downhill national title, earning the Stars and Stripes sleeve for another season.

Anna Newkirk (Riehen, Switzerland; Frameworks Racing) broke through for her first Elite World Cup victory in Lenzerheide after several podiums on the same track throughout her career. Aletha Ostgaard (Selah, Wash.; Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) has continued to dominate the Junior Women's category. Entering the World Championships, she leads the overall World Cup standings, has reached the podium in every race this season, including three victories, and has consistently posted times competitive with the elite women's field.

With momentum building across every discipline, Team USA is ready to take on the World Championships. 

The Team USA roster is as follows:

Cross-Country

• Elite Men 
• Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) 
• Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing)
• Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing)

Elite Women

• Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Specialized Factory Racing) 
• Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon Ford Racing Team) 
• Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing) 
• Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Liv Racing) 
• Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif.; KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) 

U23 Men

• Dan English (San Ramon, Calif.; Trinity Racing)
• Nicholas Konecny (Breckenridge, Colo.; Lexwere Mountain Bike Team)
• Jack Spranger (Sammamish, Wash.)

U23 Women

• Bailey Cioppa (Durango, Colo.)
• Makena Kellerman (Escondido, Calif.)
• Greta Kilburn (Burlington, Vt.; Bicycle Express Racing)

Junior Men

• Thomas Agnew (Fall River, Wisc.; Team Bear Devo)
• Rowan Nistal (Boise, Idaho; Bear National Team) 
• Myles Perry (Draper, Utah; Rouleur Devo)
• Kian Reid (Wenatchee, Wash.; Bear National Team) 
• Noah Scholnick (Williamsport, Penn.; Bear National Team)
• Charles Thomas (Reno, Nev.; WE Development)
• Michael Ziomek (Albuquerque, N.M.; Bear National Team)

Junior Women

• Lily Agnew (Charlottesville, Va.; VAHS)
• Aida Linton (Missoula, Mont.; Bear National Team)
• Sophia “Scout” Wellmeier (Corte Madera, Calif.; Bear National Team)   

Downhill

Elite Men

• Dylan Maples (Orangevale, Calif.; Pivot Factory Racing) 
• Evan Medcalf (Albuquerque, N.M.; Commencal-Schwalbe By Les Orres)
• Dakotah Norton (Clinton, Tenn.; Scott DH Factory Team)
• Ryan Pinkerton (Aliso Viejo, Calif.; Mondraker Factory Racing)
• Richie Rude (Redding, Conn.; Yeti/ FOX Factory Team)
• Luca Shaw (Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team)
• Asa Vermette (Durango, Colo.; Frameworks Racing)

Elite Women

• Abby Hogie (Heidelberg, Germany; Beyond Racing MT
• Maylei Leaneagh (Longmont, Colo.; ZFR Team)
• Matilda Melton (Bellingham, Wash.; Yeti/ FOX Factory Team)
• Anna Newkirk (Riehen, Switzerland; Frameworks Racing)
• Kailey Skelton (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Ari Factory Racing)

Junior Men

• Boston Bryant (Lehi, Utah; Outlaw Bike Team)
• Kai Burleson (Murrieta, Calif.)
• Luca De Mas (Tucson, Ariz.)
• Slade Gainey (Greenville, S.C.)
• Alex Mallen (Sandy, Utah; Outlaw Bike Team)
• Luke Mallen (Sandy, Utah; Outlaw Bike Team)

Junior Women

• Winter Bush (Pagosa Springs, Colo.; Outlaw Bike Team)
• Raina Logar (Davis, W.Va.; Frameworks Racing)
• Zanna Logar (Davis, W.Va.; Frameworks Racing)
• Mary McLarnon (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Outlaw Bike Team)
• Aletha Ostgaard (Selah, Wash.; Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team)
• Samantha Porras (Los Angeles, Calif; Trailhead Racing)
• Jade Savage (Jacksonville, Ore.; Outlaw Bike Team)

USA Cycling’s participation in the World Championships is made possible through the support of dedicated donors and partners. Visit Bentonville and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism are key partners of our Mountain Bike program, both sharing our mission to elevate the sport of cycling.

To support the USA Cycling National Team, USA Cycling members and fans can donate to the USA Cycling Foundation here.

Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.   

For more information, contact Angelina Palermo at apalermo@usacycling.org

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, gravel, BMX, esports, and paracycling. USA Cycling’s mission is to grow participation and engagement in the sport of bicycle racing and to achieve sustained international success across all cycling disciplines. USA Cycling supports cyclists of all levels and abilities, from those just beginning in the sport to international-caliber athletes. The organization identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition through support of youth and interscholastic programs, amateur and grassroots racing events, athlete development initiatives, and operational support for cycling clubs, racing teams, and event organizers. USA Cycling has a membership of 60,000, sanctions over 1,500 events annually, and is a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USA Cycling’s national headquarters is located in Olympic City USA, Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a regional office in Bentonville, Arkansas, home to the U.S. Mountain Bike National Team.