Defending WHOOP UCI MTB World Cup overall champion Christopher Blevins will not race in today's Elite Men XCO at Mona YongPyong after breaking his collarbone in a training crash.
Specialized Factory Racing confirmed the news on Instagram on Saturday, posting a photo of Blevins in a sling with the caption: "Tough news from today's training session. Christopher had a crash and has unfortunately broken his collarbone, which means he won't be racing tomorrow."
The team added that Blevins is receiving medical care and that his focus is already on recovery, saying they have no doubt he will come back stronger.
The injury is a significant blow to the start of the 2026 season for both Blevins and Specialized. The American came into 2026 as the man to beat after a record-breaking 2025 campaign in which he won the XCO and XCC overall titles - the first rider to win both in the same season. He had already finished 28th in Friday's XCC at Mona YongPyong, racing on a course that clearly took its toll on the field.
A broken collarbone typically requires six to eight weeks of recovery before returning to racing, which would put Nove Mesto (22 May) in doubt and potentially Leogang (11 June) as the earliest realistic return.
The Elite Men XCO race goes ahead today without the reigning champion, leaving the field wide open for Mathis Azzaro, who won Friday's XCC, along with the likes of Dario Lillo, David List and Charlie Aldridge to fight for the win.