Olympians Return Home

These Summer Olympics have come to a close, but the celebrations for local Olympians are just beginning. You're watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steak Burgers, I'm Connor Shreve. Three of the four US mountain bike team members call Durango home, and all have returned since the Paris games for a brief respite in their racing seasons. Olympian Christopher Blevins enjoyed his break.

Just good to be either Devo ride. I told Chad last night, I just wanted to show up and have him take us on a route. So yeah, this is really like, this is good for me just to be back in a Devo environment. We played bike polo here at Buckley back in the day, so yeah, I'm just excited to have a ride like this.

Both Blevins and Riley Amos are Durango Devo alumni, one of the nation's most renowned mountain bike development programs. Blevins likes to stay connected to the organization with events like the Post Paris Popup Ride he hosted for local kids.

Devo is really the foundation for why I love my mound bike and how I ride, I think it's synonymous with the culture of mound bikes in Durango, and it's such an important part of this community. So I still am just so proud and to be from Durango and talk about Devo and pretty amazing how far it's come and since I was starting off.

Durango has had at least one mountain bike representative in every Olympics since the sport became an Olympic event in 1996. Devo director, Levi Kurlander says, "Those past racers built a foundation for current and future riders to build on."

This impact will continue to grow, all these kids here that are being a part of this energy, this is the next round of 'em. So for the fall, for next year, we're super excited to see what happens next.

All three of Durango's 2024 Olympians will likely be a part of a more formal event when the race season ends.

I think it's a testament to the community that we have that is able to support athletes in a way that fosters their long-term growth. And whether they turn out to be Olympians or just good people, we're equally proud. But obviously this is a really special event and a great opportunity for us to celebrate our athletes' success. So we're pumped.

As for Blevins, he hopes his success on the bike inspires more than just racers.

Just the shared experience of loving your mountain bike. Use it to get to know your town, meet friends, get to know yourself, and that's really the, like I said, the foundation of what Devo provided for me. And it's so much beyond just racing, so much beyond what I've experienced. And it's really special, and just lean in and yeah, love your bike.

Don't worry if you are dealing with a Olympics cycling withdrawal. The international cycling scene is not without Durango representation as Devo alum, Sepp Kuss, is currently defending his Vuelta a Espana title. You can follow that action on Peacock. For more information about this and other stories, visit durangolocal.news. Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Network, I'm Connor Shreve.