Christopher Blevins is king. Specialized Factory Racing XC team analysis
The powerhouse team is stacked with talent. How will they fare in 2026?
Specialized Factory Racing is a consistent presence on the XC World Cup, from Victor Koretzky to Laura Stigger. Last year, Christopher Blevins rose to the top to win both the XCO and XCC overall championships, but the team is still stacked and could see particular improvement in the women’s field. Read on for Ryan MTB’s analysis of the Big S factory program.
Christopher Blevins
Christopher Blevins went on a winning streak to eventually win the short track and cross country Olympic overal titles in commanding fashion. The American is now undoubtedly the number one rider on Specialized, and a feared competitor in the mountain bike pack. This year, he will certainly hope to repeat some of his 2025 success. Can he do it? That will be a story of the year.
Victor Koretzky
One of Blevins’ internal sparring partners is Frenchman Victor Koretzky, the short track World Champion. Koretzky won the opening XCO in Brazil last year as well as the XCC in Lenzerheide, but those two results were interspersed with DNFs and disappointing finishes. The 31-year-old will want to find some consistency in 2026.
Martin Vidaurre Kossmann
After a successfull U23 career, Vidaurre joined the elite field a couple years ago. He was second or third string to Blevins and Koretzky for many races until Val di Sole this year when he took his debut elite win. The coming season will reveal if he can find race winning form again.
Adrien Boichis
Continuing the streak of interesting last names, Adrien Boichis found a handful of podiums this year in his first as an elite, all the while racing on the road for Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe. The young Frenchman is skilled in fast, tactical races as well as technical terrain, the perfect combination for World cup racing success.
Haley Batten
The American Haley Batten had a silver medal year in 2024, placing second at the Olympic Games as well as collecting multiple wins and podiums on the World Cup. The illness and death of her mother disrupted 2025. I’m excited to see Batten back on the circuit this season.
Laura Stigger
Laura Stigger reached the top 5 in 2025, but she wasn’t able to back up the wins she has found in the past, except at the Austrian National Championships. She experimented with road racing with Team SD Worx-Protime, but Stigger will return to a full focus on mountain biking in 2026.
Sina Frei
Similar to Stigger, Frei wasn’t able to break fourth place in 2025. An off season crash resulted in a broken hand and surgery, but the Swiss racer has plenty of time to recover before the World Cup begins in May.
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