The 2024 Life Time Grand Prix got here to an exhilarating conclusion this previous weekend on the Massive Sugar gravel race in Bentonville, Arkansas. The sequence, identified for its gruelling gravel and mountain bike occasions, noticed Sofía Gómez Villafañe (Specialised Off-road) and Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz-SRAM) topped champions as soon as once more after seven months of intense competitors.
Gómez Villafañe solidified her second consecutive Life Time Grand Prix title with a decisive win at Massive Sugar Gravel, crossing the road 15 seconds forward of her opponents. With three Life Time Grand Prix race victories underneath her belt this season, her dominant trip in Bentonville pushed her last factors tally to 138, cementing her place on the prime of the leaderboard.
On the boys’s aspect, the stress was off for Swenson, who had already secured his total win earlier than Massive Sugar. Swenson dominated the sequence, with 4 particular person race wins and a complete of 140 factors, making him unbeatable within the total standings earlier than the ultimate race even started.
Launched in 2022, the Life Time Grand Prix is a season-long race sequence through which a solid of handpicked opponents journey throughout america to contest the nation’s hardest gravel and mountain bike endurance occasions. The racer who stands atop the ultimate sequence podium can name themselves the best-unpaved racer within the nation.
“It was a fantastic season, I can’t complain! Coming into this race with none stress and having the win already secured was superior. Third yr in a row so I’m very joyful, ” Swenson commented. Clearly not uninterested in successful, he added that he is eager to go for a fourth title, stating: “I’ll fill out the applying for subsequent yr too – I’m actually trying ahead to it.”
Each riders walked away with a $30,000 prize purse, the highest share of the $300,000 prize purse that was divided equally between the highest 10 women and men opponents.
“I’m tremendous excited to defend my title from final yr. I crossed the road and gained it nevertheless it was good to enhance on my factors. Three wins and two second locations, this season I’ve simply been actually actually constant,” stated Gómez Villafañe.
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“I got here out of a little bit of a lull in the summertime feeling like possibly I wasn’t at my finest in Leadville, however I’m beginning to determine this endurance stuff, and hopefully I’m again subsequent yr! Shout out to all the ladies on the market who’re actually stepping up the sport, and I’m tremendous proud to be on the market with all the ladies.”
Wanting forward, the 2025 season guarantees to shake issues up a bit. Because the sequence enters its fourth yr, all riders should re-apply, and solely 25 girls and 25 males shall be on the beginning line subsequent yr, down from 30 annually.
Of these 25 spots, three shall be left for wildcard entries till after the opening two rounds. The highest scorers in these, who haven’t already obtained a spot, will then get a second probability at entry to the remainder of the sequence.
However whereas the sector was lower but once more, the prize purse had grown. Organisers final week introduced that the whole prize purse shall be $380,000, with $200,000 going towards sequence standings, and the remaining $180,000 shall be distributed throughout the six standalone occasions, every with $30,000 in winnings. Because of this for the primary time ever, occasions like Unbound Gravel could have a prize purse.
“We couldn’t be happier with how 2024 turned out, however 2025 will elevate issues even additional,” stated Michelle Duffy Smith, Senior Advertising Director for Life Time.
“The larger prize pool and adjustments in scoring will push racers more durable and create extra dynamic competitors.”
The sequence begins April 11 April on the Sea Otter Basic with a gravel race as an alternative of the Fuego XL mountain bike race. That is adopted by the 200-mile Unbound Gravel race on Might 31; after this, the wildcard entries shall be allowed into the sequence. The LEadville 100 will return in August in addition to Chequamegon Mountain Bike Competition in September. The sequence will once more culminate in October with each Bentonville’s Little Sugar mountain bike race and Massive Sugar Gravel.
