Wednesday, November 08, 2023

Smaller field, bigger prize purse: Meet the cast of the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix

 The Life Time Grand Prix adventure race series will return in 2024 with its biggest prize purse yet. Come April, 60 handpicked world-class athletes will compete in a seven-race mixed-terrain race series for a $300,000 reward.  New in 2024 will be a separate start for the women's and men's elite fields at all seven events. 



Introduced in 2022, the Life Time Grand Prix is a season-long race series in which a cast of handpicked competitors travel throughout the United States to contest the country's toughest gravel and mountain bike endurance events. The racer who stands atop of the final series podium can call themselves the best unpaved racer in the country and take home a big slice of the $300,000 prize purse.

The series kicks off in April at the Sea Otter Classic with a 100-kilometer xc mountain bike race. Other grueling events include the infamous 200-mile Unbound Gravel event, the high altitude Leadville 100 and the 100-mile Big Sugar Gravel race where world champion Kasia Niewiadoma learned that 




gravel is "insanely hard."  

The series’ goal is to increase cycling fandom in the United States, and showcase some of the best and unique off-road events throughout the country. With the extreme distances, challenging terrain, high altitudes, and a variety of racing disciplines to master, those who’ll emerge as the winners will have to be very well-rounded cyclists indeed. 

“Preparing for the third season of the Life Time Grand Prix has been super exciting for our team, as we continue to innovate and build on the momentum from our first two years,” says Kimo Seymour, President of Life Time Events. “We’ve all worked hard this past year to grow off-road cycling in North America and we believe 2024 will bring even bigger enthusiasm and fan engagement with the sport.”

This year's series was again won by three-time national mountain bike champion turned endurance cyclist, Keegan Swenson, and Argentinean Olympian, Sofia Gomez Villafañe. Each athlete took home $25,000. 

Life Time today announced the cast of 2024, which includes the 2023 winners as well as some band new faces.

After wading through hundreds of applications, event organizers selected 30 men and 30 women to compete in the 2024 race series.

The coming season's cast includes former WorldTour roadies, gravel pros, mountain bike olympians, cyclocross champions and pro triathletes. 

As mentioned, 2023 winners Keegan Swenson and Sofia Gomez Villafañe will return to defend their crown but they'll be met with some new challengers. 

On the men's side cyclocross Torbjørn Andre Røed, winner of the Big Sugar Gravel race, will join the challenge. As is Czechian Petr Vakoc, who raced on the WorldTour for Quickstep and Alpecin-Fenix beofre focusing on mountain biking. 

On the women's side, the new challengers include American national gravel champion Lauren Stephens, Australian WorldTour roadie Peta Mullens, and multi-time South African National Champion Hayley Preen. 

Returning contestants include Unbound winner, recent WordTour abandonee Emily Newsom, Sarah Strum, former WorldTour roadies Peter Stetina, Alexey Vermeulen, Alex Howes, Kiel Reijnen and Lachlan Morton. 

THE WOMEN'S FIELD

  1. Crystal Anthony, 42, Bentonville, Ark., 2023 USA Gravel National Championships 3rd place
  2. Ellen Campbell, 26, Durango, Colo., 2022 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 5th place
  3. Lauren De Crescenzo, 33, Broomfield, Colo., 2021 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear winner 
  4. Cecily Decker, 25, Bozeman, Mont., 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride Kansas winner 
  5. Sofia Gomez Villafane, 29, Heber City, Utah, 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda overall winner
  6. Anna Hicks, 23, Placerville, Calif., 2023 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda 3rd place 
  7. Erin Huck, 42, Boulder, Colo., 2022 USA Marathon MTB National Championship
  8. Heather Jackson, 39, Bend, Ore., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 14th overall 
  9. Sarah Lange, 32, Lyme, N.H., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 5th place 
  10. Kristen Legan, 37, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear XL winner 
  11. Sarah Max, 48, Bend, Ore., 2019 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place 
  12. Deanna Mayles, 30, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2023 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek 3rd place
  13. Kate McLaughlin, 35, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 10th place 
  14. Peta Mullens, 35, Bendigo, Australia, 12-time Australian National Champion 
  15. Emily Newsom, 40, Fort Worth, Texas, 2022 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place 
  16. Paige Onweller, 34, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2022 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda winner 
  17. Hannah Otto, 27, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2022 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB winner 
  18. Hayley Preen, 25, Cape Town, South Africa, multi-time South African National Champion
  19. Jenna Rinehart, 39, Mankato, Minn., multi-time Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek winner 
  20. Melisa Rollins, 27, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride Utah winner 
  21. Samara Sheppard, 33, Wollongong, Australia, multi-time New Zealand MTB champion
  22. Danielle Shrosbree, 29, London, England, 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 4th place
  23. Alexis Skarda, 34, Grand Junction, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 2nd overall 
  24. Haley Smith, 29, Uxbridge, Canada, 2022 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda overall winner 
  25. Lauren Stephens, 36, Dallas, Texas, 2023 USA Gravel National Champion
  26. Sarah Sturm, 33, Durango, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place
  27. Michaela Thompson, 21, Durango, Colo., 2023 Bighorn Gravel winner  
  28. Caroline Tory, 32, Snowmass, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 12th overall 
  29. Leah Van der Linden, 28, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 8th place
  30. Anna Yamauchi, 23, Santa Cruz, Calif., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 18th overall
THE MEN'S FIELD

  1. Carter Anderson, 20, Eagle Mountain, Utah, 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride Utah 2nd place
  2. Matthew Beers, 29, Cape Town, South Africa, 2x Cape Epic winner 
  3. John Borstelmann, 32, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 2023 Garmin Gravel Worlds winner 
  4. Zach Calton, 26, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 6th place 
  5. Sean Fincham, 25, Squamish, British Columbia, 2x Canadian U23 National Champion 
  6. Russell Finsterwald, 32, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 4th overall 
  7. Howard Grotts, 30, Durango, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 9th overall 
  8. Finn Gullickson, 23, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride North Carolina 3rd place
  9. Lance Haidet, 25, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 15th overall 
  10. Alex Howes, 35, Nederland, Colo., 2019 USA Pro Road National Champion 
  11. Dylan Johnson, 28, Brevard, N.C., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 16th overall 
  12. Brendan Johnston, 31, Canberra, Australia, 2023 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda 2nd place 
  13. Bradyn Lange, 24, Camas, Wash., 2022 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek winner 
  14. Andrew L’Esperance, 32, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canadian Marathon MTB National Champion 
  15. Konny Looser, 34, Hinwil, Switzerland, 2x Swiss Marathon MTB National Champion 
  16. Payson McElveen, 30, Durango, Colo., 2018 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 3rd place 
  17. Lachlan Morton, 31, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place  
  18. Tasman Nankervis, 28, Bendigo, Australia, 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 17th overall
  19. Jack Odron, 20, Denver, Colo., 2023 Bighorn Gravel 4th place
  20. Logan Owen, 28, Bremerton, Wash., 2023 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek 5th place 
  21. Cole Paton, 25, Durango, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 3rd overall 
  22. Torbjørn Andre Røed, 26, Grand Junction, Colo., 2023 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda winner 
  23. Jordan Schleck, 21, Kampala, Uganda, 2023 Gravel Locos Hico 4th place
  24. Nathan Spratt, 28, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023 Life Time Crusher in the Tushar presented by The Creamery 6th place 
  25. Peter Stetina, 36, Santa Rosa, Calif., 8x Grand Tour finisher 
  26. Keegan Swenson, 29, Heber City, Utah, 2x Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda overall winner 
  27. Kyle Trudeau, 30, Tucson, Ariz., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 13th overall 
  28. Petr Vakoc, 31, Prague, Czech Republic, 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 2nd place 
  29. Alexey Vermeulen, 28, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 2nd overall 
THE 2024 LIFE TIME GRAND PRIX RACES:
Athletes will have the option to drop up to two events, entry fees will be covered by Life Time and there will be random doping controls conducted at any round.

  1. April 19: the Fuego XL, a 100K cross-country mountain bike race at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey, California. 
  2. June 1: the 200-mile race at the infamous Unbound Gravel in Emporia, Kansas.  
  3. July 13: Crusher in the Tushar, a 69-mile, hilly gravel race in Beaver, Utah.
  4. August 10: Leadville Trail 100 MTB, a 104-mile endurance mountain bike race at high altitude in Leadville, Colorado.
  5. September 14: Chequamegon, a 40-mile xc mountain bike race in Cable, Wisconsin.
  6. September 28:  The Rad Dirt Fest, a 110-mile gravel race in Trinidad, Colorado.
  7. October 14: Big Sugar Gravel, a 100-mile gravel race in Bentonville, Arkansas. 





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