The second round of the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix is just around the corner with the Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano taking place on Saturday, May 31st in Emporia, Kansas. The season-opening Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel saw defending overall champions Keegan Swenson and Sofía Gómez Villafañe claim the lead in the men’s and women’s competitions. Keegan soloed to victory nine seconds clear of Matthew Beers in Monterey, while Sofía took maximum points after following women’s race winner Hayley Batten (who is not competing in the Life Time Grand Prix) home in second position.
2024 Recap
Last season, Lachlan Morton claimed the men’s title, outpacing Chad Haga in a two-up sprint to the line with a three-minute lead over the third-placed Tobias Kongstad. The women’s race delivered an unprecedented nine-rider sprint finish, with Rosa Klöser crossing the line first ahead of Geerike Schreurs. Paige Onweller claimed third place overall and maximum points in the Life Time Grand Prix.
2025 Riders to Watch
Here are four athletes we expect to animate this year’s race:
Paige Onweller
Paige was the highest-placed Life Time Grand Prix finisher at this race in 2024, battling her way to third in the standings. The long-distance specialist will be aiming for another strong showing this time around having started her season with seventh place at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel.Axelle Dubau-Prévot
Her second-placed finish at the Traka 360 earlier this month means Axelle will be among the favorites on the elite women’s start list in Emporia. Axelle is one of a handful of European stars competing in the Life Time Grand Prix for the first time this season.
Mattia Di Marchi
The Italian is competing in the Life Time Grand Prix for the first time this season but is no stranger to the Life Time UNBOUND Gravel, having earned a top-five finish in 2024 and also finished the race two times previously.
Matt Beers
The South African made a strong start to the season, placing second overall at Life Time Sea Otter Classic. He took 13th overall at last year’s Life Time UNBOUND Gravel, but with a first-place finish at BWR California and a second-place finish at the Traka 200 over the past month, he will be aiming for a strong finish on Kansas gravel.
Rosa Klöser
The reigning Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 women’s champion, Rosa Klöser will return to defend her crown, while ex-World Tour rider Thomas De Gendt will make his debut among other top riders outside the Life Time Grand Prix competition.
Life Time Grand Prix Favorites Share their Thoughts
Ahead of the Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano on Saturday, May 31st, star Life Time Grand Prix riders Axelle Dubau-Prévot, Brendan Johnston, Mattia Di Marchi and Paige Onweller were joined by elite riders Rosa Klöser and Thomas De Gendt as well as Life Time’s Michelle Duffy who all shared their thoughts:
Axelle Dubau-Prévot, who is hot off the back of securing second place at the Traka 360 said:
My preparation coming into UNBOUND has been good; I had a nice performance at the Traka earlier this month. My form is progressing well, and I’m excited to see where it takes me this week. Last year was my first time racing in the US and I immediately felt a connection and wanted to do more. The Life Time Grand Prix is a huge challenge, but it’s very important to be part of it and I’m looking forward to being in Emporia and having another go at this race.
Brendan Johnston who kicked off this season strongly with fifth at the Life Time Sea Otter Gravel said:
This race has been my goal since December so it’s been great to kick off this season strongly and have some wins already. It’s hard to feel confident in the lead up to UNBOUND as it’s such a tough, changeable race, so all you can do is ensure you’re in the best shape possible when you roll up to the start line. The start list this year is super stacked and it’s cool to see the depth of talent growing each year.
Mattia Di Marchi who came fifth last year, said:
I’ve been racing the Traka 200 and 360 for the last three years and found it to be great preparation for UNBOUND last year. It’s important to get a good block of training in to have good legs but it’s also really tough to stay fully focused and sharp for nine hours while racing but I love this kind of race and I’m ready. The conditions this year might be different, I’m used to racing on dry, European gravel and with the weather forecast in Emporia this week it might be a very different race to 2024.
Paige Onweller was the highest placing Life Time Grand Prix athlete at last year’s race who said:
Last year I had ankle surgery 12 weeks pre-race so I wasn’t even expecting to finish UNBOUND and so this year it’s hard not to feel confident as I’ve pretty much had an uninterrupted build-up. Saying that, I’ve also learned that over the years, you can be the strongest rider and have the most perfect preparation, and it all falls apart on the day, as there are so many unknowns. You have to respect the course, your equipment, be ready for the mud and I just hope I’m ready for all the options.
Rosa Klöser, defending champion said:
It’s important to me to stick with racing gravel alongside my road calendar with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto as it’s my real passion. I will certainly be looking to defend my title, give my competitors a tough race and not let them take the crown without a fight. There is more talent on the start list again this year with 10-15 women that could win so it will be a tough race but I’m looking forward to returning to Emporia.”
Thomas De Gendt, five-time Grand Tour stage winner who is taking on the Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 for the first time said: “I’ve watched so many documentaries about UNBOUND and it always looked like fun. But now that I’m here in Emporia, it just seems incredibly tough, especially with all the recent rain. After years of road racing, I was ready for a change, and the adventurous side of gravel, especially UNBOUND, is what drew me in. This is my first US gravel race, so I’m not entirely sure what to expect, but I’m hoping that the open roads and terrain will be more forgiving if I make a mistake.
Michelle Duffy, Senior Director at Life Time Events said:
With the Wild Card competition concluding this weekend, athletes will have each other marked, which will add another dynamic to the event. In some scenarios, I think you could put some of the Wild Card contenders as race favorites so it’ll be fascinating to see what those riders prioritize on race day. It’s the first year of the Wild Card competition, so I think we’re going to learn learn a lot about how it impacts the racing, especially at an event like UNBOUND.
“To truly be inspired by gravel, you need to watch it. Life Time has long aimed to lower the barrier to entry for cycling and now, a free, live broadcast helps us do just that. It gives athletes global exposure, allows media and fans to engage remotely and offers brands more visibility. We’ve heard the demand for a live broadcast, so we’re thrilled to bring it back, especially with some of the unique elements we’ve planned for this year’s coverage.
The Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano is the second round of the 2025 Series. The athletes will take on 200 miles of harsh gravel roads and 11,000 feet of climbing through the Flint Hills as the course heads north for a second successive year.
Leaderboard
Full Start List
2025 Course
The race returns north for a second successive year, encompassing 202.9 miles of harsh gravel roads and amassing 11,000 feet of climbing as it winds its way through Kansas’ renowned undulating prairies and the awe-inspiring Flint Hills.
Riders will tackle Divide Road, one of the hardest sections on the course which comes after 45.5 miles, before heading into Alma where the race hits a series of rollers and takes in the Prairie View Road climb at 65 miles. At 104 miles, the athletes will then encounter Little Egypt, a steep and storied ascent over chunky rocks which has previously provided the launchpad for race-winning moves before tackling the longest climb of the day up Kahola Hill.
The approach into Emporia will remain the same, with Highland Hill coming at mile 201 before the action culminates, as always, on Commercial Street in the heart of the city.
Photo – Life Time Grand Prix
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