Little Sugar MTB Joins the Life Time Grand Prix for the First Time
Life Time Little Sugar MTB made its debut in the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix Series, offering a new test of endurance and skill on Bentonville’s world-class singletrack. Riders faced challenging climbs, technical descents, and fast, flowy sections that rewarded smart pacing and smooth handling.
Gómez Villafañe Dominates Early to Take Women’s Victory
Sofía Gómez Villafañe hit the singletrack hard, breaking away in the first five miles and never looking back. The Argentine rider stormed to victory in 5hr 8min 32sec, nearly three minutes ahead of Alexis Skarda, who took second place.
Behind them, Melisa Rollins surged late to grab third with a time of 5hr 13min 44sec, overtaking Hannah Otto and Michaela Thompson, who rounded out the top five.
Gómez Villafañe Secures 2025 Life Time Grand Prix Title
With her win at Little Sugar MTB, Gómez Villafañe officially locked up the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix overall title. The fight for second remains tight between Cecily Decker and Melisa Rollins, separated by just two points. Decker selected Little Sugar as her drop race, setting up a decisive showdown at the series finale in Bentonville.
Cameron Jones Goes Solo for the Men’s Victory
In the men’s race, Cameron Jones of New Zealand launched an early attack, forming a seven-rider breakaway before pulling away for good around the 30-mile mark. Jones crossed the line in 4hr 17min, claiming his first Life Time Grand Prix win.
Bradyn Lange finished 2min 38sec back in second place, with Andrew L’Esperance taking third in 4hr 23min 1sec.
Swenson Faces Mechanical Challenges, Overall Battle Tightens
Defending Grand Prix champion Keegan Swenson suffered an early puncture that left him chasing for much of the race. Despite the setback, he retains the overall series lead by a single point over Simon Pellaud and Cameron Jones, who are tied for second with 97 points. Torbjørn Andre Røed sits just behind with 96 points, keeping the series wide open heading into the final round.
Life Time Big Sugar Gravel Finale Set for October 18
Life Time Big Sugar Gravel Finale Set for October 18The 2025 Life Time Grand Prix spans six events, with riders allowed to drop their lowest score after Little Sugar MTB. The decisive final race, Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Kenetik, takes place on Saturday, October 18th, in Bentonville, where both overall titles will be settled.
Top 5 Women’s Results – Life Time Little Sugar MTB 2025
-
Sofía Gómez Villafañe – 5:08:32
-
Alexis Skarda – 5:11:29
-
Melisa Rollins – 5:13:44
-
Hannah Otto – 5:14:25
-
Michaela Thompson – 5:14:45
Top 5 Men’s Results – Life Time Little Sugar MTB 2025
-
Cameron Jones – 4:17:00
-
Bradyn Lange – 4:19:38
-
Andrew L’Esperance – 4:23:01
-
Matthew Beers – 4:24:14
-
Zach Calton – 4:26:05
Post-Race Reactions from the Winners
Sofía Gómez Villafañe:
It was super important to select the right tires, sealant and inserts today, but most importantly, riding smoothly. There were a few times where I sat up to look back, and I had to unclip where I messed it up. I went solo up the grassy hill at the start and expected Alexis Skarda to catch up with me, but she was riding at her own pace, so it was a bit lonely out there for me today.
“Everyone was really strong, but my legs were good today, and I’ve been really relaxed. It might be that I’ve been at altitude for far too long and my body has just responded really well to being at sea level. I need to do some math now, heading into Big Sugar, but it’ll be a close one.
Cameron Jones:
I had awesome legs today. My race plan was to be as far forward in the singletrack as possible so I could ride at my own pace and not get stuck in traffic. I led from early on, and Bradyn Lange came back to me a few times after distancing him, but there were various mechanicals behind me, and I just had to focus.
“I was focused on the trail in front of me, avoiding any rocks and trying not to make any mistakes. Just like at UNBOUND, it was good to be able to ride my own race and pick my own lines on the downhill sections. I overcooked the first half of the race and was suffering from a few cramps just before the halfway point, but it was good to have a bit of a buffer back to second place, so I could sit up and manage that, but was a fun day on the trails.
“With only a six-day turnaround, all my focus will be on recovery and getting on the gravel bike to get used to that as quickly as possible. I won’t be doing much riding aside from checking out the course for next week, as that’ll close out my season.
Photos courtesy Life Time
