2026 Life Time Grand Prix Wild Card Roster Announced:
Athletes Chase $350,000 Equal-Pay Prize Purse
With under two months to go until the opening round of the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix, the Wild Card roster has been confirmed.
Last season, Cameron Jones stunned the cycling world, riding into the series as a Wild Card and charging all the way to the 2025 overall men’s title. Jones’ success story instantly elevated the Wild Card program into one of the most closely watched entry points in elite off‑road competition, an increasingly competitive one.
“The Wild Card selection has quickly become one of the most anticipated elements of the Life Time Grand Prix, and the caliber of the 2026 roster reflects the incredible depth we’re seeing in off-road cycling today,” said Kimo Seymour, Senior Vice President of Events at Life Time and Director of the Life Time Grand Prix.
“Asking athletes to perform at both Sea Otter Classic and UNBOUND Gravel gives us a clear picture of who is prepared for the intensity of the Grand Prix. It’s a route that proved its value last season — Cameron Jones famously turned a Wild Card opportunity into a championship run — and we expect this year’s field to bring the same level of ambition.”
How Wild Card Athletes Qualify for the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix
Just as last year, three spots in each of the men’s and women’s fields will be filled following the completion of the Life Time Sea Otter Classic, which takes place on Thursday, April 16th, and Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano on Saturday, May 30th. Wild Card athletes must contest both events, and the top performers across the two races combined will earn themselves a spot in the 2026 series.
2026 Life Time Grand Prix Wild Card Roster
Women’s Wild Card Athletes
Mikayla Arends – 29, Kelowna, BC, Canada
Gabriella Arnold – 29, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Laurie Arseneault – 28, Bromont, QC, Canada
Anet Barrera – 27, Zapopan, JA, Mexico
Charlotte Clarke – 23, Timaru, New Zealand
Leslie Ethridge – 35, San Francisco, CA, USA
Natalia Franco Villegas – 30, Telico Plains, TN, USA
Elizabeth Hermolle – 31, Blackpool, United Kingdom
Siena Hermon – 23, Big Bear City, CA, USA
Michelle Howe – 37, Tucson, AZ, USA
Caitlyn Kellogg – 31, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
MJ Lopez Aguirre – 23, Chandler, AZ, USA
Colleen Maher – 33, Brevard, NC, USA
Deanna Mayles – 32, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Cristina Harner – 30, Lafayette, CO, USA
Emily Newsom – 42, Fort Worth, TX, USA
Lejla Njemcevic – 31, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Florence Normand – 23, Quebec, Canada
Laurel Quinones – 27, San Francisco, CA, USA
Jenna Rinehart – 41, Mankato, MN, USA
Hannah Shell – 41, Longmont, CO, USA
Danielle Shrosbree – 31, Poole, United Kingdom
Sierra Sims – 28, Roanoke, VA, USA
Haley Smith – 32, Waterloo, QC, Canada
Jen Tavé – 35, Redwood City, CA, USA
Michaela Thompson – 23, Durango, CO, USA
Sofia Waite – 22, Wheat Ridge, CO, USA
Men’s Wild Card Athletes
Carter Anderson – 23, American Fork, UT, USA
Martins Blums – 30, Priekuli, Latvia
Caleb Bottcher – 24, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Hayden Clarke – 22, San Antonio, TX, USA
Cole Davis – 26, Roseville, CA, USA
Andrew Dillman – 31, Fairdale, KY, USA
Derek Dotlich – 28, Indiana, USA
Griffin Easter – 34, Park City, UT, USA
Nicolò Ferrazzo – 34, Volpago Del Montello, Italy
Russell Finsterwald – 34, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Kyle Fry – 36, Shuniah, ON, USA
Julien Gagné – 31, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
Truman Glasgow – 25, Alpine, UT, USA
Mikayla Arends- 29, Kelowna, BC, Canada
Joe Goettl – 33, Sandy, UT, USA
Lance Haidet – 28, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Piotr Havik – 31, Gouderak, Netherlands
Cole House – 37, Oneida, WI, USA
Dylan Johnson – 30, Brevard, NC, USA
Yusuf Johnson – 22, Baltimore, MD, USA
Kyle Kalish – 29, Columbus, IN, USA
Nathan Knowles – 24, Tucson, AZ, USA
Lasse Konecny – 22, Breckenridge, CO, USA
Alban Lakata – 46, Lienz, Austria
Michael Lambert – 27, Platteville, WI, USA
Mathijs Loman – 26, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Sampo Malinen – 26, Lahti, FInland
Justin McQuerry – 30, Austin, TX, USA
Leandro Messineo – 46, Open Door, Argentina
Daxton Mock – 24, Lake Mills, WI, USA
Lawrence Naesen – 33, La Gleize, Belgium
Henry Nelson – 23, Durango, CO, USA
Amaette Nsek – 26, Ontario, CA, USA
Gustave Orain – 24, Girona, Spain
Jonas Orset – 35, Oslo, Norway
Ethan Overson – 25, Superior, CO, USA
Ethan Pauly – 25, Victoria, BC, Canada
Georwill Perez Roman – 32, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Cullen Perkey – 22, Englewood, CO, USA
Matt Pike – 28, Longmost, CO, USA
David Ramon Rubinat – 28, Corona, CA, USA
Jacob Richards – 26, Ogden, UT, USA
Adam Roberge – 28, Prévost, QC, Canada
Brody Sanderson – 26, Severn, ON, Canada
Miguel Santillanes Garcia – 32, El Paso, TX, USA
Tim Savre – 35, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Rogan Smart – 28, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Marcus Spratt – 30, Millcreek, UT, USA
Nathaniel Spratt – 30, Millcreek, UT, USA
Travis Stedman – 23, Durban, South Africa
Nathan Surowiec – 23, Forest Hill, MD, USA
Skyler Taylor – 30, San Anselmo, CA, USA
Jose Eduardo Tijerina Cuesta – 22, Monterrey, Mexico
Daniel Van Der Walt – 24, Bellville, South Africa
Jacob Velasco – 23, Rocklin, CA, USA
Cory Wallace – 41, Jasper, AB, USA
Chase Wark – 29, Winona, MN, USA
Alex Wild – 33, San Jose, CA, USA
Matthew Wilson – 24, Maungatautari, New Zealand
Cameron Jones on the Impact of the Wild Card Program
“The Wild Card spots are proof that the Life Time Grand Prix cares about finding the strongest riders on the scene,” said Cameron Jones, overall men’s winner of the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix. “It gave me the chance to prove that a Wild Card entry isn’t just a filler spot, it’s a chance for a genuine contender to shake up the standings. I truly believe that the talent pool is deep enough now that we may well see another Wild Card take the overall title in 2026.”
Countdown to the 2026 Off-Road Cycling Series
The men’s and women’s rosters for the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix have already been announced. The countdown to the opening round of the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix is now on.
Calendar for the 2026 series is as follows:
Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel – Thursday, April 16, 2026
Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 presented by Shimano – Saturday, May 30, 2026
Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik – Saturday, August 15, 2026
Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival – Saturday, September 19, 2026
Life Time Little Sugar MTB – Sunday, October 11, 2026
Life Time Big Sugar Gravel – Saturday, October 17, 2026
