Tight Battle for the Men’s Overall Life Time Grand Prix Title
The 2025 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel, the thrilling finale of the Life Time Grand Prix, will take place on Saturday, October 18th in Bentonville, Arkansas. With no fewer than four riders still in contention, the men’s overall title promises a nail-biting finish.
Three-time champion Keegan Swenson leads the leaderboard with 98 points, narrowly ahead of Simon Pellaud and Cameron Jones, who share joint second. Torbjørn Andre Røed is just one point behind in fourth, making this year’s finale the closest in series history.
Cameron Jones: From Wild Card to Life Time Grand Prix Contender
Cameron Jones earned his spot among the top contenders with a victory at Life Time Little Sugar MTB and a previous win at Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano. Starting the season as a Wild Card athlete, Jones’ rise to the top of the Life Time Grand Prix standings is remarkable.
Sofía Gómez Villafañe Poised for Third Straight Women’s Title
In the women’s competition, Sofía Gómez Villafañe only needs to start the race to secure her third consecutive Life Time Grand Prix overall championship. Behind her, the fight for runners-up is tight, with Cecily Decker and Melisa Rollins separated by just two points, and only seven points splitting fourth through ninth positions.
U23 Life Time Grand Prix Leaders Already Secured
In the U23 category, Ruth Holcomb and Griffin Hoppin have locked in their 2026 Grand Prix spots as the highest-placed athletes at Little Sugar.
Elite Field Set for Bentonville Gravel Showdown
The 2025 Big Sugar Gravel welcomes top-level elite riders. In the women’s roster, look for Lauren Stephens, Sarah Sturm, Gwen Gibson, and Madigan Monroe. Among men, Lachlan Morton, Tobias Kongstad, Mattia De Marchi, and Riley Amos are expected to battle for the podium, ensuring world-class competition on the Ozark gravel.
Quotes from some of the main contenders
Cecily Decker – currently sitting second in the women’s 2025 Life Time Grand Prix
I opted to skip Little Sugar as I had a back injury after Chequamegon and couldn’t get enough time on my mountain bike to be adequately prepared for it. I’ve been training on my road bike instead, and luckily, my back is pretty much 100% again now, so whilst the decision wasn’t intentional, I think it was the right call.
“I’m not feeling any pressure heading into Big Sugar because I’ve had a really good season so far. That said, I’ve put a lot into my last training block and I would like to get a good result in Bentonville. I’m excited to have a good race and not too worried about the standings, or points.
Simon Pellaud – currently sitting joint second in the men’s 2025 Life Time Grand Prix
After a bad start at Little Sugar I’d managed to get myself in a good position, but then after around two hours, my lower back started to seize up and I was completely blocked. I couldn’t pedal my bike and ended up walking for a bit, having to stop to keep stretching it out. I was so close to not finishing, but thankfully I managed to keep going and found my legs again in the closing stages. I know I’m in good shape generally, and I really wanted to finish Little Sugar because it’s important preparation for Big Sugar, where everything is still to play for.
“I’ll definitely be visiting a massage therapist before Saturday, and I’ll try and relax for a few days at least. I’ll also be out reconning the course as much as I can – focusing on the most important sections – and then, we’ll see what I can do. It’s going to be a fun finale at Big Sugar and a great end to the series.
Melisa Rollins – currently sitting third in the women’s 2025 Life Time Grand Prix
My skills weren’t really suited to Little Sugar as on singletrack, I’m still very much a work in progress. I put a lot of work into that race, and even though I didn’t have the best of starts, I got my head down and just tried to see what I could do. That’s when I started feeling better, started overtaking people, and gaining some momentum.
“To get third last weekend is honestly one of my proudest results, because going into it, I was super scared and not in a good headspace. Over the last three weeks I’ve crashed around 10 times, and even ended up getting stitches which were taken out right before Little Sugar. Honestly, my attention is only just turning to Big Sugar now, and I’ll obviously be doing everything I can there to end my season on a high.
Keegan Swenson – leader of the men’s competition
Little Sugar didn’t go as I’d planned and it ended up being a pretty eventful day. I suffered from repeated punctures and a few riders very generously offered me their wheels. I basically just did everything I could to stay ahead of Simon [Pellaud] and Torbjørn [Andre Røed] as they are right behind me on the overall leaderboard. That was my goal – trying to make it to the finish line – and it became very much a day of survival. Since then I’ve been trying to recover as much as I can so I’m ready to go again at Big Sugar on Saturday.
Updated 2025 Big Sugar Gravel Course Adds Challenge
The 2025 course has been updated, starting and finishing in downtown Bentonville, with a new aid station at Rockford Grange (mile 74) and a custom trail into a former Olympic training facility.
The route totals 99.6 miles, roughly 5.66 miles shorter than 2024’s edition, but features 827 additional feet of rugged climbing. Expect “gloriously chunky” gravel, off-camber descents, and stunning Ozark Mountain scenery. The course can also be pre-ridden virtually through ROUVY, the event’s official virtual cycling partner.
Watch the 2025 Big Sugar Gravel Live for the First Time
For the first time ever, the Life Time Big Sugar Gravel will be streamed live, presented by Orange Seal. Fans worldwide can watch via the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel and Life Time app, starting at 7:10 a.m. CDT, including full coverage of both men’s and women’s races and post-race interviews.
After the races, a finish line camera will remain active until the 12-hour mark, capturing every finisher.
Follow Live Updates, Timing, and GPS Tracking
Live updates will be shared on the Big Sugar Classic and Life Time Grand Prix Instagram pages, with timing splits via Athlinks and live GPS tracking through Enabled Adventure. Highlights will also be available on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel beginning Sunday, October 19th.
Photos – Life Time Grand Prix
