Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM) is on the verge of securing a 3rd general title within the Life Time Grand Prix introduced by Mazda off-road collection, which he can seal with a victory Saturday at The Rad Grime Fest in Trinidad, Colorado. However there are 113 miles throughout 10,613 ft of climbing that the US rider has not seen earlier than, and a strong males’s area attempting to increase the battle for a share in a $300,000 prize purse to late October at Huge Sugar Gravel.
“It is my first time in Trinidad. It is sort of the same vibe to Steamboat [SBT GRVL], however extra turns and fewer lengthy straightaways, with some punchier climbs close to the top. It is a good change from the Midwest gravel we have carried out the final bit,” the three-time SBT GRVL winner stated after a pre-ride on the course Thursday.
“I feel the race will blow up a good bit. It is likely to be a giant group for the primary half, then I feel it would slowly develop into a smaller bunch. It positively will not be a dash end like the previous few races. There’s a few brief, steep climbs in the previous few kilometres, so it might be teams of 1 and two on the end.”
A packed late-summer schedule stored Swenson away from the southern Colorado race the previous two years. In 2022 he was a late addition to Workforce USA for the UCI Highway World Championships and headed to Australia, the place he was the second-best positioned US males’s rider within the street race behind Neilson Powless. In 2023 he traveled to Italy to compete on the UCI Gravel World Championships, the place he was the highest US rider in sixth general.
Regardless of lacking The Rad Grime Fest, he nonetheless received the Life Time Grand Prix general each years. Not a lot ought to change this 12 months, once more.
“It has been the same season to final 12 months by way of the calendar. It has been enjoyable to have a pair new occasions, Valley of Tears was an awesome race. Leadville was good. It was enjoyable to return there and defend that title, attempt to go quick,” he stated with a small giggle. “From Steamboat to Gravel Nats and Chequamegon and now we’re right here. Simply have a pleasant, constant experience right here and fewer strain at Huge Sugar.”
Whereas Swenson dominated nearly all of races he entered this season, together with Leadville for a fourth time, however he didn’t repeat because the US nationwide champion, Brennan Wertz (Mosiac Cycles) taking the stars-and-stripes jersey away. Wertz is headed to the Gravel World Championships subsequent week, and Swenson stated he’d attempt to watch the printed of the race, having declined a wildcard invitation to make the trek to Belgium between Grand Prix occasions.
“I have not appeared at first checklist. I do know there is a handful of WorldTour guys racing and a bunch of the gravel guys. If it is out there within the US I am going to try to watch it, see the way it performs out. It seems very related [the course] to a one-day Belgian Basic.”
The previous US gravel nationwide champion at present leads a 29-rider area within the Life Time Grand Prix standings by sweeping the three various kinds of mountain bike occasions on the calendar – Fuego XL 100K MTB at Sea Otter Basic, Leadville Path 100 MTB and Chequamegon MTB Competition.
Swenson hopes to coast throughout the white rocks of northern Arkansas on the sixth and ultimate occasion for a $30,000 first-place verify, the winner’s share in a $300,000 prize purse, break up evenly amongst women and men. However earlier than then, McElveen is without doubt one of the prime contenders who needs a win at The Rad too.
“Technically, Keegan would not have it locked up, which is why he has to go to Trinidad. There’s 20 guys who might nonetheless end within the prime three [of the Grand Prix]. It is nonetheless very thrilling,” assessed Payson McElveen (Allied Cycle Works-Crimson Bull), who’s third general within the standings.
“The factors are getting attention-grabbing. My ambitions for this race modified after Chequamegon, as a result of sadly I picked up COVID proper after the race, attempting to get well being. I am in an awesome spot to complete second general, however must play some protection.”
The Rad Grime Fest will separate elite fields by 5 minutes at first for the primary time. A stacked males’s area with Swenson, McElveen, defending champion Alexey Vermeulen (Issue-ENVE), and Cole Paton (Big) hit the hills within the distant and rugged Spanish Peaks at 9:00 MDT.
The ladies’s area is anticipated to incorporate former Rad winner Lauren De Crescenzo (Issue /The Feed/Maxxis/Castelli/PERC) and the highest two riders vying for the Grand Prix lead, Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialised) and Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless).
“The Rad could be very a lot a pure gravel occasion. It is also numerous pedaling, there’s not numerous sitting in even on the descending. So I feel pure energy and having the ability to climb properly goes to be essential. Moreover, the course is at altitude; it is a bit sneaky. So athletes must deal with altitude fairly properly and tempo their efforts accordingly,” Onweller stated concerning the course.
“Moreover, that is the primary 12 months that we’ve had a separate girls’s begin on the Rad, final 12 months was blended. And so I do really feel like we may have bigger teams of ladies up till vital factors, with a mixture for the race to be extra dynamic.”
There isn’t a dwell streaming, however race protection might be supplied on Life Time Grand Prix social channels.
