Following a successful inaugural year, the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda adventure race series will return in 2023 with 70 riders vying for a $250,000 prize purse.
Introduced in 2022, the Life Time Grand Prix is a season-long gravel and XC mountain bike race series in which a cast of handpicked competitors travel throughout the United States in pursuit of a $250,000 prize purse.
Starting at Sea Otter Classic's Fuego XL race in April, the series will consist of seven races between April and October, including the 200-mile Unbound gravel race and high altitude Leadville 100-mile XC mountain bike challenge.
The series is expanding from six to seven events in 2023, the seventh evetnt being a ‘Wild Card’ event that is yet to be announced.
The series’ goal is to increase cycling fandom in the United States, and showcase some of the best and unique off-road events throughout the country. With the extreme distances, challenging terrain, high altitudes, and a variety of racing disciplines to master, those who’ll emerge as the winners will have to be very well-rounded cyclists indeed.
This year's series was won by three-time national mountain bike champion turned endurance cyclist, Keegan Swenson, and Canadian Olympian, Haley Smith. Each athlete took home $25,000.
Life Time today announced the cast of 2023, which includes the 2022 winners as well as some band new faces.
The contestants
After wading through more than 200 applications, event organizers selected 35 men and 35 women to compete in the race series.
The coming season's cast includes former WorldTour roadies, gravel pros, mountain bike olympians, cyclocross champions and pro triathletes.
As mentioned, 2022 winners Keegan Swenson and Haley Smith will return to defend their crown but they'll be met with some new challengers.
On the men's side cyclocross pro Eric Brunner is joining the challenge alongside former rower Brennan Wertz and South African mountain biker Matt Beers.
On the women's side, the new challengers include cyclocrossers Raylyn Nuss, the reigning Pan American Cyclocross Champion, and multi-time French national champion Caroline Mani as well as former Unbound and Tour of the Gila winner Lauren De Crescenzo.
Returning contestants include Unbound winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe, recent WordTour abandonee Emily Newsom, Ruth Winder, Sarah Strum, former WorldTour roadies Peter Stetina, Alexey Vermeulen, Alex Howes, Kiel Reijnen and Lachlan Morton.
Expanding its international appeal, six nations will be represented in the series —the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, France and South Africa— with the Netherlands and Dutchman Laurens ten Dam notably missing from the line-up.
In the men's category:
Matthew Beers
John Borstelmann
Robert Britton
Eric Brunner
Zach Calton
Griffin Easter
Russell Finsterwald
Howard Grotts
Lance Haidet
Alex Howes
Dylan Johnson
Brendan Johnston
Andrew L’Esperance
Bradyn Lange
Taylor Lideen
Konny Looser
Payson McElveen
Lachlan Morton
Tasman Nankervis
Logan Owen
Cole Paton
Kiel Reijnen
Adam Roberge
Nathan Spratt
Peter Stetina
Keegan Swenson
Kyle Trudeau
Alexey Vermeulen
Kerry Werner
Brennan Wertz
Tobin Ortenblad
Innokenty Zavyalov
Ryan Standish
Jack Odron
Ian Lopez De San Roman
In the women's category:
Crystal Anthony
Ella Bloor
Chelsea Bolton
Ellen Campbell
Catherine Colyn
Lauren De Crescenzo
Rebecca Fahringer
Maude Farrell
Sofia Gomez Villafane
Emma Grant
Isabella Hyser
Heather Jackson
Isabel King
Caroline Mani
Holly Mathews
Sarah Max
Deanna Mayle
Julie Momber
Jessica Mullins
Angela Naeth
Emily Newsom
Raylyn Nuss
Paige Onweller
Hannah Otto
Jenna Rinehart
Hannah Shell
Danielle Shrosbree
Alexis Skarda
Haley Smith
Sarah Sturm
Starla Teddergreen
Caroline Tory
Leah Van der Linden
Ruth Winder
Anna Yamauchi
The Races
- April 22: 100K cross country mountain bike race in the Fuego XL at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental in Monterey, Calif.
- June 3: 200-mile Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear in Emporia, Kan.
- July 8: 69-mile Life Time Crusher in the Tushar presented by The Creamery in Beaver, Utah
- August 12: 104-mile Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB in Leadville, Colo.
- September 16: 40-mile Life Time Chequamegon MTB presented by Trek in Cable, Wis.
- October 21: 100-mile Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda in Bentonville, Ark.
- Wild Card’ event - TBA
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