The plan for Keegan Swenson, Matt Beers, and Mads Wurtz Schmidt was to make the race hard on Texaco Hill. In Kansas, any hill with a name is a hard hill, says multi-time Unbound winner Dan Hughes, and the watts of Specialized can make it even harder.

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Unbound Gravel XL Results 2026

Results are based on the live dot tracker as of 7:25 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 30. Life Time’s results link for the XL is currently inaccurate.

1. Robin Gemperle - 21:20:05

2. Max Agut - 22:12:42

3. Alex McCormack - 23:34:52

4. Josh Amberger - 24:03:42

5. Matthew Lefthand - 24:12:57

6. Kevin Benkenstein - 26:40:47

7. Oskar Hertz - 26:41:00

8. Everett Werner - 26:42:00

9. Svenja Betz - 27:13:00 - Women’s First Place Winner

10. Chris Mehlman - 27:24:00

11. Madeleine Nutt - 27:48:00 - Women’s Second Place

12. Tobias Midderhoff - 28:09:00

13. Nathan Stayrook Hobbs 28:09:01

14. Antonio Marquina - 28:19:00

The race set off from Emporia, Kansas at 3:00 p.m. local time under sunny skies. Dry and fast conditions defined the evening, but rain and mud slowed things down overnight. An Instagram post by racer Chris Mehlman showed riders hiking through mud-saturated roads.

Pete Stetina, who was racing his first-ever ultra distance gravel event, was racing in the top 10 before pulling out after a late night crash. The Canyon racer was riding with Alex McCormack, Robin Gemperle, and Victor Bosoni, when a crash gashed his right leg below the knee.

“With my headlamp I could see fascia under globs of mud,” Stetina said. “I knew it would be a guaranteed infection and lasting damage to continue with my injury.”

“While the crash and midnight stitches are a bummer, what really hurts is I didn’t actually get to explore the ultra space, only got an appetizer,” he said. “I didn’t get the do THE thing, the riding from sunrise to sunset and hopefully finding out more about myself. Will need to try again somewhere, someday, somehow.”

Read: Why Pete Stetina is racing Unbound XL

Ted King, a 2x-winner of the 200-mile Unbound Gravel distance, also pulled out with a leg injury. Ironically, he visited the same hospital as Stetina.

“Nothing good happens after 9pm,” King said. “I’m relatively okay. Couple stitches and I’ll be back swinging in no time. Apparently I didn’t want @pstetina to be lonely in the hospital.”

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The U23 category rules stipulate that racers must compete in either Sea Otter Gravel or Unbound Gravel, however most top contenders will race both. Another rule to note is the U23 athletes compete in the Unbound 100-mile distance. At the end of the series, the overall winners in each gender category earn a spot in the elite field of the 2027 Grand Prix series.

There are thirteen U23 women signed up for Unbound Gravel on Saturday. Here’s a little bit of information about each of them.

• Kylee Hanel - Hanel won the U23 race at Sea Otter Gravel and races for the Aegis team on the road and is supported by Cervelo for gravel.

• Lauren Aggeler - Aggeler comes from a background of racing World Cup XCO but is focused on a mixed calendar of road and gravel this season with Speedblock-Terun.

• Samanth Johnson - A multi-discipline Milligan University racer, Johnson’s Instagram bio describes herself as a “gravel noob,” which I found funny.

• Ellory Clason - Clason placed 3rd at Unbound last year and rides for the Bissel-ABG team.

• Alexandra Charles - The second place finisher at Unbound last year, Charles races for the well-resourced ENVE Mog program.

• Emily Stapleton - Stapleton is on the Bear National Team and is a collegiate mountain bike national championship winner.

• Samantha Campbell - Campbell races collegiately for Colorado Mesa University and is a previous marathon mountain bike national championship age group winner.

• Scarlett Hardie - Hailing from Grand Junction, Colorado, Hardie races for the Pas Normal development team.

• Lacie Munns - Munns is a mountain bike and gravel racer from Utah.

• Brooke Darby - Darby is from Asheville, North Carolina and now attends Fort Lewis College. She is on the Mach1 Performance.

• Courtney Merrill - Merrill has a background of racing XCO but I couldn’t find much else about her. Let me know if there’s anything else we should know about Courtney.

• Terese Martens - Bear National Team rider.

• Julia Allred - Also on the Mach1 team, Allred won the True Grit Epic overall earlier this year.

There are a lot more men, so I’ll focus on ten rather than going through the full list. Sorry, boys.

• Isaac Alred - Allred placed 2nd at Unbound last year. Check out my podcast interview with Isaac where we discuss his ride at Unbound and his FKT on the Durango Death Ride Route.

• Luke Mosteller - A Bear National Team rider, Mosteller won Sea Otter Gravel in April.

• Elliot Thornblade - Thornblade placed 2nd at Sea Otter amid a strong collegiate road season with Fort Lewis College.

• Jonas Woodruff - Jonas rounded out the podium last year at Unbound and comes from a road background, from what I can tell.

• Oskar Stack-Michasiw - Another Mach1 team member, Stack-Michasiw’s best result is a 2nd in the U23 category at Leadville last season.

• Braeden Sellinger- A recent graduate from Northern Arizona University, Sellinger races road for Landis-Trilogy and off-road for Dark Sky Devo.

• Ryder Ritchie - A Speedblock-Terun racer, Ritchie recently won the Merced Crit in California.

• Jack Spang - Spang races for the Voler Factory Racing road team while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

• Jacob Stutz - Stutz is a mountain bike and gravel racer from Los Angeles, California.

• Noah Warren - Warren already has a strong endurance racing palmares with multiple appearances at the Cape Epic and mountain bike world championships.

In case you missed it: Stories I’m watching at Unbound Gravel 2026

In case you missed it: Why Pete Stetina is racing Unbound XL

In case you missed it: Sea Otter Gravel analysis: Bradyn Lange opens season with victory over Keegan Swenson

I’ve followed Unbound from numerous roles inside the cycling industry since 2022, with a couple trips to Emporia thrown in to check out the action for myself. As the annual hype cycle kicks into gear, it’s a good time to take stock of the narratives that really matter this week on the prairie.

A greatest hits course

Traditionally, the Unbound Gravel course switches between a predominantly southern route and a predominantly northern route every two years. This year is the 20th anniversary of the race, and the race organizers chose to celebrate that by putting together a 200+-mile lap of some of the races most celebrated and feared sections from the past two decades. There are even a couple new sections of course, and some sections from previous years are being raced in reverse.

Since the course mixes three different cardinal directions, wind could be a factor in the race, especially if wind patterns don’t stick to the norm. Winds typically blow from the south to the north in the area, but like all matters of mother nature, you just never know what could happen. If there are particularly strong winds, watch for altered race dynamics and even the threat of race-splitting echelons if cross winds hit on wider sections of road.

Aside from tires and high-carb fueling, everyone’s other favorite topic at Unbound is what the weather will do. As 2015 and 2023 demonstrated, mud at Unbound can cause chaos and endless debate online. As I write this on Tuesday night, there are thunderstorms forecasted for Friday and light rain scheduled for most of the day on Saturday. However, anybody who experienced the weather last year knows that mid-week rain doesn’t always translate to race day mud. You just never know until you line up on Commercial Street bright and early Saturday morning.

Will team tactics work?

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Stetina announced his retirement and ensuing farewell tour at the beginning of 2026. The gravel pro would visit the races that are most meaningful to him. At the races, he would give up chasing personal podiums and instead serve as a spielertrainer for his Canyon-DT Swiss All-Terrain Racing teammates like Bradyn Lange.

This looks like reconning courses, advising on strategy on tactics, cooking meals, testing products, and a wide array of additional duties as assigned. As Stetina enters the twilight of his career, he can use his collection of experience as a professional bike racer to benefit Canyon’s younger athletes.

“I’m still a privateer and an ambassador for Canyon,” Stetina said, “but then I also have this other part of my job which is helping all of Canyon’s current and future pros try to excel in their career.”

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Puck Pieterse was punchy, but it wasn’t enough in the XCO

Puck Pieterse can always be expected to put on a show when she shows up to mountain bike races. Her spring form was unbeatable in the short track race, but the Dutch woman fell off the pace in the XCO. Perhaps it was her early efforts during the first laps or a need to work on her technical skills, but Pieterse has shown that she can improve as the season goes on.

Liv Factory Racing is a team to watch

Three weeks after Madigan Munroe took a breakout third place in South Korea, Liv Factory Racing is continuing its campaign. Ronja Blochlinger defined the opening laps of the race, using her supreme technical skills to open gaps on the descents. She faded down to seventh by the end of the race, but I’ll be watching for more performances by the women in purple the rest of the season.

Alessandra Keller faces lousy luck

A touch of wheels sent Alessandra Keller to the ground during the XCC, and the domino effect sent Jolanda Neff into the barriers as well. Both riders were OK, but Keller had to mount a battle during the XCO to move through the pack. She rode up to fifth by the end of the day, but will be looking for a drama free race at Leogang.

Specialized women continue their reign

The Specialized duo of Laura Stigger and Sina Frei are keeping The Big S in the limelight this spring. Frei’s double win last round was followed up by Stigger, who went solo in the women’s XCO today to beat Jenny Rissveds. Frei placed third to put two Specialized women on the podium.

Mathis Azzaro outsprints Pidcock

Tom Pidcock got off to an intentionally slow start in yesterday’s XCC race before sprinting his way to the front of the field. However, the likes of Mathis Azzaro, Dario Lillo, and Luca Schwartzbauer kept him in check. A last lap attack from Pidcock still couldn’t shake the competition, and Azzaro powered ahead to take a comfortable win ahead of the Olympic Champion.

Luca Martin shows off his XCO talents

While Pidcock won the day on Sunday, Luca Martin was the next best man, showcasing his speedy combination of fitness and skills. The Frenchman even got within five seconds of Pidcock on the sixth lap but couldn’t close the gap all the way. Still, the Cannondale rider finished 42 seconds ahead of Filippo Colombo in third.

Young Americans continue to shine

Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley finished eighth and ninth respectively in the short track, great results for the second-year elites from the United States of America. Riley was then in the podium chase during the XCO before suffering a catastrophic flat and broken wheel. In the U23 category, Makena Kellerman took her second XCC win in a row, while Bailey Cioppa finished fifth. Vida Lopez de San Roman placed 8th in the U23 XCO, and Nicholas Konecny finished in 10th in the U23 men’s XCO.

Scott-SRAM had a Sunday to remember

Scott-SRAM landed two elite men in the top five with a third place ride from Filippo Colombo, who entered the chat late in the race, and a fifth place from Fabio Puntener. We can only dream what the results would have been if Bjorn Riley didn’t flat.

Injury and illness report

Specialized’s Haley Batten did not start the XCC or XCO due to a stomach bug, another blow to Batten after a crash in South Korea. Her teammate Christopher Blevins is still on the mend after collarbone surgery, and Victor Koretzky is still recovering from a broken arm in April. Finn Treudler also did not race in Nove Mesto due to an unspecified illness. In the women’s XCO, Evie Richards took a hard crash just off camera and was taken to the hospital. She later said she took a hard hit to the head and neck but nothing is broken.

The XC Racers will next line up at the Leogang World Cup taking place from June 11-14.

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Stetina is on a farewell tour this year before hanging up his wheels as a full-time racer next year. So, why is the Californian jumping into a race that travels through the dark Kansas night and takes a minimum of 18 hours?

“It felt like this was something that I had to explore for myself,” Stetina said over the phone. “I don’t really think I have the desire to do the multi-day stuff, like when it becomes a sleep deprivation test, but I can totally get behind an all nighter. I always kind of planned to do it, I just didn’t know when and where and how.”

After two decades racing on-road and off, Stetina said he began to feel the pull toward going the distance and trying a new format. It was an itch he had to scratch.

“I started thinking about it, and I found myself just being really nervous, like the kind of nervousness of a new scary thing that I haven’t felt before, or in a long, long time.”

Just over a week from finding himself on the start line, Stetina said he is most nervous about the mental side of the race. He’s never pedaled all night before, and he doesn’t know where his mind will take him.

During the adventure, Stetina is open to all possibilities and outcomes.

“I might be able to go really fast and find some mantra or meditation out there and pull out a fast ride. But I also may end up being like totally over it and eating pizza at a gas station and taking a nap on a picnic bench, and I mean they’re both fine with me.”

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Stetina’s longest race day was the Traka 360K in 2024, when mud made for a finish time of just under 12 hours. At Unbound XL last year, Rob Britton finished in 17:49:51, setting a course record.

In preparation for the journey, Stetina went to last year’s second place finisher, Lachlan Morton, for advice.

“I was so technically oriented, and Lachy was really helpful in that he spoke about almost like the game of riding ultras, the mindset shifts and stuff. It was almost a bit—I wouldn’t say coaching—but more mental tips in how to perceive things. He’s the best in the world at that kind of stuff, so it was pretty nice to get to pick his brain on that.”

Stetina describes his bike setup as “a fun one,” keeping the exact details close to his chest. Stetina races for Canyon, and a new aero gravel bike has been spotted at recent races. However, long-distance races like Unbound XL are a balance between speed and comfort.

“It’s this ultimate balance between speed and aerodynamics over such a long day, but also comfort and bodily fatigue matters so much more than just having a quick setup. So I’m trying to look at speed with a very practical eye.”

He will be using Exposure lights and frame bags from ALMSTHRE. As for nutrition, he’ll go for a mix of performance nutrition like gels as well as solid food and guilty pleasures like Red Vines—which we agreed are totally different from Twizzlers.

Stetina will arrive in Emporia on Tuesday, and spend the days ahead of the week previewing the course and advising on strategy for his Canyon ATR teammates like Bradyn Lange, Carolin Schiff, and Jasper Ockeloen. Then Stetina’s time in the saddle on Friday into Saturday will be a bonus.

“Maybe something sweet comes. I mean, I know something will come of it, that’s the thing. It’s just a new adventure, right.”

Tom Pidcock

This is the obvious one. When Pidcock is at a race, he’s an instant favorite for the win, and he is a back-to-back-to-back winner at Nove Mesto. The only question is how fast he will move up from the back of the start grid on Sunday as he won’t be racing XCC on Saturday due to a lack of UCI ranking points. The answer to that question is usually quite fast.

Dario Lillo

Lillo has proven at South Korea that he can win in the mud. Last round was so mud effected with so much running that we don’t know how Lillo will fare in a drier race this season. His win will bring some confidence, but Nove Mesto always seems to throw some curveballs.

Joshua Dubau

Dubau has gone well at Nove Mesto in the past, but the 2025 season wasn’t kind to him. The Frenchman got 6th in the South Korea XCO and will be hunting for a podium in the Czech woods.

Mathis Azzaro

Another Frenchman to watch is Mathis Azzaro. He won the XCC last round. Now he’ll be looking to prove himself in the longer XCO format.

Finn Treudler

Treudler was another player last round who did well in the XCC but suffered mechanical troubles in the XCO. He could be a familiar name this season if his chain stays on the cogs.

Puck Pieterse

Pieterse makes her mountain bike debut for 2026 at Nove Mesto. It will be interesting to see how she slots into the World Cup bunch this season after an Spring road racing campaign.

Sina Frei

Frei will be coming off the confidence of double wins in South Korea. Could the Specialized rider continue her winning streak in a similar style to her teammate Christopher Blevins last season?

Haley Batten

Batten had a race to forget in South Korea when she crashed in the XCC taking a loose outside line. It looks like she is OK though and has been training in Europe in preparation for the rest of the season.

Madigan Munro

The American had a breakout ride last year and landed on the podium. She’s another one to watch and see how she does in a race that isn’t as impmacted by running and mud.

Evie Richards

Richards is a favorite for the XCC as a former World champion in the discipline. She was set back in the XCO last round by a crash so she will want to have a clean race.

As of Tuesday, it’s still unclear if Mathieu van der Poel will take the start line. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series posted on Instagram that Van der Poel has “entered the race.” That Instagram post is still up, but Pinkbike and a Dutch journalist are claiming that he will not race. Who knows at this point.

We knew that Pidcock was likely to attend, as Ryan MTB reported in our article looking at the Briton’s four-year winning streak at the classic cross-country mountain bike venue.

This season, Pidcock won Milano-Torino, placed second at Milano-San Remo, and won a stage of the Tour of the Alps after making a quick recovery from a knee injury. Next week, we’ll see how his form is on the mountain bike course.

In comparison, the Dutch Pieterse has raced less often and stuck mostly to Italy and Belgium. She placed third at the Tour of Flanders before a pair of second places at the Ardennes Classics. Pieterse has won 10 World Cup rounds, including an XCO and XCC at Nove Mesto.

Pieterse will face off against Sina Frei, who showed her fitness and grit at the first round in South Korea by winning both the XCC and muddy XCO. In the men’s field, Dario Lillo was victorious in Sunday’s XCO while Mathis Azzaro came out on top of the podium in the XCC.

Tune in to Ryan MTB on Sunday at 10 a.m. Mountain Time to check out my video interview with gravel and ultra racer Chris Mehlman on Substack live.

The schedule of races was revealed by PianetaMTB, and Italian mountain bike news website. RyanMTB has not independently obtained a copy of the calendar.

Leaks are not uncommon from both the UCI and the Mountain Bike World Series, which is why RyanMTB is publishing the news. In 2024, leaked documents about proposed changes for the 2025 season turned out to be largely accurate.

Leaked UCI Mountain Bike World Series Calendar 2027

• April 17–18: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #1 | Europe

• April 30 – May 02: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH #2 | Non-Europe

• May 15–16: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #3 | Europe

• May 22–23: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #4 | Europe

• June 11–13: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH/EDR #5 | Europe

• June 18–20 OR June 25-27: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH #6 | Europe

• July 02–04: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH/EDR #7 | Europe

• July 10–11: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #8 | Europe

• August 20–22: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #9 | Europe

• September 10–12: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #10 | Europe

• September 25–26: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #11 | Non-Europe

• October 08–10: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH #12 | Non-Europe

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The schedule, if authentic, would begin for XC racers in mid-April with a round in Europe. Exact venue locations are not divulged in the calendar. Then, XC and gravity racers would head to a non-Europe round, which would be consistent with this season’s start in South Korea. From there, races would take place in Europe from mid-May until mid-September before finishing the season at two non-Europe races.

My best guess is the penultimate round is at Soldier Hollow, Utah (debuting on the World Cup circuit this fall) and the other is at another North American venue such as Whistler (also new this year) or the classic Mont-Sainte-Anne.

Media reports also say that one of the European rounds could take place in Spain or Portugal.

Notably, XC racing is included at all 12 rounds while there are only 5 downhill rounds and 2 enduro races. It’s unclear if this is intentional, or if the schedule is simply incomplete. However, there has been fears and rumors of the decline of enduro racing in the modern World Series era with several top riders and brands pulling back from the discipline.

In a recent podcast interview, top enduro athlete Charlie Murray—who is stepping away from the race series this season—said that his sponsor Specialized no longer had interest in investing in enduro racing sponsorships.

If this calendar pans out, it will be interesting to see how teams and riders respond. On one hand, more races is in line with Warner Bros.’ vision for the sport, however, more races means more expenses for the teams and riders.

One thing that is clear is that the calendar groups races together geographically (i.e., spending the entire summer in Europe), which teams and riders have called for to make logisitcs easier.

Here’s what a representative from Warner Bros. said.

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Pidcock has hinted at his participation, and Nove Mesto race organizers posted a criptic message on Instagram along with a reel of footage featuring Pidcock.

“Sparrows around Vysočina Arena heard gossip today about a British lad asking if he could come again? He said he would probably return to racing sooner after his injury and that he had always enjoyed it here.”

Who else could that be?

With that news, Ryan MTB looked back at some of the Olympic Champion’s top moments at the venue, where he won races annually from 2020-2024.

A rising star - Nove Mesto 2020

The mountain bike season got a late start in 2021 thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the condensed season saw a double-header at Nove Mesto. Pidcock won both of the Under-23 XCO races, besting Alexandre Balmer in the first and beating Christopher Blevins two days later. Pidcock would go on to win the U23 World Championships that year, and he signed for the Ineos Grenadiers for the following season.

Pidcock vs. MVDP - Nove Mesto 2021

Pidcock’s first year racing the elite category saw him joined in the Czech race with Mathieu van der Poel. the Dutchman outsprinted the Brit in a photo finish to a muddy XCC race, and the two rivals etched out a lead in the XCO. Pidcock had the better climbing legs and technical skills on the day to win his first elite World Cup race.

After the race, Pidcock spoke one of his most legendary quotes: “I think I was born to do mountain bike, to be honest. It sounds stupid, but I think it’s what I’ve done since I was little and what I’ve enjoyed the most. Coming here and winning an elite World Cup…is pretty insane really.”

Later that year, Pidcock would go on to win the XCO Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, Japan.

A sprint against Dascalu - Nove Mesto 2022

Dry and dusty conditions set the stage for Nove Mesto in 2022, and Pidcock immediately found the front of the race alongside the likes of now-retired Nino Schurter. The Swissman suffered a flat tire, but chased back to the leading group of 5 by the last lap. Coming into the finish, Vlad Dascalu led Pidcock into a headwind for a sprint finale. Pidcock powered ahead of Dascalu to take another victory for Ineos.

Doing the double - Nove Mesto 2023

Until 2023, Pidcock had never won a World Cup short track race, but he beat Luca Schwarzbauer and Sam Gaze to top off a rain-soaked 20 minutes and place another feather in the cap of his palmares. Then, a last-lap attack in the XCO dropped Joshua Dubau to make it a perfect weekend.

Pidcock vs. Schurter - Nove Mesto 2024

At his last appearance at Nove Mesto, Pidcock was threatened by an early attack of Schurter and Victor Koretzky. The leaders came back together though and Pidcock led the group. The following lap, Pidcock launched an attack and got a gap. He held steady to beat Schurter by 32 seconds.

Pidcock only raced on the mountain bike twice in 2025 at the European Championships and the Andorra World Cup. It will surely be a treat to see what he does this season.

Hatherly signed with Jayco for the 2025 season to race road as well as mountain bike with the Giant Factory Off-Road team. He got off to a good start riding to two stage podiums at the early-season AlUla Tour before racing in several World Tour stage races throughout the season. He participated in several World Cup rounds—as well as the MTB World Championships in Switzerland—but did not travel to the last rounds in North America.

This season, Hatherly did not finish Strade Bianche but went on to find solid results at Tirreno-Adriatico and Coppi e Bartali. He heads to the Giro in support of Jayco team leader Ben O’Connor. Hatherly will be a key climbing domestique, with particular talents on punchy climbs as he makes his Grand Tour debut.

Hatherly’s mountain bike schedule has not been announced, but he has said that he is targeting the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“The biggest thing I’m trying to achieve by bridging the two disciplines is obviously to become a better athlete in general, and specifically targeting the LA Olympics,” he said. “Obviously, it takes quite a few years to build on the road, to just lift that base level that little bit higher, and then to go back to the mountain bike in a big way for 2028. I think to be world champion, World Cup overall winner, and the Olympic champion would be an absolute dream career for me.”

Fellow cross-discipline athlete Tom Pidcock will not race the Giro for his Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He has not announced his mountain bike plans for 2026, but he is usually at a couple of World Cup rounds. Last season, he won the Andorra round.

Mathieu van der Poel has his sights on the mountain bike World Championships, but the Tour de France is a key goal for him this summer as well.

“We’re preparing my program for the Tour de France, which I will definitely be participating in,” he said. “We need to see which races I’ll do before I go there, and it’s likely that some of them will be mountain bike races. Obviously, the Tour is the main focus in the coming weeks.”

Sina Frei does the double

It’s strange to say that Sina Frei hasn’t won a World Cup XCO race, but that has indeed been the case for the Specialized rider until this weekend. Frei bested the likes of Evie Richards and Martina Berta in Friday’s short track with a last lap blitz before lining up in the rain for the XCO. Jenny Rissveds set a fast pace from the beginning, taking advantage of a small lead to tackle the mud and running sections from the front of the race. As the laps wore on, Frei and Madigan Munroe were the primary chasers, sitting in second and third for the majority of the race. Rissveds faded just enough to make a couple mistakes and allow Frei to take over the lead and win her first World Cup XCO race of her career. Special shout out to the American Munroe, who rode to her first-ever World Cup podium, a happy sight for Liv Factory Racing, which she joined this off-season.

Mathis Azzaro finally gets a win

I’ve been watching Mathis Azzaro since he began showing his talents two years ago racing for Decathlon-Ford. In 2025, he switched the new Francophone outfit of Origine Racing Division and came agonizingly close to the big W in several races. On Friday, he finally found the magic to fend off numerous aggressive attacks and win the short track ahead of Simone Avondetto and Dario Lillo. Sunday saw him finish back in 12th place.

Young guns are coming for the established downhill order

Asa fucking Vermette. What more do I have to say? The American from Durango, Colorado stepped up into the elite field for this year, and he bested the entire men’s field in his first pro race. Max and Til Alran were also both in the top 10 of the elite race, making it clear that the young guns will give established pros a run for their money this season. However, as Chris Hall pointed out, Amaury Pierron was on a heater of the run until he crashed in the final woods section, throwing away his race-winning pace. It’s setting up to be an epic battle on the downhill course this year.

Vali Holl sets the tone for the year

One of my favorite parts of South Korea was that no rider had an advantage. None of the racers had experience on this track or terrain, unlike many of the European tracks, so each rider had to figure it out from square one. Vali Holl had no problem getting up to speed on the Korean mountain side, qualifying 6th place in the Q1 qualifier. She then went on to win the race, setting the benchmark for the rest of the season. Gloria Scarsi was less than a second back with a stellar second place performance, and Myriam Nicole used her experience to round out the podium.

Christopher Blevins out with a broken collarbone

Last year’s XCO and XCC overall winner Christopher Blevins had a trip to South Korea that he’s likely to want to forget. He placed 28th in the short track, unable to match the pace of Azzaro and company at the front. Then came the news on Saturday that he had crashed in practice and suffered the common cycling injury of a broken collarbone. Blevins flew home to the United States to recover. Pro cyclists can return to training quite quickly after collarbone surgery, but it remains to be seen how soon Blevins will be back on the racetrack.

Dario Lillo takes advantage of the mud

Dario Lillo’s late attack in the men’s short track race on Friday wasn’t to be, but in hindsight it was clearly a warning shot. The Giant racer was fast off the line and never left the lead of the race, winning by more than a minute. In both the men’s and women’s races, those who were aggressive from the start had the winning strategy to navigate the carnage of the mud and build their case for a winning ride. The Cannondale duo of Luca Martin and Charlie Aldridge joined Lillo on the podium.

Junior and XCO racers shine

Of course, there were also U23 and junior races all weekend long. I get particularly excited watching our young American racers, and Makenna Kellerman opened the weekend with a win in the U23 women’s short track race. The Europeans where victorious in the men’s race, with Thibaut Baudry taking the win. In the junior downhill categories, American Aletha Ostgaard won the women’s and New Zealand went one-two in the men’s race with Jonty Williamson and Malik Boatwright (what a name). A final shoutout for the young American Bailey Cioppa (also of Durango, Colorado) for taking third in the women’s U23 XCO, a career best.

The XC World Cup continues in Nove Mesto, Czechia, from May 22-24, while enduro and downhill return to Loudenvielle the following weekend.

What is the MTB World Series?

An elite, worldwide tour of 14 races, the MTB World Series is like the Formula 1 of mountain bike racing. The World Series refers to the calendar as a whole, while the term World Cup is used for the individual disciplines. However, many use the term World Cup in place of World Series.

The series has been owned, produced, and broadcast by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports since 2023, meaning all races are broadcast on HBO Max in the United States.

On the cross-country side, each race has two races: XCO, or cross-country Olympic, and XCC, or short track. XCC races are about 20 minutes long and take place on a short course. They are full-gas efforts and take place one or two days ahead of the XCO event. Expect fast racing and tactics during XCC races as well as explosive attacks and finishes.

XCO is the discipline of mountain biking raced in the Olympics—hence the name. XCO racing lasts for about 90 minutes and features longer climbs, descents, and technical sections, and it is the main endurance event of each weekend.

Downhill racing is a time trial from the top of the mountain to the bottom with jumps, high speeds, and heinous technical sections along the way. The World Series also includes enduro, a mix of endurance and gravity, however this overview will focus on XC and DH.

At each race, riders earn points based on their finishing position. At the end of the season, the riders with the most points in each discipline are crowned the World Cup overall winners, a feat of consistency and speed.

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2026 Mountain Bike World Series Race Calendar

• May 1-3 - Mona Yongpyong, South Korea (XC, DH)

• May 22-24 - Nové Město na Moravě, Czechia (XC)

• May 28-31 - Loudenvielle - Peyragudes, France (DH, EDR)

• June 11-14 - Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland, Austria (XC, DH, EDR)

• June 19-21 - Lenzerheide, Switzerland (XC, DH)

• June 26-28 - Val di Fassa - Trentino, Italy (EDR)

• July 3-5 - La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy (XC, DH, EDR)

• July 9-12 - Pal Arinsal, Andorra (XC, DH)

• July 17-19 - Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Valais, Switzerland (EDR)

• August 14-16 - Morillon, Haute-Savoie, France - (EDR)

• August 20-23 - Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, France (XC, DH)

• September 19-20 - Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah, United States (XC)

• September 25-27 - Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia, Canada (DH)

• October 2-4 - Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York, United States (XC, DH)

Rules and regulations

How does a rider qualify for the World Series or a World Cup race? The best bet is to be on one of the 40 World Series teams—20 for XC and 20 for DH. These teams get guaranteed entry into all of the season’s races in addition to increased media exposure. Warner Bros. chooses 15 teams based on UCI rankings as well as 5 additional wild card teams. Additional teams can earn wild card entries to individual races. Riders not on one of these teams can qualify by the following criteria.

• Any rider ranked in the top 100 of the last UCI XCO individual ranking before the event entry closing date (one month prior to the event)

• National federations like USA Cycling may enter a maximum of 3 supplementary riders per category. These riders must wear national team clothing.

• Top five riders of any round of a Continental Series limited to 1 round of the current UCI MTB World Cup (Golden Ticket)

• Top five riders from the final standings of any of the Continental Series of the previous year Current Olympic Champion, UCI World Champion, Continental Champion, National Champions

On the endurance side, a rider’s XCC result dictates their place on the starting grid for the XCO race. In XCO races, there is a tech zone on course for mechanical assistance and a tech/feed zone.

Downhill racers all must qualify for the weekend’s finals round. The first qualifying round advances 20 men and 10 women to the finals. Those who miss the cut must go on to Q2, sometimes called last chance qualifying, where an additional 10 men and 5 women go onto the finals. The finals start order is based on qualifying times, with the fastest qualifier starting last.

XC racing has a U23 category for riders under the age of 23. Downhill racing has a junior category for riders under the age of 18.

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Riders to watch - XC

Jenny Rissveds - The 2016 Olympic champion, Rissveds is a steady presence in any race and she is the highest placed rider in the 2025 series overall to race this season after winner Samara Maxwell takes a season break for mental health reasons.

Alessandra Keller - The Swiss Keller can also be commonly found at the front of any race making blistering attacks. She finished third overall last season.

Evie Richards - A previous World Champion, Richards often shines in the XCC races and has a fierce sprint.

Puck Pieterse - Counting 10 World Cup wins to her name, Pieterse is a threat any time the course tilts uphill or downhill. She also competes on the road so is not guaranteed to start all races.

Haley Batten - Batten placed second at the 2024 Olympic Games, but her 2025 season was cut short due to the illness and death of her mother. Batten’s return to the World Cup will be a compelling story to follow this season.

Christopher Blevins - Blevins has always been a good rider, but in 2025 he was extra good and scary consistent. The World Cup overall winner went on a hot streak and seemed to be able to win in any situation. The question for this year will be who will challenge him.

Martin Vidaurre - The Chilean is teammates on Specialized Factory Racing with both Blevins and Batten. He placed second overall to Blevins in a breakout season last year.

Luca Martin - The young Frenchman took his first win last year and reaped the confidence that comes with that. Will he find the same speed this year or suffer from the sophomore slump?

Alan Hatherly - The World XCO Champion splits his calendar between the road and mountain bike, but the South African is targeting the 2028 Olympic Games mountain bike race.

Tom Pidcock - Pidcock seems to win every race he shows up to, but like Hathely, he will only show up to a select few races.

Riders to watch - DH

Vali Holl - Vali Holl likes winning and on her best days she is unbeatable. What makes her relatable is that she doesn’t win every time, making the women’s field hotly contested.

Gracey Hemstreet - Hemstreet came into her own last season to place second overall racing for the Greg Minnaar-led Norco Racing Division.

Tahnee Seagrave - Another presence in any race, Seagrave counts 12 World Cup wins to her name.

Anna Newkirk - The American Newkirk races for the Frameworks team and placed second at last season’s opening round. She’ll be looking for her first career win this season.

Nina Hoffmann - The German Hoffmann is a member of the Santa Cruz Syndicate team and counts three World Cup wins to her name. When she’s not winning, she is a consistent name on the podium.

Jackson Goldstone - Goldstone has climbed the ranks to make himself the biggest name in downhill. He entered the 2025 season after an injury wrecked his season the year prior and went on the win the overall.

Loic Bruni - The 2025 season was closed when Bruni pulled out of the Mont-Sainte-Anne start gate at the last second to cede the overall win to Goldstone. The Frenchman will like to get back to his winning ways in 2026.

Asa Vermette - Until now a junior racer, Vermette has become one of the most talked about names in the men’s field. He steps into the elite category this year racing for Frameworks.

Max Alran - Commencal’s Alran is also stepping into the elite field after besting Vermette in the junior category overall last season.

Luke Meier-Smith - The Australian won in Lake Placid last year, proving he has the chops to win on a fast, powerful course.

Stay tuned to Ryan MTB this week as the racers arrive in South Korea for the weekend’s racing.

Life Time Grand Prix athlete Lauren Stephens turned up to the race with a Bluetooth communication device to communicate with her teammates and support crew. The exact model Stephens was using is the Sena BiKom. It appears that Stephens and/or her Aegis Cycling team are sponsored by Sena.

Users of the device must be in range of each other, making the device useful for communicating with teammates in the bunch or talking to your crew on the approach to a feed zone. Stephens said that she saw then-teammate Lex Albrecht using a similar device at Unbound Gravel couple years ago.

Video journalist Ben Delaney got a look at Stephens’ BiKom while he was at Sea Otter.

Stephens and her Aegis Cycling teammates also used the device at the Redlands Bicycle Classic stage race the weekend before Sea Otter.

Radios are commonplace in road racing, where riders communicate with each other and with their team cars, but radios have not seen widespread adoption in off-road racing.

The use of the device sparked conversation about whether or not such devices are legal in Life Time races. Delaney even posed the question in his video title.

“Life Time does not currently have a rule that forbids the race radio that Lauren was using,” a spokesperson for the Grand Prix said.

Life Time does have a rule prohibiting in-ear headphones, but the Sena devices connect to the riders’ helmet straps and are not in-ear devices. Like drop bars at Leadville, Life Time could add additional rules in the future, but the race organizer has not indicated any upcoming changes.

While Stephens is at the cutting edge of in-race communication in gravel, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more athletes experimenting with radios this season.

At Unbound, elite riders—and those in the Life Time Grand Prix—will have three feed zones that are at different locations that amateur athlete check points. The elite feed zones are at mile 42, 89, and 154.

The feed zone protocol remains mostly the same, but race organizers Life Time have banned any feeds from a moving vehicle. Last year, there were reports of athletes taking feeds from a crew member on a moving bicycle.

Additionally, all feeding and support must take place on the right hand side of the road.

Racers will also have designated elite feed zones at Leadville. These will be at Pipeline and Lost Canyon. Racers will pass through a total of four times since Leadville is an out-and-back course. Racers are also allowed to use the two amateur aid stations at Carter Summit and Columbine.

Just like at Unbound, feeding must take place from the right side. There will also a designated media area at the elite feed zones.

The new rules are appropriate as the feed zones at these races are some of the most chaotic places during the race. Notably, John Gaston was taken out by a race broadcast cameraman while passing through a feed zone at Leadville last year.

The rules are also evidence of Life Time tkaing into account rider feed back, similar to the Leadville drop bar ban.

Stay tuned to Ryan MTB for more Unbound and Leadville updates.

The 26-year-old from Northern California pulled up along 3x-defending champion Keegan Swenson, beating him to the inside line through the final 180-degree turn. This allowed Lange—dressed in the USA gravel national champion’s jersey—to open his sprint first while Swenson was forced into a wider line.

With a short runway to the line, Lange beat Swenson to take the lead in the Life Time Grand Prix, the first men’s rider to best Swenson at Sea Otter since the Grand Prix began in 2022. That means Lange is also the first man to lead the Grand Prix heading into Unbound Gravel other than Swenson.

Behind, Alexey Vermeulen placed third, while Matt Beers and Cobe Freeburn were the fourth and fifth ranked Grand Prix riders.

Lange’s dominant performance began five miles out from the finish. Swenson’s teammate Beers had broken away just before the final climb up Lookout Road, and Lange successfully bridged up and past the South African with Swenson. He then stayed with Swenson all the way back to Laguna Seca and played his tactical cards right for the sprint.

While Lange’s win at Sea Otter is a narrative shift and a break to Swenson’s winning streak, the Specialized rider was still right there. The second-place performance from Swenson confirms a successful return to form after a broken pelvis this Spring that forced him out of the Cape Epic. We’ll have to wait until Unbound Gravel in just over a month to see if Lange’s lead will hold deeper into the year.

Another takeaway from the day in Monterey is the dominance of Grand Prix regulars in the top-10. Anton Stensby was the only rookie in the top-10 Grand Prix rankings, sitting 9th after finishing 11th (two non-GP riders were ahead of him in the race results). The top-20 series overall is staked with rookies looking to make their mark on the series, including Andreas Seewald, Marc Pritzen, Jan Stockli, Felix Stehli, and Simen Nordahl Svendsen.

Matthew Wilson of New Zealand was the most successful wild card athlete, with a 12th place finish. Wilson was selected for the Grand Prix last year on a wild card, finishing 13th at season’s end, but did not get selected for the full series this year. Behind Wilson in the wild card standings are Drew Dillman, Skyler Taylor, Caleb Bottcher, and Julien Gagne. As last year showed, a lot can change in the wild card standings in between Sea Otter and the finish of Unbound.

In the U23 race, Luke Mosteller took the win (placing 27th overall amongst the elites), followed by Elliot Thornblade and Jonas Woodruff.

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Sofia Gomez Villafane continues winning streak in women’s race

The women’s race also came down to a two-rider duel between reigning champion Sofia Gomez Villafane and Lauren Stephens. Villafane came into the final corner with a larger margin than the men’s race finish, and by that time Stephens had no chance of catching her in the final straight.

Villafane’s victory makes it four in a row at Sea Otter for the Argentinean-American. The late Moriah Wilson won Sea Otter in 2022—then a marathon mountain bike race.

Despite being a regular on the gravel scene, Stephens has never competed in the Grand Prix until this year. Her Sea Otter result is a good sign of form ahead of round two at Unbound.

Karolina Migon was the third Grand Prix rider in to the finish, while Hayley Preen and Rosa Kloser were the fourth and fifth ranked riders. Migon and Kloser are both former Unbound Gravel winners who are committing to the full GP season for this year. While they haven’t competed in the full series until now, they both know how to perform at the world’s biggest races.

Like the men’s field, there were lots of Grand Prix regulars near the top of the results sheet. On the rookie side, a solid ride worth shouting out came from Morgan Aguirre, finishing 15th overall and 12th in the Grand Prix standings. Aguirre has stated unequivocally that the Grand Prix is her focus this season.

In the wild card race, Jenna Rinehart was top placed followed by Charlotte Clark, Jen Tave, Dani Shrosbree, and Michaela Thompson.

The U23 category was won by Kylee Hanel of Portland (22nd overall among the elites), followed by Lauren Aggeler, and Samantha Johnson.

Full results for all categories are available here. Grand Prix leaderboards will be available on the Life Time Grand Prix website. Stay tuned to Ryan MTB for more Life Time Grand Prix content, and leave a comment letting me know what stories you are most interested in reading about.

What is the Life Time Grand Prix?

The Life Time Grand Prix is a professional, invite-only series that includes a collection of the top mountain bike and gravel races in the United States. Life Time, the owner of fitness clubs and athletic events—not to be confused with Lifetime, the cable television channel—announced the new concept for the 2022 season as mass participation cycling events like Unbound Gravel and the Leadville Trail 100 were taking off in popularity. Meanwhile, professional road racing and XCO mountain biking had less of a national presence. Life Time saw the opportunity to combine several of its athletic events into a cohesive series that would elevate competition, storytelling, and fandom.

“Life Time is proud to play a part in the changing landscape of professional and recreational cycling in the US,” Life Time executive Kimo Seymour said at the time. “After many years of declining participation, we’re experiencing a groundswell of growth, in both amateur and professional field sizes, especially in our gravel and mountain bike events. Through the Life Time Grand Prix, we are excited to offer an opportunity for professional cyclists to achieve their potential domestically, and for fans of cycling to be able to engage with those athletes.”

The series initially consisted of six races: the Sea Otter Classic MTB race, Unbound Gravel, Crusher in the Tushar, Leadville, Chequamegon 40, and Big Sugar Gravel. Athletes had to apply to get it to the series, and 20 women and 20 men would compete across the season for a $250,000 prize purse.

That first year, Keegan Swenson won the series overall title, rocketing himself to increased American off-road notoriety, and joined in the top three by Alexey Vermeulen and Russell Finsterwald. Haley Smith clinched the women’s overall, followed by second-place finisher Sofia Gomez Villafane and third-place Sarah Sturm.

Villafane would go on to win overall titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Sweson—Villafane’s husband and Specialized Off-Road teammate—won additional titles in 2023 and 2024. Last season, Cam Jones of New Zealand earned a wild card selection into the series after winning Unbound Gravel, and the Kiwi went on to win the overall title as well.

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The Races

This year, the Life Time Grand Prix consists of six races:

• Sea Otter Classic Gravel (April 16)

• Unbound Gravel (May 30)

• Leadville Trail 100 (August 15)

• Chequamegon (Sept. 19)

• Little Sugar MTB (Oct. 11)

• Big Sugar Gravel (Oct. 17)

Racers must start five out of the six races to be eligible for the overall prize purse, meaning they get one drop race, whether that’s caused by a mechanical, injury, or other factors. If a racer misses two races, they are still eligible to be listed in the final standings, but they won’t win any prize money.

Sea Otter Classic Gravel

The Sea Otter Classic is the nation’s largest bicycle industry trade and consumer show, attracting thousands to Laguna Seca Raceway east of Monterey, California. In addition to the show, Sea Otter has always had racing, from mountain bike to road, and even cyclocross. For the first three seasons of the Grand Prix, Sea Otter was a marathon mountain bike race in Fort Ord National Monument. For 2025 and beyond, Life Time switched in up to become a 90-mile gravel race instead.

Swenson has won all editions of the Sea Otter since the Grand Prix started. In 2022, the late Moriah Wilson won the race. The next two women’s editions were won by Villafane. Last year, Olympic silver medalist Haley Batten won, but Villafane was the best placed Grand Prix racer.

Unbound Gravel

Unbound Gravel in the Flint Hills surrounding Emporia, Kansas is the largest and most prestigious round of the Grand Prix, thanks to its status as the big daddy of gravel racing. At 200 miles long, it’s not only a test of endurance, but one of strategy, fueling, and who can best protect their equipment throughout the day.

Because of its notoriety and growing popularity with international athletes, the race is not always won by a Grand Prix rider, as shown by 2025 women’s winner Karolina Migon. Jones won the men’s field after a long range breakaway with Simon Pellaud.

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Leadville Trail 100

After taking the months of June and July off, the Grand Prix returns in mid-August by visiting the high-elevation, former mining town of Leadville, Colorado. The out-and-back course features long climbs and thin air. Swenson has won every edition since 2021, and he still holds the course record of 5:43:31 set in 2023. Hannah Otto, Villafane, and Melisa Rollins have all won the women’s edition. In 2025, Kate Courtney won the race and set a women’s course record of 6:48:54, but she was not a part of the Grand Prix.

Chequamegon

Chequamegon is the shortest race in the Grand Prix series at only about 40 miles. It’s a point-to-point race from Hayward to Cable, Wisconsin. The course largely follows the course of the American Birkenbeiner Nordic ski race, leading to high speed racing and sprint finishes. Those characteristics have led to a variety of winners, with Rollins and Alexey Vermeulen winning in 2025.

Little Sugar MTB

Little Sugar is a technical mountain bike race in and around Bentonville, Arkansas. Dozens of miles of technical singletrack rewards the best bike handlers who can flow through the tire piercing rocks. As Life Time’s newest race, Little Sugar made its Grand Prix debut in 2025, and the race was won by Jones and Villafane.

Big Sugar Gravel

One week after Little Sugar is the 100-mile Big Sugar Gravel that starts and finishes in Bentonville and takes in the punchy terrain of Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. The race serves as the finale to the Grand Prix, and the weather-shortened 2025 race was won by Villafane and Matt Beers.

Structure, Rules, and Programs

The exact number of athletes selected for the Life Time Grand Prix has changed from year to year, but this year will see 25 men and 25 women battling throughout the season. Currently, only 22 athletes from each gender have been selected, with the three remaining spots in each gender category picked via the wild card system.

Life Time introduced the wild card system last year. In the system, a pool of athletes competes in both Sea Otter and Unbound. After those two races, the top three men and women earn entry into the full series.

Scoring for the series overall uses a points system, with 1st place earning 30 points and each lower placing earning less and less points.

This year features a $350,000 overall prize purse to be awarded to the top 10 men and women after Big Sugar Gravel. In addition, a total of $240,000 is available from each event’s prize purse, with Unbound and Leadville being the most lucrative at $60,000 each.

Riders who finish outside of the top 10 overall, but who complete the entire season, will receive $2,500 in finisher compensation. This is a new program by Life Time to incentivize athletes to complete the full season, even if they aren’t in the top-10 money. In addition, all athletes receive free entry into all the Grand Prix races, free entry into all of Life Time’s additional athletic events, free Life Time club memberships, and media exposure.

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Big Sugar Gravel is a mandatory race for all athletes and serves as the series tie breaker if necessary. The rules also state that top finishers must attend the podium ceremonies and a minimum of three fan engagement opportunities.

Life Time does not allow athletes with a current doping ban into the series. The rule has not yet been tested to find out what happens if an athlete receives a ban while they are already selected and competing in the series. Athletes are also subject to random in-competition testing at all Grand Prix events.

Also new for this year is the ban on drop bars at Leadville. See Ryan MTB’s previous analysis on the new rule here. Life Time has also adopted a pregnancy policy starting this season, allowing pregnant athletes to defer their selection for one year.

Lastly, 2026 will be the second season of the Under-23 program for rising star athletes. It works similarly to the scoring of the regular field, and riders must apply to be a part of the program. After Sea Otter and Unbound, a roster of 10 men and 10 women athletes are selected to be scored throughout the rest of the series with their own U23 leaderboard. At the end of the series, the overall winner from both genders earns automatic selection into the full elite series the following year. The winning athletes from last season were Ruth Holcomb and Griffin Hoppin.

The Athletes

Women’s field

Morgan Aguirre - Aguirre counts a top-10 at Unbound and a top-3 overall in the Gravel Earth Series on her palmares. She is coming off a 7th-place at The Hills in Italy as she makes her Life Time Grand Prix debut at Sea Otter.

Lauren De Crescenzo - Creszenzo has won both The Rad Dirt Fest and Big Sugar in previous Grand Prix seasons. So far this year, she has finished 7th at The Mid South, a race she has also won.

Cecily Decker - Decker finished second overall in 2025 and never finished outside of the top-10 in any round. She finished 3rd at The Mid South last month.

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Maude Farrell - Farrell placed 11th overall in 2022 and 20th in the series the following year. Last year, she won the Lead Challenge—racing in all of the Leadville cycling and running events.

Sofia Gomez Villafane - By this point in the guide, you know that Villafane is the top dog. Her lead-in to the Grand Prix season includes three wins in the USA and in Europe.

Stella Hobbs - Hobbs’ top result last year was a second at Big Sugar. She owns a bike shop with her husband in Whitefish, Montana.

Ruth Holcomb - Holcomb won the U23 category last season. She is supported by Santa Cruz Bicycles this season.

Rosa Kloser - The 2024 Unbound Gravel winner, Kloser is committing to the full Grand Prix calendar this year. She is coming into the season after a Spring Classics campaign on the road, racing Paris Roubaix last weekend.

Sarah Lange - Hailing from New Hampshire, Lange has placed 10th in the Grand Prix the past two seasons so she will looking to further penetrate the top-10 rankings.

Emma Langley - Langley comes from a road racing background, and is a previous road national champion, but the American is fully committed to racing off-road this season with Ventum as a backer.

Cecile Lejeune - Lejeune impressed with a 5th at Unbound and a 5th overall in the series last season. The French-born Trek-Driftless racer now lives in Arizona.

Karolina Migon - Migon is an instant favorite for a top result in the Grand Prix after winning Unbound Gravel last year. Her abilities on the mountain bike are yet to be tested, however.

Paige Onweller - Onweller has been a top name ever since winning Big Sugar Gravel in 2022. She’s competed in the Grand Prix ever since, however 2025 was her lowest ranking to date.

Hannah Otto - A Leadville Trail 100 and Marathon World Cup winner, Otto is a steady presence on the Grand Prix and excels at the mountain bike discipline.

Hayley Preen - Preen is from South Africa and has competed in the Grand Prix since 2024. Earlier this year she won a UCI Gravel World Series race and placed 2nd at the Cape Epic.

Melisa Rollins - Rollins won Leadville in 2024 and has become a key contender on the off-road circuit. She broke her arm ahead of the Cape Epic and does not appear to be racing Sea Otter.

Ruby Ryan - Ryan is a Grand Prix rookie from New Zealand, where she recently won the Lake Hawea Epic.

Samara Sheppard - Sheppard is a 2x Grand Prix contender, and is a New Zealander who lives in Australia. In addition to racing, she is an executive member of the Oceania Cycling Commission.

Courtney Sherwell - The Aussie Sherwell made her Grand Prix debut last season and finished 7th overall.

Alexis Skarda - A mountain bike specialist, Skarda has competed in the Grand Prix since 2022 and never finished outside the top 5. This year she is riding Scott bikes after years sponsored by Santa Cruz.

Lauren Stephens - Stephens is a gravel specialist with a road background. She is the 2025 American gravel national champion, and just won the GC at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Sarah Sturm* - Sturm finished second overall in the inaugural Grand Prix. After selection for this year, Sturm announced her pregnancy, leading to the Grand Prix pregnancy policy. She will defer her entry to 2027, and a replacement rider will be selected via the wild card system.

Men’s field

Torbjorn Roed - A member of the Trek-Driftless squad, Roed has won Big Sugar and The Mid South.

Matt Beers - Beers is a multi-time Cape Epic winner in his native South Africa. He is known for his big engine, power, and mountain bike talents.

Zach Calton - Calton is no stranger to the Grand Prix, and he has even won Crusher in the Tushar in his home state of Utah. He’ll be looking to improve on a 10th-place finish overall in 2023.

Cobe Freeburn - Freeburn has a mountain bike background and is a rookie on the Grand Prix this season at the age of 24.

Griffin Hoppin - Hoppin won the U23 category last year and is making the big step up into the main field for 2026.

Brendan Johnston - This Aussie is a cancer survivor and longtime endurance cyclist. He rode across Australia in eight days back in January to start the year.

Cam Jones - The reigning Grand Prix champion, Jones will have a target on his back at every race, but his power and tactical wits make him an instant favorite. He recently set a new FKT on Moab’s White Rim Trail.

Andrew L’Esperance - L’Esperance is another veteran of the Grand Prix and a marathon mountain bike specialist.

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Bradyn Lange - Lange is a mountain biker turned off-road racer and won Chequamegon in 2022.

Payson McElveen - McElveen has suffered several injuries over the past few seasons but has still pulled out some good results. His Grand Prix performance was 2024 when he landed on the overall podium.

Simen Nordahl Svendsen - The Norwegian Svendsen is new to the Grand Prix but won the Gravel Earth Series in 2024. His mountain bike skills may be a weakness.

Kyan Olshove - Another rookie, Olshove impressed as a mid-field wild card last season and is well versed in Midwest mountain bike races like Chequamegon.

Cole Paton - Paton is a multi-time mountain bike national champion and a veteran of the series. This year he has even jumped back into some XCO racing.

Simon Pellaud - A Swissman living in Colombia, Pellaud placed second at Unbound and second overall last season.

Marc Pritzen - Pritzen also comes from the Cape Epic-influenced marathon scene in South Africa, and he is the current marathon national champion.

Andreas Seewald - A previous marathon world champion, Seewald brings a depth of experience to the Grand Prix fold.

Felix Stehli - Stehli partnered with Pritzen at the Cape Epic this year, where they won stage 3 of the race.

Anton Stensby - Norwegian Stensby has a road and gravel background, finishing fourth at Castellon Gravel this spring.

Jan Stockli - Another Euro rider, Stockli placed second at The Traka last year and races for the Tudor Pro Cycling Team.

Caleb Swartz - Hailing from Montana, Swartz finished second at the shortened Big Sugar last year.

Keegan Swenson - Swenson is coming off of a pelvis fracture, and Sea Otter will be his first test to see how his form stacks up after missing the Cape Epic this spring.

Alexey Vermeulen - Vermeulen has won several of the Grand Prix races, making him an all around contender at any race.

Where to watch

Life Time Grand Prix races are live streamed on the series YouTube channel. The Grand Prix and individual race social media accounts also post live updates. Stay tuned to Ryan MTB for additional news, analysis, and insights all season long.

Villafane and Onweller had formed a two rider breakaway when the vehicle almost hit the Specialized rider. The driver of the vehicle then corrected and almost hit Onweller on the other side of the course.

“One of the scarier moments of Mid South yesterday,” Villafane wrote on social media. “Not the first time I (or my fellow competitors) have just about collided with a media vehicle from their lack of course knowledge.At this point in time, it’s unacceptable that our safety keeps being compromised “for the shot.”

The two leaders slowed after the incident and rejoined the chasers, leading to a reduced bunch sprint to finish the race.

“This was terrifying as I watched him almost hit you then swerve to correct and then almost take me out as well,” Onweller wrote. “I appreciated your professionalism to just take a moment to gather ourselves even if it meant the group caught us again.”

Safety has been a common topic of discussion on the gravel circuit. Races almost always take place on open roads with uncontrolled intersections and traffic. As race organizers face pressure to broadcast their races, more vehicles end up on the course ferrying race officials and media crews.

It’s not just independent races like The Mid South that have safety issues. At Big Sugar Gravel last year, a shortened race led to a chaotic start with multiple vehicle close calls. At Leadville, John Gaston was taken out by a Life Time cameraman in a feed zone.

Men’s racers are also chiming in after the incident in the women’s race.

“This kind of stuff needs to stop,” wrote Keegan Swenson, who did not race at The Mid South as he recovers from a broken pelvis. “Dear gravel promoters, please make sure your side by side and motorcycle drivers know what they are doing.”

Payson McElveen, currently based in Spain, also did not race but posted on Instagram about the safety issue.

“My 2026 wish for U.S. off-road racing is that race vehicles (media, neutral roll out, etc.) get a direct re-evaluation,” he said. “Many of the drivers simply do not know how to maneuver around a bike race. Beyond the safety concern, the draft a SXS puts off is massive compared to a lead moto.”

McElveen posted an image from Big Sugar last fall with public vehicles driving against race traffic and several motos interspersed throughout the peloton.

Russell Finsterwald shared a video showing how close the lead vehicle was the the lead group in the men’s race, prviding a significant draft.

“The moto pacing that occurs in gravel races is starting to get a little out of hand,” he said. No fault to the riders here, lead vehicles need to do better and realize they’re helping determine the outcome of races.”

It does not appear that The Mid South has commented on the safety concerns as of Saturday afternoon.

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