Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM) is on the verge of securing a 3rd general title within the Life Time Grand Prix offered by Mazda off-road sequence, which he can seal with a victory Saturday at The Rad Filth Fest in Trinidad, Colorado. However there are 113 miles throughout 10,613 toes 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 Large Sugar Gravel.
“It is my first time in Trinidad. It is type of the same vibe to Steamboat [SBT GRVL], however extra turns and fewer lengthy straightaways, with some punchier climbs close to the tip. It is a good change from the Midwest gravel we have finished the final bit,” the three-time SBT GRVL winner mentioned after a pre-ride on the course Thursday.
“I feel the race will blow up a good bit. It is likely to be an enormous group for the primary half, then I feel it’ll 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 could possibly 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 Staff USA for the UCI Street World Championships and headed to Australia, the place he was the second-best positioned US males’s rider within the highway 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 Filth Fest, he nonetheless gained 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 when it comes to the calendar. It has been enjoyable to have a pair new occasions, Valley of Tears was a terrific race. Leadville was good. It was enjoyable to return there and defend that title, attempt to go quick,” he mentioned with a small snicker. “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 Large Sugar.”
Whereas Swenson dominated the vast majority 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 mentioned he’d attempt to watch the published of the race, having declined a wildcard invitation to make the trek to Belgium between Grand Prix occasions.
“I have never appeared in the beginning record. I do know there is a handful of WorldTour guys racing and a bunch of the gravel guys. If it is accessible within the US I will try to watch it, see the way it performs out. It seems very comparable [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 several types 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 closing occasion for a $30,000 first-place verify, the winner’s share in a $300,000 prize purse, cut up evenly amongst women and men. However earlier than then, McElveen is among the high contenders who needs a win at The Rad too.
“Technically, Keegan does not have it locked up, which is why he has to go to Trinidad. There’s 20 guys who may nonetheless end within the high 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 fascinating. 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 a terrific spot to complete second general, however must play some protection.”
The Rad Filth Fest will separate elite fields by 5 minutes in the beginning 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 a whole lot of pedaling, there’s not a whole lot of sitting in even on the descending. So I feel pure energy and with the ability to climb nicely goes to be essential. Moreover, the course is at altitude; it is a bit sneaky. So athletes must deal with altitude fairly nicely and tempo their efforts accordingly,” Onweller mentioned concerning the course.
“Moreover, that is the primary 12 months that now we have had a separate girls’s begin on the Rad, final 12 months was combined. And so I do really feel like we may have bigger teams of ladies up till essential factors, with a mixture for the race to be extra dynamic.”
There isn’t any reside streaming, however race protection shall be offered on Life Time Grand Prix social channels.
