The fifth season of the Life Time Grand Prix has arrived, blooming with opportunities as the series has found consistency and credibility, making it the most prominent off-road series on the planet.
There are only six races, all in the US, and a limited invitation-only field, which has produced few deviations from pre-season predictions in the past. However, the stakes are higher now with the highest-ever prize purse, $590,000 for series and individual races, and a more diverse field, making the forecast all the more intriguing.
Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized Off-road) has won the last three series titles, with Haley Smith (Factor Racing Team) the only other elite woman finishing at the top of the leaderboard in four years. Three times Keegan Swenson (now Specialized Off-road) dominated the men’s standings, until last year when Cameron Jones (Scott Sports USA-RCC) reigned supreme.
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Among the new faces for women are past winners of Unbound Gravel 200 – Rosa Klöser of Germany and Karolina Migoń of Poland. On the men’s side are 2024 Gravel Earth Series winner Simen Nordahl Svendsen of Norway and The Traka 360 runner-up Jan Stöckli of Switzerland.
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