Keegan Swenson predicts fast, tactical Sea Otter Classic gravel race
Life Time Grand Prix racers speak at pre-Sea Otter press conference
The Life Time Grand Prix begins its 2025 season tomorrow with a 90-mile gravel race at the Sea Otter Classic in California. The course will feature similar terrain to the mountain bike course that the Grand Prix has raced in past seasons but will obviously spend more time on the gravel roads of Fort Ord National Monument.
Speaking last week, 3x series champion Keegan Swenson said that he expects a fast and tactical race.
“I think the terrain of this year’s race is similar to the Fuego XL in the past,” Swenson said. “The final lookout climb is somewhat the same, which has always been the decisive moment of the Fuego XL. I expect it'll be a little bit more tactical and faster than last year but I think it will race a similar way.”
Swenson most recently competed in the Cape Epic stage race in March, where he was considered a favorite for the win along with teammate Matt Beers, but the duo struggled to match expectations and finished 12th on GC.
Still, Beers added that the experience was good preparation for the Grand Prix.
"We’ve just come out of summer here in South Africa so I’ve been able to get a lot of training done,” Beers said. “Riding Cape Epic last month with Keegan was great motivation and it always gives you really good racing legs doing eight days of super high intensity.
“I think the new course will be really fun, and the three-lap format is cool. As the course is quite short, the racing will be full gas from the start but I think my preparation will mean I'm set up well for a hard day out."
Melisa Rollins—Leadville winner and 2nd place overall finisher in 2024—had her Sea Otter prep interrupted by injury.
"My preparation for this season hasn’t been the best so far as I broke both of my wrists racing in Australia last month,” Rollins said. “I haven’t dealt with this type of setback before, so it has been one of the biggest challenges as an athlete. I’ve made some set-up changes and have been able to continue to train, so I feel ready to start the season.
“Sofía (Gómez Villafañe) started her season really strongly, and she races very well at Sea Otter so I think she’ll be one to watch next week. I'm expecting the race to play out in a similar way to the Fuego XL, so it will be really important to play my cards right on the final climb."
A new rider in the Grand Prix is Annabel Fisher, a British rider who lives in Switzerland. She also competes as a professional Nordic skier and finished second at the 114 GRavel Race in Portugal two weeks ago, part of the UCI Gravel World Series.
“My debut in the Life Time Grand Prix is going to be a bit of a shock to the system, but I'm really excited to do it,” she said. “Physically, I’m ready, but I’m going in at the top of the sport with Life Time and haven’t raced at Sea Otter before, so it’ll be a fun learning curve but I’m ready for the challenge."
Check out Cycling Weekly for my in-depth Life Time Grand Prix preview for 2025. The Sea Otter gravel race begins Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Watch for live updates on the Life Time Grand Prix Instagram account, and check back here on Ryan MTB for further stories from the event.