Who can beat Keegan Swenson?
Life Time Grand Prix takeaways from Unbound Gravel
It was the year of the breakaway at Unbound Gravel. Two weeks on after Cam Jones’ and Karolina Migon's solo wins, post-race takes and analysis are well-trodden territory. What I’m interested in now is the Life Time Grand Prix overall standings situation.
Keegan Swneson was once again befuddled by Unbound, but he still leads the men’s overall competition. A stellar second-place performance by Cecily Decker means she is tied for the lead with incumbent leader Sofia Gomez Villafane.
Men’s field
Brendan Johnson’s ascent to second place in the overall standings, four points behind Swenson, is unsurprising in hindsight. The Aussie has a consistent engine and said that Unbound is the race that motivates him the most. My pre-race predictions weighted Vermeulen too heavily, but I’m happy to see Johnston in the second slot. However, he does have his work cut out for him at Leadville, where he finished 14th last year.
Cam Jones and Simon Pellaud have entered the conversation after earning wild card selection into the series. The Unbound podium performers are now both tied with Matt Beers for third place overall. I favor Beers for the next race at Leadville, but Jones will have a massive confidence boost, and Pellaud lives at altitude in Colombia.
Andrew L’Esperance and Matt Wilson also secured wild card slots into the top 10. Both are mountain bikers with gravel chops, so it will be intriguing to watch them at Leadville, Chequamegon, and Little Sugar. Wilson is tied for 10th with Bradyn Lange, another mountain biker who isn’t afraid to animate races.
In the time since my last LTGP update, Dylan Johnson broke his leg so could not contest Unbound. It’s unclear when he’ll come back, but he appears to be on the mend. Another injured rider was Payson McElveen, but it looks like he’s back to training and prepping for Leadville via the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder.
Women’s field
If anything, Cecily Decker proved her consistency and tenacity at Sea Otter and Unbound. Case in point, her Unbound performance was fought for despite botched hydration leading to some thirsty miles. I wouldn’t call her a favorite for the MTB events, but she’s certainly putting pressure on Gomez Villafane and now has a serious shot at the overall.
A fifth place for Cecile Lejeune puts her into third place overall. I would also consider her more of a gravel specialist, so it will be interesting to see how she does in the Grand Prix’s next three rounds which are all MTB races. Either way, it’s great to have a new rider mixing it up in the top 10.
Down in fourth place, there is another tie between Hayley Preen, Melisa Rollins, and Lauren De Crescenzo. As the 2024 Leadville winner, Rollins could easily shoot up the standings if she has another good ride. Preen has mountain bike experience (and recovered from a broken collarbone just weeks before Unbound) but I’m not sure how she performs at altitude. De Creescenzo is a self-professed gravel specialist who will be looking forward to Big Sugar at the end of the year.
Other riders to watch in the women’s field are Paige Onweller, Alexis Skarda, and Deanna Mayles. All three have experience in the Grand Prix and know how to string together full seasons. Skarda and Mayles are well-suited for Leadville, while Onweller has been open about being more of a gravel specialist.
The Grand Prix is on a couple month break before Leadville in August, but Ryan MTB plans to continue to cover the athletes and storylines that develop.