LTGP Fuego XL Recap
The opening round of the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda (LTGP) launched Friday with the 66-mile Fuego XL MTB race. Now in its third year and with an expanded prize list of $300,000 split equally amongst Men and Women riders, the LTGP pits sixty of the world’s best athletes against each other and against the backdrop of seven of the most iconic courses in the U.S. Last year’s overall winners, Keegan Swenson and Sofia Gómez Villafañe return in 2024, seeking to defend their titles. New for this year in the series is a slightly narrowed field, with separate start times for men and women across all events, and a revamped points system.
Course Conditions
Conditions for this year’s Fuego XL opener, held in and around the Laguna Seca Raceway, were close to ideal. Low initial temps, combined with a tacky and fast track, were sure to produce fast times and the riders did not disappoint with the first seven finishers in the men’s field and the entire top-ten of the women’s field eclipsing the winning times of their respective categories from 2023.
Men’s Elite
In the men’s field, all eyes were on 2x defending champion Keegan Swenson who commanded many of the events last year. Those with the champ in their sights included South African Champ Matt Beers and Howard Grotts (fresh off a win in the Absa Cape Epic), last year’s LTGP runner-up Alexey Vermeulen, and LTGP rookie Petr Vakoč (2nd at Unbound Gravel in 2023). Also included in the mix were athletes not in the LTGP, but seeking to make their mark on individual events like Taylor Lideen and Cameron Jones.
After call-ups for last year’s top-5 athletes (as well as California local, Alex Wild who was 5th at Fuego last year), the men’s field rocketed away towards the long first climb that leads to the infamous Corkscrew of the Laguna Seca racetrack. A new entrance to the singletrack saw Swenson leading Vermeulen and the entire pack of what quickly whittled down to just 12+ riders. With this section of the course being critical (a tight and twisty sector with loose conditions providing no chance to pass or make up for a blown corner), it was clear that Vermeulen was banking on his MTB upbringing to ensure a smooth start to the day, but Swenson seemed to want to control the narrative.
Race Favorite Out Of Contention
While the singletrack was hero dirt in places, the upper ridgelines and fast, double track featured extended sections of soft, loose sand. Leaving room to the rider in front would help with visibility, but could easily bite if the dust obscured any easily hidden rocks or ruts. Russell Finsterwald, 2nd the previous year, later suffered a large slice across the tread of his tire at an inopportune time, removing him from contention.
Barely 15 minutes into the race, the lead pack had taken shape with the aforementioned Swenson and Vermeulen, Beers, Vakoč, Brendan Johnston, Bradyn Lange, Payson McElveen and others. Over the next two hours, Beers and Johnston would lead the charge of this group, with Swenson and Vermeulen keeping a close eye on every move, expending energy at key points to position themselves for the singletrack. Elsewhere, Finn Gullickson, Bradyn Lange, Sean Fincham, Toby Roed, Marcis Shelton among others constantly fighting to make contact, Howard Grotts managed to close a sizable gap on the climb after the first feed to make the front group of a dozen favorites. 
RATCHETING UP THE PRESSURE
The start of the second lap saw a strung out paceline with Swenson riding second wheel in defense of his title and while the group swelled slightly early on in the second lap, it was about to be torn apart. With roughly ten miles to go, Swenson applied pressure and whittled the front group down to the trio of himself, Vermeulen, and Beers. But even that trio wouldn’t stay together as Keegan distanced himself on the last descent before the final singletrack climb to Lookout Ridge. Beers was gapped and despite a huge effort to close the margin, he was ultimately overhauled as Vermeulen countered clawing out a 20 second advantage to Beers, but Swenson had flown. They would finish in that order, although the closing miles saw a furious chase by Cole Paton and Brendan Johnston to round out the top-5.
Race Notes
Like Finsterwald, Bradyn Lange suffered a massive sidewall tear that required two car-sized tire plugs to repair, but managed to cling to a top-20 spot and the 16th place LTGP points. And showing the promise of the future generation, two young riders held their own in the front group for much of the day: Marcis Shelton, 20, of Mill Valley, CA and first-year LTGP rider Finn Gullickson out of Boulder, CO.
Women’s Elite
In the women’s race, despite reveling in the separate start – a feature at every LTGP event this year, there was a feeling of familiarity in the air…namely who was going to dethrone the defending champ…Sofia Gómez Villafañe? Strong riders like Hannah Otto, Haley Smith, Alexis Skarda, and even Villafañe’s teammate at the Absa Cape Epic, Samara Sheppard, all stood ready to try and wrest the crown and LTGP series points away from Villafañe.
From the start, Villafañe sought to stamp her authority on the race by attacking in an effort to be first to the singletrack. The result was more than anyone bargained for including Gomez-Villafañe herself, with a substantial gap of over two minutes to the chasing groups of Alexis Skarda, Hannah Otto, Jenna Rinehart, Samara Sheppard, Erin Huck, and Haley Smith. Eventually, from the chaos of the initial effort, a chasing group formed behind the defending champ with Sheppard, Otto, and Smith taking turns to try and reel in Villafañe.
Near the end of the first lap, it would be Skarda, the reigning U.S. National Marathon MTB champion that would throw down the gauntlet and bridge a near 2 ½ minute gap to Villafañe, joining her just before the climb to Lookout Ridge. The two would roll through the start/finish, trying to keep the four chasers of Sheppard, Otto, Smith, and Huck at bay, while a second group would ebb and flow with riders like Sarah Sturm trying to bring things back together.
Save It For The Second Lap
As befitting a long, tough day in the saddle, the second lap would be pivotal, and this is where the defending champ would make her race winning move. Skarda, showing the effects of her massive bridging effort, began to come off the wheel of Villafañe and while the chasing group led by Sheppard was making inroads on Skarda, they weren’t going to catch Villafañe, who had opened a race-winning gap. She would go on to win by close to four minutes, but not over her companion for much of the second lap, Skarda. Rather it would be her Cape Epic teammate (and first-year LTGP rider) Samara Sheppard that claimed the second step on the podium.
Finishing closely behind her was Hannah Otto, moving up significantly from her 9th place finish last year to 3rd this year, and LTGP overall winner, Haley Smith in 4th. Skarda, who had staked it all on her epic bridge to Villafañe, faded to 5th.
Also in the top-ten and new to the LTGP were Erin Huck in 7th and South African Hayley Preen in 9th.
The Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda now moves to the second stop in the series, Unbound Gravel in Emporia, Kansas in early June. Between now and then riders will have the chance to retool and think about how best to topple Villafañe and Swenson, both of whom have dominated in either MTB or gravel disciplines. With everything from a 200 mile Unbound Gravel to the high altitude crusher or Leadville 100 on the horizon, will someone from the LTGP roster challenge them, or will it be someone that keys on a day of glory outside of the series? Tune in and follow along to find out!
The @lifetimegrandprix YouTube Channel is home to all things LTGP. Be sure to subscribe and check out the last two seasons of “Call of a Life Time” and new for 2024 – extended race coverage immediately following each race weekend.
The first show drops Sunday, April 21 – Stay tuned!
