*In a dramatic turn of events at the Big Sugar Classic, Matt Beers dominated the shortened elite men's race, while Cameron Jones secured the overall Life Time Grand Prix title. * This year's race was far from ordinary, and the weather played a significant role in the day's outcome.
South Africa's Matt Beers, representing Specialized-Off road, showcased an impressive performance, leaving his competitors in the dust. He surged ahead of Matthew Wilson (Santa Cruz), who unfortunately suffered a mechanical issue in the final stretch. Beers crossed the finish line with a commanding lead of over three minutes.
Griffin Easter (Opicure Foundation) secured second place in Bentonville, Arkansas, narrowly edging out Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing), who finished third.
But here's where it gets controversial... The race organizers made a crucial decision just one and a half hours before the elite races began. Due to a 'hazardous weather outlook' issued by the National Weather Service, they decided to cut the original route in half. This meant the athletes would face a 53.9-mile course instead of the planned 100 miles.
Beers described the course as “very gnarly,” highlighting the challenging conditions. He shared with Cyclingnews, “I knew the pack at the back would just be insane. And I'm really good at this type of effort coming from the mountain bike, so I knew I just had to go full gas and just commit 100%.” He added, “I don't know what happened to Matt [Wilson]. I think he got maybe a punch or something. I don't know, but I just knew that was my time. I just had to put my head down, and I think I was going really well on the flat, so I knew I could keep it to the end.”
Meanwhile, Cameron Jones (Scott-Shimano) achieved a significant milestone, securing the overall men’s title in the Life Time Grand Prix with a fifth-place finish. He entered the final event trailing series leader Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz htSQD) by a single point. His strong performance in Bentonville allowed him to overtake the three-time champion, who finished eleventh. Jones stated, “Yeah, I knew what I had to do, keep an eye on Simon [Pellaud] and Keegan [Swenson] and Torbjørn [Røed].”
How did the race unfold?
The day started with a looming threat of storms across northwest Arkansas, with forecasts predicting 'large hail and damaging wind gusts' followed by up to two inches of steady rain. Life Time swiftly implemented a contingency plan, halving the original route. The revised course still included rough, dirt roads on the Missouri side of the counter-clockwise circuit.
The elite men kicked off the fifth edition of Big Sugar at 7:25 a.m. local time, followed by the elite women at 7:35 a.m. All fields began with a two-mile neutral start from Bentonville City Square.
The original route was designed to include more than 7,700 feet of elevation gain. The shortened course, while only covering 53.9 miles, still presented a tough challenge with its rugged terrain, loose gravel, and off-camber descents.
At stake was a share of a $30,000 single-race prize purse, as well as a share in a $200,000 Grand Prix prize purse for the invitation-only Grand Prix competitors. The top 10 women and men would earn series cash.
Stefano Barberi set the early pace for the 85 elite men's starters. Notable absences included Italy's Mattia De Marchi, who had competed at the UCI Gravel World Championships, and USA's Andy Lydic, who was recovering from a broken wrist.
Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz) entered the race as the Life Time Grand Prix leader, closely watched by contenders Simon Pellaud, Torbjørn Andre Røed, and Cameron Jones.
Early in the race, Michael Garrison faced a mechanical issue with his front tire.
Matt Beers of South Africa launched an attack, creating a gap with Matthew Wilson and Riley Amos. They established a two-minute lead in the first hour of racing.
After the single feed zone, Amos was dropped from the lead group, leaving Beers and Wilson to battle it out as thunder began to rumble in the distance.
In the final 10 miles, Beers made a decisive move, accelerating and riding solo to victory.
Elite Men - Top 10 Results:
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| ---- | ------------------ | --------- |
| 1 | Matt Beers | 2:12:52 |
| 2 | Griffin Easter | 2:16:33 |
| 3 | Riley Amos | 2:16:38 |
| 4 | Julien Gagné | 2:16:39 |
| 5 | Cameron Jones | 2:17:02 |
| 6 | Caleb Swartz | 2:17:02 |
| 7 | Kyan Olshove | 2:17:03 |
| 8 | Simon Pellaud | 2:17:03 |
| 9 | Torbjørn Andre Røed | 2:17:03 |
| 10 | Cole Paton | 2:17:03 |
And this is the part most people miss... The decision to shorten the race certainly impacted the strategies and physical demands on the athletes. Do you think the change affected the outcome? Did it make the race more exciting or less challenging? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
