Tobias Mørch Kongstad of Copenhagen won the elite men’s race at Big Sugar Gravel in 04:36:02 on Saturday, winning a nine-rider sprint after 102.1 miles of gravel racing in the Arkansas Ozarks. Kongstad is not competing in the overall Life Time Grand Prix series, leaving him free to race for the victory while series contenders marked each other in the battle for points.
Martins Blums finished second, less than one second behind, and Cole Paton was third. Cole Davis, Matthew Wilson and Drew Dillman completed the top six, all within two seconds of the winner.
In the elite women’s race, Stella Hobbs of Whitefish, Montana, won solo in 05:10:34. Sofia Gomez Villafañe won the sprint from the chasing group for second, 1 minute 44 seconds behind. Hayley Preen was third, 1 minute 45 seconds back. Kylee Hanel, the leading under-23 rider, finished fourth at 1 minute 47 seconds, ahead of Karolina Migon.
Big Sugar Gravel concluded the six-race Life Time Grand Prix series, with Villafañe and Keegan Swenson, who finished 24th on Saturday, reported as the overall series winners. Villafañe secured her fourth consecutive title, following victories in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Swenson, champion in 2022, 2023 and 2024, regained the men’s crown he lost last year, when Cameron Jones overtook him in the shortened Big Sugar finale and Swenson finished 11th.
In the open men’s race, 29-year-old Abraham Close of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, won in 05:03:04. Alex Hamilton finished second, 36 seconds behind, and 18-year-old Luke Finnan was third, 5 minutes 21 seconds back.
Claire Maurer, 28, of Portland, Maine, won the open women’s race in 05:38:25. Merrilee Thomas finished 1 minute 23 seconds behind, while Charlotte Lehmann took third, 9 minutes 59 seconds back.
View Big Sugar Gravel results HERE
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