Durango’s Riley Amos had an up-and-down first year racing in the men’s elite cross-country field in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, so he must’ve felt good to finish on the podium at Big Sugar Gravel on Oct. 18.
Amos was the top Durango finisher at one of the top events in the Life Time Grand Prix schedule and the final event of the 2025 Grand Prix schedule in Bentonville, Arkansas. Amos and the rest of the riders were thrown a curve ball because of the weather that might’ve favored Amos.
Instead of the usual 100-mile race, the men’s and women’s elite fields were forced to race 50 miles because of incoming weather. Cutting the race in half made it closer to the time Amos is used to racing in the World Cup. He used his strength and stamina to break away with the top three early in the men’s elite race. Amos eventually lost touch with eventual-winner Matthew Beers and Amos crossed the finish line in the rain in third.
“Hell of a week to finish off the season,” Amos wrote on Instagram. “I was seriously regretting my decision to race Big Sugar Classic waking up Saturday morning but I was quite literally jumping with joy when they reduced it to a 50 mile race … Hung on as long as I could, missed a bit of carbs after the only aid station and finally came off around mile 38. Got caught by a small chase group … and we made it to the finish together.”
Amos finished the 50-mile race in two hours, 16 minutes and 38 seconds. Beers crossed the finish line in first in 2:12:55 and Griffin Easter was second in 2:16:36.
Michaela Thompson also had a strong week in Bentonville. After finishing fifth in the elite women’s Little Sugar MTB race on Oct. 12, Thompson finished sixth in the elite women’s Big Sugar race.
It was somewhat of a recovery ride for Thompson. She wasn’t inside the top 10 at any of the first five splits, but she finished strong in a massive sprint for the podium and came up just short.
“I was asked after Big Sugar what I would say to myself after today’s race. I said, ‘I’m proud of you,”’ Thompson wrote on Instagram. “I really am. I’ve shared a bit on how this year has been, how hard and unknown it’s felt. The thought that has been stuck in the back of my mind this whole year is, am I cut out for this? Both Little and Big Sugar helped me prove to myself that I can do it. I can suffer. I can ride my dang bike.”
Thompson finished the elite women’s Big Sugar race in 2:36:37. Former Fort Lewis College cyclist Sofia Gomez Villafane won the race in 2:36:23. Lauren Stephens was second in 2:36:29, Stella Hobbs was third in 2:36:35, Alexis Skarda was fourth in 2:36:37 and Courtney Sherwell finished fifth in 2:36:37.
After finishing in the top 10 of the Life Time Grand Prix women’s standings in 2024, Thompson finished in 13th this season. At only 23-years-old, Thompson has a bright future in the Life Time Grand Prix, so it won’t be surprising to see her in the top 10 again.
Only a place and a second behind Thompson was Durango’s Sarah Sturm in seventh in 2:36:38. Sturm isn’t a part of the Life Time Grand Prix this season, but didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to race in a big gravel race after missing gravel nationals due to illness.
“I’m not going to lie, I was definitely disappointed in the final result in terms of the number,” Sturm said. “I was really motivated for the win, but I was not as strong as the winner.”
Sturm was looking forward to the 100-mile race as the distance suited her strengths more, but she understood that the race directors had to keep everybody safe. She enjoyed the rain and the technical aspects of the race that came with it. The conditions and the distance reminded Sturm of her cyclocross days with everyone going all out from the beginning of the race.
Unlike the elite men’s race, the elite women’s race had a big lead pack early on. Sturm wanted to be at the front of it so that she didn’t have to deal with the poor visibility from the spray of other riders’ tires.
Sturm knows she isn’t the best sprinter, so she wanted to do her damage on the climbs. She was as high as third late in the race, but she got caught in the same final sprint Thompson was involved with.
The 2026 Life Time Grand Prix will have a 55% increase in prize money, including $50,000 to each series winner. There will also be a professional finisher compensation of $2,500 to members of the Life Time Grand Prix who finish outside the top 10 of the standings.
Sturm said the increase in prize money is appealing, but she wasn’t sure if she’d apply for the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix. The gravel world championships will be in Australia next year at the same time as Big Sugar, which will factor into Sturm’s decision.
Part-time Durango resident Cole Paton finished 10th in the elite men’s Big Sugar race in 2:17:03. He was around the top 10 for most of the race and finished in a large sprint finish.
“Not the finale any of us expected at Big Sugar Classic, but I did enjoy the shortened course,” Paton wrote on Instagram. “It was hectic and full gas from the start. I tried to animate and play my cards right but just never could cause separation on this course.”
Paton also finished 10th in the Life Time Grand Prix elite men’s standings.
Maude Farrell finished 14th in the elite women’s race in 2:37:09.
“You always want more and I feel like the result doesn't feel like it reflects the effort,” Farrell said. “That's relatively common to feel that way. But the spread between first and like 15th was like a minute. So, you're on the precipice and now the margins are so small that the difference between third and 14th is tiny … It's not my proudest numerical finish, but I'm really proud of the race that I rode and the sensations.”
Farrell was aggressive early and led the pack early in the race. She knew she wanted to be in the action and control the race early. She went off the front and attacked a few times, but nothing stuck. It also didn’t help that Farrell missed a turn.
Like Sturm, Farrell hoped the race would be the original 100 miler. She thought her endurance would help her when other people would fade. At the same time, she’s an adaptable athlete and wasn’t stressing about the shorter distance or the weather.
Farrell wasn’t a part of the Life Time Grand Prix last season, but she plans on applying for next year. She complimented the organizers for listening to athletes and implementing separate starts, covered entry fees and bigger gaps between the professionals and the amateurs.
Cobe Freeburn finished 17th in the elite men’s race in 2:17:04. Only a second behind him was Payson McElveen in 22nd. McElveen finished 11th in the Life Time Grand Prix men’s standings after missing time early in the season with a broken hip.
Former FLC cyclist Natalie Quinn finished 22nd in the elite women’s race in 2:41:51 and Ellen Campbell finished 27th in 2:48:46; Campbell finished 19th in the women’s standings.
Henry Nelson finished 41st in the elite men’s race in 2:20:15. FLC’s Isaac Allred finished 71st in 2:31:17, Ryan Standish finished 90th in 2:54:24 and Cody Cupp finished 91st in 2:54:24.
Bailey Cioppa, Ruby Ryan and Ruth Holcomb did not finish the elite women’s race. Luckily for Holcomb, she already wrapped up the U-23 women’s Life Time Grand Prix title and she’ll be part of the elite Life Time Grand Prix in 2026.
The 2026 Life Time Grand Prix will begin on April 16 with the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
