Former Fort Lewis College cyclist Sofia Gomez Villafane and Keegan Swenson both won the third stop of the Life Time Grand Prix on Saturday in Beaver, Utah, the Crusher in the Tushar.
Villafane won the women’s title in 4 hours, 49 minutes and 43 seconds while Swenson won the men’s race in 3:56:42.
The wins were each riders third of the Grand Prix season, helping them extend their lead in the series’ overall standings.
Sarah Sturm finished sixth on the 69.9-mile course in 5:01:33 to hold on to second place in the overall standings where she trails Villafane 105-97.
Ellen Campbell finished 17th in 5:12:59 and is now fifth in the series standings.
Swenson won the men’s race by almost six minutes, with Peter Stetina taking second and Matthew Beers crossing third.
Cole Paton led the Durango contingent, finishing fifth in Utah in 4:07:51 and is also fifth in the series standings.
Payson McElveen finished 12th (4:12:07) in his first Grand Prix of the season. Howard Grotts finished 20th (4:15:36) and was ninth overall after the race.
Cody Cupp finished 47th (4:36:18), Sam Hart placed 52nd in 4:38:30 and Sam Brown placed 53rd out 553 men in 4:41:28.
The series will come to Colorado for its next race, the Leadville Trail 100 MTB on Aug. 12. The fifth stop will be the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival in Wisconsin on Sept. 16. The Grand Prix will then return to Colorado for this year’s wild card event, the Rad Dirt Fest, on Sept. 30.
It will then conclude with the Big Sugar Gravel Oct. 21 in Bentonville, Arkansas.