When the blast off begins in early April for a fourth version of the Life Time Grand Prix, this time on the new Life Time Sea Otter Traditional Gravel, a brand new era of off-road racers will steal a part of the highlight. Cyclists between the ages of 18 to 22 can’t solely gauge their skills in opposition to star-studded fields in a number of the greatest US off-road races, however they’ll additionally declare two spots within the Life Time Grand Prix for 2026.
The preliminary software course of was launched final December for the Life Time Grand Prix U23 Development Program. This week, organisers introduced main modifications, together with a revised choice course of and an extension for girls’s registrations, now open by way of February 28.
Slightly than announce choices for ladies and men every week later, Life Time, the homeowners and operators of the Grand Prix collection, will now give candidates “the chance to race their method into this system”, utilizing factors earned at Sea Otter Gravel and Unbound Gravel.
U23 Program members should compete in both the 90-mile Sea Otter Traditional Gravel race on April 10 in Monterey, California or Unbound Gravel 100 on Could 31 in Emporia, Kansas, then a last choice for collection contenders will probably be made primarily based on the outcomes from these two races.
After Unbound Gravel, 20 males and 20 ladies will probably be chosen for the U23 Program. There’s a separate leaderboard all through the season for the U23 Program contestants, with 4 begins required throughout the six races within the Life Time Grand Prix. Factors are distributed primarily based on finishes for women and men at every occasion, and the perfect factors from 4 out of six occasions will settle the leaders on the finish of the calendar, Large Sugar Gravel on October 18 in Arkansas.
A caveat to the competitors is that an under-23 rider may also compete for one of many six wildcard spots for this yr’s collection, which might imply a prime end in Unbound 200 fairly than the 100-mile race. If she or he earns and accepts a wildcard spot, then that rider could be faraway from the U23 Program for the remainder of the yr.
In accordance with Life Time, the variety of accepted purposes on supply for males have been stuffed by the primary deadline, January 31. Functions stay open for girls, the website stating, “on account of not the entire ladies’s spots but being stuffed we’re leaving it open to ladies solely by way of 2/28/25. The boys’s roster is full and closed presently.”
Juniors
How a couple of junior rider below the age of 18? Is there a method for youngsters to achieve expertise at large races and never wait one other yr? The USA Cycling Junior Gravel National Series fills that hole with their new collection.
Any junior between the ages of 15 to 18 can participate on this new collection, which incorporates the 60-mile race at Sea Otter Traditional Gravel in Monterey and Unbound Gravel 50 in Emporia. A five-race collection launches quickly, starting March 8 at Valley of Tears in Turkey, Texas.
“Junior registration has been very sturdy on the Valley of Tears Gravel race, the primary cease on the USA Biking Junior Gravel Race Sequence for 2025. We’re devoted to preserving registration open for juniors till the day earlier than the race,” Christian Pretty, race director for each Valley of Tears and SBT GRVL, informed Cyclingnews.
“We predict this 49-mile occasion is an ideal technique to kick off the season. Valley of Tears Gravel is our household’s method of giving again to the Texas biking group, and particularly the junior group that all of us have been a part of once we have been youthful.”
The Texas race is principally gravel by way of the huge terrain that features Caprock Canyons State Park, the medium route utilized by juniors comprising the primary half of the lengthy course utilized by the elite riders the identical day.
SBT GRVL serves because the fourth cease of the collection, the juniors driving 80 miles, two laps of the brand new course on June 29. The ultimate occasion will probably be on the US Gravel Nationwide Championships, September 20, in La Crescent, Minnesota.
