Kongstad sprints to Big Sugar win as Villafañe and Swenson take series titles

Tobias Mørch Kongstad, of Copenhagen, won a nine-rider sprint at Big Sugar Gravel on Saturday, the final round of the Life Time Grand Prix, on the gravel roads of the Arkansas Ozarks outside Bentonville. Kongstad was not contesting the Grand Prix overall, so he could race flat out while the series contenders behind him raced for points. He crossed in 4:36:02, with Martins Blums and Cole Paton a wheel back, both timed within two seconds.

In the women's race, Stella Hobbs of Whitefish, Montana attacked alone from long range and held it to the finish in 5:10:33. Sofia Gomez Villafañe won the sprint for second, 1:43 back, with Hayley Preen third a second further behind her.

The overall series was the real story of the day. Villafañe's second place locked up her fourth straight Life Time Grand Prix women's title, following wins in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Keegan Swenson took the men's title back after losing it last year to Cameron Jones at a storm-shortened Big Sugar, where Swenson finished 11th. This time Swenson finished 24th in the race itself and still won the series on points, his fourth overall title after three straight from 2022 to 2024.

Big Sugar is close to a hundred miles of gravel and it does not get easier for being the last race of the year. Kongstad's win was decided in the final sprint. Villafañe and Swenson's titles were decided months earlier, somewhere back in the field.

Sources: Life Time Grand Prix; GranFondo Daily News; Cyclingnews.