Brilliant attacks deliver commanding wins at Life Time Chequamegon as overall series battles intensify
CABLE, Wisconsin (September 13, 2025) – The 2025 Life Time Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival delivered drama as solo victors Melisa Rollins and Alexey Vermeulen produced incredible attacks to claim victory in Cable.
Rollins made the earliest break of the day shortly after mile 23. She pulled away from an elite group of four riders after the tough Firetower climb and continued to press home her advantage all the way into Cable, where she crossed the line with a 4:32 winning cushion, repeating her 2021 success.
“We were a pretty big group coming through the first feed zone and I tried to stay patient,” Rollins explained. “The race blew up at mile 25 on the Firetower climb and I was feeling really good. I got a little gap over the top of it but wasn’t able to hold it. I got caught by three riders and then went again shortly after and knew that I was holding my momentum really well, and managed to hold them off until the finish.”
Behind her, series leader Cecily Decker battled with Alexis Skarda and defending champion Sofía Gómez Villafañe for second place. Villafañe produced an explosive late sprint to take second as Skarda took third, narrowly beating out Decker for the final podium spot.
Vermeulen’s Decisive Move
In the men’s race, Vermeulen left it until the closing stages to make his decisive move with about three miles to go. He left a pack of 14 riders behind to take his third victory at Chequamegon, this time by eight seconds.
“I started trying to make my moves with around seven miles to go,” Vermeulen said. “I could see the group was splintering, and guys were chasing to regain contact, and I knew the rubber band would eventually snap and gaps would start to open up. So I just bided my time.”
The fight for the runners-up spot was hotly contested, with Kyan Olshove proving the fastest finisher. Brendan Johnston outsprinted Torbjørn Andre Røed for third place.
“I could tell that anybody who got on my wheel wasn’t willing to work, and it was still quite a long way to the finish,” Vermeulen explained. “I didn’t think anybody could go solo initially, but in the end I just trusted myself, saw the gap happen, and just committed. Once you commit you just have to believe in yourself because if it comes back, they’re going to beat you in the sprint.”
Series Standings Shake-Up
The results dramatically reshaped the overall standings. Rollins has closed the gap on both Villafañe and Decker at the top of the women’s competition, now trailing Villafañe by just 10 points in third position. Villafañe leapfrogged Decker back into first place, opening up a two-point lead.
Vermeulen’s triumph saw him rise from seventh to fourth place overall. The men’s standings are now incredibly tight, with Keegan Swenson’s advantage cut to just one point following his 12th-placed finish. Simon Pellaud holds second place overall after finishing seventh, while Røed is now just one point behind Pellaud in third. Only two points separate Swenson, Pellaud and Røed at the top of the men’s series.
“Chequamegon has been my big focus since Leadville so I haven’t really thought about Little and Big Sugar yet,” Rollins said. “I like to take things race by race but I know I want to show up at those two races the best I can and I’m excited to be part of the fight for the overall win. It’s going to be a really close and tough battle for the top spot.”
With such narrow margins, the final two races in northwest Arkansas promise a fierce battle for the Series crown.
Results
Women
-
- Melisa Rollins 2:14:05
- Sofía Gómez Villafañe 2:18:39
- Alexis Skarda 2:18:40
- Cecily Decker 2:18:40
- Erin Osborne 2:20:28
Men
-
- Alexey Vermeulen 1:56:35
- Kyan Olshove 1:56:43
- Brendan Johnston 1:56:43
- Torbjørn Andre Røed 1:56:44
- Cobe Freeburn 1:56:44
