An international roster spanning 11 countries will vie for nearly $600,000 in prize money at the Life Time Grand Prix
The 2026 Life Time Grand Prix roster reads like a passport control checkpoint at an international airport. Eleven countries. Five continents. All converging on America’s dusty gravel roads for what promises to be the most competitive season yet of the nation’s premier off-road cycling series.
When the dust settles after six races spanning from May through October, one rider will walk away with a significant chunk of the record $590,000 prize purse. But getting there means surviving everything from the high-altitude punishment of Colorado’s SBT GRVL to the brutal heat and endless horizons of Kansas at UNBOUND Gravel.
This year’s international invasion is unprecedented. Nearly half the field—19 of 44 riders—hails from outside the United States, representing everywhere from Argentina to South Africa, Norway to New Zealand. The series drew applications from an astounding 24 countries, a testament to gravel racing’s exploding global appeal.
The Women to Watch
On the women’s side, all eyes will be on defending series champion Sofía Gómez Villafañe, the Argentine powerhouse chasing her fourth consecutive Grand Prix title. But she’ll face her toughest field yet.
Polish gravel ace Karolina Migoń enters as the reigning UNBOUND Gravel 200 champion and back-to-back winner of The Traka 360, one of Europe’s most punishing gravel events. Germany’s Rosa Klöser also conquered UNBOUND in 2024 and racked up eight victories in 2025 alone.
The field includes seven Grand Prix rookies, among them 22-year-old Ruth Holcomb, who dominated the U23 competition in 2025 and earned her spot in the big show. Veterans like Lauren Stephens, 39, and Paige Onweller, 36, bring decades of combined racing experience to a roster that spans continents and generations.
2026 Women’s Field:
Morgan Aguirre, 32, USA
Lauren De Crescenzo, 35, USA
Cecily Decker, 27, USA
Maude Farrell, 34, USA
Sofía Gómez Villafañe, 31, Argentina
Stella Hobbs, 32, USA
Ruth Holcomb, 22, USA
Rosa Klöser, 29, Germany
Sarah Lange, 34, USA
Emma Langley, 30, USA
Cecile Lejeune, 27, France
Karolina Migoń, 29, Poland
Paige Onweller, 36, USA
Hannah Otto, 30, USA
Hayley Preen, 27, South Africa
Melisa Rollins, 30, USA
Ruby Ryan, 24, USA
Samara Sheppard, 35, New Zealand
Courtney Sherwell, 37, Australia
Alexis Skarda, 36, USA
Lauren Stephens, 39, USA
Sarah Sturm, 36, USA
International Men’s Field Stacked with Talent
The men’s competition brings back defending champion Cameron Jones of New Zealand and three-time winner Keegan Swenson, but they’ll face serious challenges from a globally diverse field.
Germany’s Andreas Seewald, the reigning European Mountain Bike Champion, makes his series debut alongside Norway’s Simen Nordahl Svendsen, who claimed the 2024 Gravel Earth Series title. Switzerland’s Jan Stöckli, runner-up at this year’s Traka 360, adds to a European contingent that includes three Norwegian riders and three from Switzerland.
South Africa sends two riders, including Matthew Beers and Marc Pritzen, while Australia’s Brendan Johnston and Canada’s Andrew L’Esperance ensure the Commonwealth is well represented.
Griffin Hoppin, just 22, earned his spot by winning the inaugural U23 program in 2025—proof that Life Time’s development initiative is already paying dividends.
2026 Men’s Field:
Matthew Beers, 31, South Africa
Zach Calton, 28, USA
Cobe Freeburn, 24, USA
Griffin Hoppin, 22, USA
Brendan Johnston, 34, Australia
Cameron Jones, 25, New Zealand
Andrew L’Esperance, 34, Canada
Bradyn Lange, 26, USA
Payson McElveen, 32, USA
Simen Nordahl Svendsen, 26, Norway
Kyan Olshove, 23, USA
Cole Paton, 28, USA
Simon Pellaud, 33, Switzerland
Marc Pritzen, 26, South Africa
Torbjørn Røed, 28, Norway
Andreas Seewald, 34, Germany
Felix Stehli, 25, Switzerland
Anton Stensby, 24, Norway
Jan Stöckli, 26, Switzerland
Caleb Swartz, 26, USA
Keegan Swenson, 31, USA
Alexey Vermeulen, 31, USA
The Wild Card Gambit
The series maintains its Wild Card program, offering one final shot at glory for riders who didn’t make the initial cut. Athletes who applied for the series can earn their way in by competing at both Sea Otter Classic Gravel and UNBOUND Gravel 200, with the top three finishers in each category joining the field.
It’s a high-stakes qualifier that adds drama before the official series even begins, turning April and May into must-watch racing.
Growing the Sport
Michelle Duffy Smith, Vice President of Marketing for Life Time and Executive Director of the Grand Prix, sees the international roster as validation of the series’ meteoric rise.
“The 2025 season was incredibly competitive, but 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger,” she said. “This roster takes the series to another level. It’s been exciting to watch this community grow globally.”
That growth comes with expanded live coverage and increased support for athletes, alongside the massive prize purse that makes the Grand Prix one of the richest events in gravel racing.
The U23 program returns for 2026, with overall winners automatically qualifying for the 2027 series—a clear pathway for the next generation of gravel stars.
When the season kicks off in May, the start line at UNBOUND Gravel will showcase what gravel racing has become: a truly global phenomenon, where riders from Polish villages and Argentine cities, Norwegian fjords and South African highlands, all chase the same dream across America’s endless gravel roads.
For more information, visit lifetimegrandprix.com or follow @LifeTimeGrandPrix on Instagram and YouTube.
