Cameron Jones (Scott Sports activities USA-RCC) set a brand new quickest identified time, FKT, on The White Rim path in Utah on Tuesday, knocking 4 minutes, 54 seconds off the earlier file held by Keegan Swenson (Specialised Off-road) since 2021.
The clocked stopped at 5:23:27 for Jones on the unsupported FKT journey recorded on Strava and confirmed by Scott Sports activities USA.
„It is about 5 minutes of it [the record]? It is a laborious factor to race round. The bike was so good,“ Jones stated to the Scott Sports activities USA videographer on the end.
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The 100-mile (160.70km) problem with 7,414 toes (2,260 metres) of elevation acquire is about throughout distant desert terrain outdoors Moab, Utah, with a lot of the route passing by Canyonlands Nationwide Park. For an FKT, whether or not unsupported or supported, riders proceed in a counter-clockwise path, the beginning the place Mineral Backside Street intersects with Island within the Sky Street.
Skies had been clear for Jones‘ try however the wind grew to become a difficulty. A headwind within the first half of the loop noticed him trailing Swenson’s file by virtually 4 minutes on the half-way level.
„It was fairly windy in my journey. I had timing written down on my high tube deal with. On the timing break up, I knew what time Keegan obtained previous that distance at, and so I may maintain observe of how I used to be progressing. And on the midway level, I used to be 4 minutes behind, even after pushing fairly laborious,“ he advised Cyclingnews on Thursday.
„However I knew I needed to kind of keep optimistic that if I used to be placing up with the headwind early, then it will then flip right into a tailwind finally. So yeah, it was fairly a psychological recreation as properly, staying constructive and optimistic that it will work out in the long run.“
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Previous to the try, Jones accomplished one-hour acclimation rides on every finish of the jeep observe, checking the terrain in addition to the surroundings. He stated the most effective recon he did was a name made to ladies’s FKT file holder Hannah Otto, who lives in Utah and likewise a fellow Scott Sports activities athlete. Each compete within the Life Time Grand Prix.
„The night time earlier than I made a telephone name to Hannah Otto, who’s one other Scott athlete. She gave a heads up on a bit at in regards to the half-way level that was further technical, and a few further care ought to be taken. In order that was worthwhile info,“ he famous.
„It was a number of line alternative sections the place there was kind of rock cabinets and gullies the place you possibly can fall into in the event you went the mistaken means.“
What to learn subsequent
He used a full suspension Scott Spark RC body fitted with drop bars in addition to Trade 9 wheels and Schwalbe tyres. Particulars on the bike examine will comply with within the coming days from Jones on social media.
Jones grew to become a family title in racing final yr when he used the victory at Unbound Gravel 200 to ignite his marketing campaign within the Life Time Grand Prix and safe the general title in October. He unseated three-time sequence winner Swenson within the course of.
He began this yr by profitable the first-ever Oceania Gravel Championship for elite males, overcoming a puncture and a quick subject to go second at RADL GRVL, which was gained by Frenchman Romain Bardet (RCC). After going second in a three-rider dash at The Mid South in Oklahoma, he traveled to Utah for the FKT.
The route is open for leisure cyclists and most excursions are taken for bikepacking journeys, which take three to 4 days to finish on a mountain bike.
„It is fairly a preferred loop for folks to do, simply as an journey journey with households. There have been plenty of household teams on the market driving it once I did it.“
US rider Otto accomplished the loop in 6:37:44 final yr. She took simply over quarter-hour off the earlier ladies’s mark, which had been held for 4 years by Grand Prix athlete Alexis Skarda.
The White Rim file gave Otto a trifecta in FKT achievements for western US trails – the 55-mile Complete Enchilada in 2022, 140-mile Kokopelli in 2024, adopted by the 100-mile White Rim. All three are thought of checks for mountain bike abilities and endurance.
„I’ve obtained a number of issues I wish to do sooner or later, in all probability not this yr, like spending a while within the space. There’s the opposite two [FKT routes] close to Moab, the Kokopelli and the Complete Enchilada, however no actual plans in the intervening time,“ Jones admitted.
„My subsequent race is Sea Otter in two weeks. As one of many Life Time races, it is tremendous vital to carry out properly. It is one of many extra technical gravel races, so my mountain bike background helps there. I feel having been in New Zealand over the summer season is a bonus, so I ought to be in good type.“
The 2026 Life Time Grand Prix sequence begins at Sea Otter Traditional, with the 90-mile professional gravel races held on Thursday, April 16 in Monterey, California.
