Now that the primary two races of the Life Time Grand Prix collection have been run and gained the wildcard competitors has been determined, with seven new riders becoming a member of the roster for 2026.
The three males and 4 girls – because of the withdrawal of a pregnant Sarah Sturm – to earn the ultimate spots obtainable on this yr’s collection are a mixture of riders from the US and past, with the performances throughout Sea Otter Traditional Gravel and Unbound Gravel the deciding issue.
The highest wildcard qualifiers have been skilled British gravel rider Danni Shrosbree (RCC) – who got here twenty ninth at Sea Otter and a robust ninth at Unbound 200 – and Olympian Martins Blums. Simply final week the Latvian mountain biker was racing XCO at Nové Město, and now he has earned his spot within the collection with twenty first at Unbound and thirteenth at Sea Otter.
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There have been additionally a trio of riders from the US becoming a member of the competitors, Skyler Taylor (Pinarello-Q36.5) , Jenna Rinehart (Rene Herse) and Hannah Shell. Taylor was the highest males’s wildcard finisher at Unbound, taking twentieth place forward of Blums, and is coming off a robust 2025, profitable the UCI Gravel World Sequence occasion Highlands Gravel in addition to two phases of Oregon Path Gravel and coming second total.
Rinehart – an skilled Life Time athlete who got here seventeenth total final yr and gained Highlands Gravel simply final month – secured her spot for an additional season with twenty seventh place at Unbound and 18th at Sea Otter. Shell, one other returnee, was thirty eighth at Sea Otter and did sufficient at Unbound to safe the ultimate spot and obtain her aim of getting again into the competitors.
„3 years in the past I discovered I wouldn’t be returning to the Lifetime Grand Prix, and I used to be fairly gutted about it. Since then, it’s been my aim to earn my method again into the collection,“ mentioned Shell in an Instagram submit. „And I’m so proud to say that twenty third at Unbound put me third total within the wild card and formally part of the Life Time Grand Prix.“
There have been additionally two new riders from New Zealand, Charlotte Clarke (Ventum) and Matthew Wilson (Scott Sports activities USA), making for a big contingent from the nation within the season after compatriot Cameron Jones (Scott Sports activities USA – RCC) confirmed simply how fruitful the wildcard path could possibly be when he took one of many spots after profitable Unbound after which captured the collection total as nicely. New Zealander born Samara Sheppard and Ruby Ryan have been additionally among the many authentic Life Time choice, which suggests the far-flung nation now has the largest illustration of riders from outdoors the US.
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Wilson, who got here third within the street race on the New Zealand Nationwide Championships this yr, had given himself a robust begin to the wildcard race with twelfth at Sea Otter and a twenty eighth at Unbound sealed the deal. Clarke, who got here twenty fourth within the opening race, snared the wildcard place with twenty third at Unbound regardless of a tricky run, when after being caught within the mud one other rider hit her from behind, leaving her with simply three gears for the 90 minutes till the primary feed.
„Though I used to be nicely out of rivalry for the race itself, I stored combating with the aim of hanging on to a Wild Card spot,“ mentioned Clarke in an Instagram submit. „In the long run, I put collectively a journey I’m actually pleased with.“
The Life Time Grand Prix collection runs throughout six occasions, providing a season-ending $350,000 whole top-10 purse, shared equally amongst elite ladies and men.
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