The Big Sugar Bike Race just happened in Northwest Arkansas, and I love these kinds of events because they make the region come alive with bikes galore. So many locals checked out the area during the race, and all the downtown businesses were out in full force and ready to go.
During the Big Sugar Bike Race in Bentonville, hundreds of people, from professional racers to bike enthusiasts, were in town on the opening day (before the race day). Some cool vendors were also around, and recognizing brands because I’m slowly getting into the mountain biking scene was fantastic.
It was a dramatic race that decided the 2022 Life Time Grand Prix result, so stick around to learn how the outcome impacted the final result.
Video:
2022 Big Sugar Bike Race Result
The Big Sugar Bike Race on October 22 was the sixth and ultimate race of the 2022 Life Time’s Grand Prix.
Over 1,500 riders participated from 44 states and eight countries.
The winds made it more challenging as racers rode through the highlands of the Ozark mountains. About 20 ambitious race favorites led the pack after 20 miles, but that trimmed down to 12 halfway into the race.
Moments later, John Borstelmann picked up the pace maintaining a convincing lead, but his tire was punctured, and he lost seven minutes fixing the flat. According to Keegan Swenson, who was part of the lead group on the race’s first half, that was one of many such cases.
Climbing up and down the rocky course would also slow Pete Stetina, Alex Howes, and Nicolas Roche.
Eventually, Colorado-born Russell Finsterwald came out on top for the men at 4:57:59. He averaged 20.98 mph (33.76 kph) throughout the 104.2 miles (168 kilometers) and described the event as a “dog fight.”
Finsterwald said, “I think everyone was racing for that top spot. For a lot of people, they could move up and shake up the Grand Prix, so I think a lot of us were going for it. It was the season’s last race; there was nothing to lose out there.”
Swenson was the first runner-up, only 25 seconds behind Finsterwald, and Adam Roberge completed the podium.
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Here is the first ten men’s standing:
| Rank | Racer | Pace (MPH) | Time |
| 1 | Russell Finsterwald | 20.98 | 4:57:59 |
| 2 | Keegan Swenson | 20.95 | 4:58:24 |
| 3 | Adam Roberge | 20.94 | 4:58:30 |
| 4 | Alexey Vermeulen | 20.89 | 4:59:19 |
| 5 | Nicholas Roche | 20.78 | 5:00:49 |
| 6 | Alex Howes | 20.72 | 5:01:42 |
| 7 | Brennan Wertz | 20.46 | 5:05:36 |
| 8 | Peter Stetina | 20.45 | 5:05:43 |
| 9 | John Borstelmann | 20.41 | 5:06:16 |
| 10 | Cole Patton | 20.37 | 5:06:57 |
Paige Onweller was the fastest woman at 5:33:05, beating her runner-up, Emily Newsom, by six minutes. Alexis Skarda from Colorado came out third by 5:45:43.
After her win, Paige told Cyclingnews, “I was working with a group of men, and everyone was rotating through. I just felt strong.”
“I knew that even if I was alone, I could keep the same pace. And that’s when I started to think, ‘Maybe I can do this.’ I never wanted my mind to go there because so much can happen in the last miles. I just stayed focused and tried to be smart.”
Below is the women’s standing in the 2022 Big Sugar Bike Race:
| Rank | Racer | Pace (MPH) | Time |
| 1 | Paige Onweller | 18.77 | 5:33:05 |
| 2 | Emily Newsom | 18.4 | 5:39:44 |
| 3 | Alexis Skarda | 18.08 | 5:45:43 |
| 4 | Rose Grant | 17.95 | 5:48:18 |
| 5 | Lauren De Crescenxo | 17.85 | 5:50:19 |
| 6 | Maeghan Easler | 17.83 | 5:50:39 |
| 7 | Sofia Gomez Villafane | 17.83 | 5:50:42 |
| 8 | Whitney Allison | 17.83 | 5:50:44 |
| 9 | Sarah Sturm | 17.82 | 5:50:54 |
| 10 | Savilia Blunk | 17.81 | 5:51:04 |
As for the non-binary podium, Bonnie Branson from Oklahoma was fastest after completing the course in 7:46:49. Lily Friend from Auxin, Texas, was the runner-up (7:59:09) faster than Kat Steele, who crossed the finish line after 8:57:23.
It’s not surprising that Bentonville hosted this race because Big Sugar Gravel is one of the best mountain biking trails in the region.
The vastness of other incredible courses is also why I foresee bikes as the primary transport mode in a few years, as over a quarter of the population will own one.
2022 Life Time Grand Prix Top 10
In the men’s category, Big Sugar Race winner, Finsterwald clinched the third spot in the Grand Prix with 131 points. Keegan Swenson, his runner-up, eventually won it, and Adam Roberge came out 8th.
The top spot was almost undisputed even before the Big Sugar Race started after Keegan won the four prior Grand Prix races. However, he’d likely be excited that his training partner was the runner-up.
Haley Smith, who didn’t even make the podium in Bentonville, won the women’s category, with Paige and Emily, 9th and 5th, respectively. Unlike the men’s category, it wasn’t as clear cut, as she needed the Big Sugar Race to secure the spot with a few-point difference.
In the end, Sofia Gomez and Sarah Sturm were Haley’s runner-ups.
Keegan Swenson and Haley Smith, the series’ overall winners, took home $25,000 each. The first nine runner-ups in the men’s and women’s categories shared $250,000 in prizes.
Now, it’s worth considering that the Big Sugar Bike Race isn’t the sole biking championship in the state. Cyclocross World Championships were also held in NWA, and you can learn all about it by following the link to my article.
Final Thoughts
The 2022 Big Sugar Bike Race was as eventful as expected. Numerous local and foreign race participants came with their bikes to Bentonville.
I was around to enjoy the opening day experience and recognized several vendors who also came into town.
The race was exhilarating yet challenging, as Russell Finsterwald won the men’s category by 25 seconds, while Paige Onweller was the fastest of the women at 5:33:05.
As always, it was an exciting time to be in Bentonville.
Sources
- Everything NWA: Bentonville 2040: Back to the Future
- Athlinks: Big Sugar Gravel: Event Result
- Gear Junkie: Life Time Grand Prix Gravel Series Results: Blustery Big Sugar Ends Season With a Bang
- Life Time Big Sugar Gravel: Big Sugar
- VeloNews: Big Sugar Gravel: Russell Finsterwald takes a triumphant win to close the season