Cameron Jones - From wildcard to Life Time Grand Prix champion
20 October 2025
Bentonville, Arkansas, the mountain bike capital of the world, set the stage for the final two rounds of the Life Time Grand Prix. With its technical single track and chunky gravel, it was the perfect place to host the world's best gravel and endurance cyclists and crown the 2025 champion.
"I came into this series as an outsider with nothing to defend. Every race was a chance to prove I belonged, and in the end, that mindset won the whole thing."
– Cam Jones
Months before Bentonville, Cameron Jones kicked off his season in Monterey, California, at the Sea Otter Classic. Entering as a wildcard in the Life Time Grand Prix, he had just two races to prove he belonged in the series. Some may have underestimated the relatively unknown New Zealander, but Cam had no doubt that he could contend with the best in the world. He proved it in Emporia, Kansas, taking a decisive win at Unbound Gravel with an impressive long-range breakaway. From there, he backed it up with strong performances at Leadville and Chequamegon, steadily climbing the series standings.
"I think the safest option would be to just sit in and keep trying to make the splits of the main group. It’s probably going to come back together in the end, and saying all that, I do like a bit of danger; I would not put it past myself to do something silly.”
– Cam Jones, in the lead up to Unbound Gravel
Heading into the final two races of the season, Cam was within striking distance of the top spots in the overall. With his eyes on the podium, Cam entered the Little Sugar MTB race confident that his mountain bike skills and power could carry him to the finish line. Cam went to work and moved quickly to the front of the race, expertly navigating the 60 miles of mostly single-track, taking the win at the Little Sugar MTB race.
“I just had awesome legs. The race plan was to be in the single track as far forward as possible to ride my own pace.”
– Cam Jones
Cam's win at Little Sugar MTB lifted his standing in the overall to a second-place tie with Simon Pellaud, and only one point away from three-time Lifetime champ Keegan Swenson. The stage was set, and it was clear that the overall winner would be decided on the chunky gravel roads of the Big Sugar Gravel, where the final finishing order on the day would determine the overall.
As the racers scouted the course, selected the best setup for their gravel bikes, and locked in the strategy for race day, there was one more surprise looming on the horizon. A massive weather front carrying dangerous thunderstorms was on a collision course for race day. The night before the race, everyone knew the race would be affected by the storms, but no one knew how. In the dark early morning hours before the race, officials made the decision to shorten the course from 100 miles to a new 50-mile course.
The elite field rolled out of Bentonville for what was going to be a two-hour drag race to the line. A lead group formed early, and the main field containing the overall leaders chased behind, pushing each other over the challenging terrain.
Cam Jones kept his foot on the gas, holding strong with the lead group as the finish drew near. Reading every move, he positioned himself perfectly for the sprint. In the final 100 meters, Cam unleashed everything he had, powering to the line for 5th place and sealing the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix championship in decisive fashion.
See where the season began for Cam, back when he first arrived in the U.S. to race Sea Otter. He’s come a long way since then, but he always knew he had the legs to reach the top step.
Check out the race that defined Cam as one of the future stars of gravel.
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