Johnston, Paton Top-5 Overall in Life Time Grand Prix!

Brendan Johnston, riding his Giant Revolt Advanced Pro bike with a CADEX WheelSystem, Aero Integrated Handlebar and Amp saddle, turned in his best performance of the year at the final round of the Life Time Grand Prix, the 105-mile Big Sugar Gravel in northwest Arkansas.
 
The series, which offers a $300,000 prize purse divided equally between the top 10 men and women competitors, was initially slated to showcase seven top national mountain-bike and gravel events, but was reduced to six in July when Crusher in the Tushar was canceled due to wildfires in south-central Utah.
 
Riding with the best legs he'd had all season but nursing a slow leak in his rear tire, Johnston approached the finale at Big Sugar in a group battling for third alongside Keegan Swenson, Simen Nordahl Svendsen, Matthew Beers and Payson McElveen. Johnston ultimately finished third among the Life Time Grand Prix participants, just three minutes off the winning time.
 
"I was keen for a win here in Bentonville, but pretty early on I realized it would be difficult to pursue that while keeping an eye on my Life Time points rivals,” said Johnston. “I was losing any control of the race as riders continued going up the road and tactics among the overall favorites began to center around series standings.
 
“I was feeling great, the best I have all season, and I tried to be as aggressive as possible to distance those who were close in the points battle,” the Australian continued. “Eventually, the win was secure up the road and Matt, Keegan, Payson and myself were essentially battling for points. I had a slow leak coming into the sprint and did the best I could, finishing fifth on the day and third in the Grand Prix.”
 
Johnston's 2024 gravel season also included a second career national gravel title in Australia and fourth place at SBT GRVL in Colorado. “I’m overall really pleased with the season here in the U.S., moving from seventh to fourth in the standings.”
 
Paton Finishes Fifth Overall
 
Though the last part of Paton’s season was interrupted by a lingering viral infection, his consistent results meant he simply needed to show up to the Big Sugar start line to be considered in the overall standings, which totaled each rider's top four placings of six events. In doing so, he earned a third consecutive top-five in the Life Time Grand Prix overall rankings. 
 
"Unfortunately, I had to make a very difficult decision to pull out of the race after suffering from lingering COVID symptoms this weekend,” Paton said. “It was an anticlimactic end to the year for me, but I’m excited by how the team has stepped it up this season and I’m happy to have salvaged a fifth in the overall for the Lifetime GP this year. This leaves me as motivated as ever for 2025.”