'Big brain move' day before Big Sugar lands Matt Beers first-ever event win in Life Time Grand Prix

Matt Beers and Sofia Gomez Villafañe both have multiple wins at Cape Epic, the eight-day stage race in South Africa. They both have multiple wins at Belgian Waffle Ride California. And while now they both have wins at Big Sugar Classic, it proved to have contrasting significance for the two elite riders on Saturday in Bentonville, Arkansas.

For Villafañe, it was her second consecutive elite women's victory at Big Sugar Classic, the first in 2024 on a 100-mile route and this time on a reduced 50-mile course that was abbreviated due to inclement weather. No matter what the distance, the Argentina-US dual citizen used both victories to seal overall titles in the Life Time Grand Prix series, which gave her three titles in four years.

For Beers, the victory at Big Sugar Classic was a dominant performance, with a vicious attack in the opening miles that led to a 3:41 margin of victory over chasers and rewarded him with his first-ever race win in a Life Time Grand Prix race. In two years competing in the Grand Prix, a series of six off-road races in the US, he only had three podiums - a pair at Sea Otter in 2024 and 2025 as well as Crusher in the Tushar in 2023.

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"I've been wanting to win one of these for so long," Beers told Cyclingnews about winning one of the Grand Prix races. "I've come second a few times, and obviously, it's a shortened version, so it's not proper, but it's a different dynamic of racing. So doesn't matter. I'm glad I got one."

The South African was short of the podium at Little Sugar MTB, but when he won Big Sugar, he solidified a fifth-place finish in the Life Time Grand Prix rankings. In his series debut in 2024, he finished outside the top 10, which is outside the prize purse distribution qualification, in 14th.

So how did Beers draw a game plan for the finale? It was not straightforward as organisers warned of severe storms, even tornadoes, on Saturday that would most likely cause them to implement a contingency plan for a delayed start time, a shorter race or even cancellation. Plan B for a 50-mile race, half the original distance, went into effect just an hour-and-a-half before the 7:25 a.m. CDT start time Saturday. With the help of his teammate Villafañe, Beers was ready.

"So when there was rumours of it [100-mile race] being shortened, Sofia was giving me the lowdown. And we had the idea to go and pre-ride the 50 [mile] course," Beers told Cyclingnews.

"I saw that it linked to the end of the 100 miler, so we didn't really need to see that. But what would the first 30, 35 miles be like? We went and rode it on Friday, the day before, and I think it really helped. Well, it showed - we both won, so there we go."

Villafañe used the same recon to her advantage as well.

"Matt and I went and pre-rode basically the 50-mile course all the way 'til it [intersected] into the 100. So that was the really smart tactic to do. We called it the 'big brain move'. But I kind of knew where the pinch points were," Villafañe confirmed to Cyclingnews.

Confident there would be a shorter route and knowing that the course drained pretty well, Villafañe modified her setup after the recon.

"I did not think we were racing the 100, so I thought it was 99% sure we're doing the 50. So I went down on my front tyre from an Air Trak 2.2 to a Tracer 50. I still wanted to have a bit of volume, just because I knew it was going to be chaotic. But I didn't think I needed the traction," she explained about her thought process after the pre-ride.

"Those Tracer tyres, I just feel really good on them; it's the tires I run 95% of the races. So I felt really confident and I knew I had probably faster tyres than the majority of the girls at the finish. But that's not why I won, but it always helps to know that you're on a fast setup."

Unlike Beers, Villafañe was marked in the elite women's peloton for most of the day. No breakaways developed and the defending champion held position near the front so that she could react when the attacks did develop near the finish line, the decisive one by US gravel champion Lauren Stephens.

"I optimized my bike for that sprint finish. And Lauren [Stephens] went, I saw we had a little gap, and I kicked it again. And I think I haven't seen my heart rate that, but in a really, really long time."

Beers has won three Cape Epic stage races, last with Howard Grotts in 2024, while Villafañe has two, last with Annika Langvad this year. And those double wins at BWR California came in 2024 and 2025. So what was most memorable about the wins at Big Sugar Classic?

That was an easy question for Villafañe, as the gravel race checked off a stack of season goals.

"So yeah, super excited to wrap up the Grand Prix win, Big Sugar again, do the little Bentonville sweep and end the year on such a good note. I love racing, so I wanted to race. I was hungry for it."

Beers had a single focus for 'good luck' and confirmed it with "I got my Life Time one for once".

"I didn't like the lightning flash right at the beginning. And then it was quite soon after that you could hear the rumble, so it was pretty close. I have a lot of good luck, so I didn't want all of it to run out here and get struck by lightning."

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