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Bentonville, Arkansas – Howard Grotts (Specialized) has clinched the overall title in the Life Time Grand Prix series, finishing fifth at the Big Sugar race in Bentonville, Arkansas on Saturday.He entered the final race with a one-point lead over Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz htSQD),and a one-point advantage over Torbjørn andre Røed (Trek Driftless).
Grotts strategically focused on outperforming his closest rivals,even as the race was shortened from 100 miles to 53.9 miles due to severe weather. A breakaway group consisting of Matt Beers,Matthew Wilson,and Riley amos posed no threat to the overall standings,allowing Grotts to concentrate on his primary goal.
“I’d done all the numbers so I knew who I had to beat and couldn’t see any of them in front of me in the finish. So yeah, do what I had to do,” Grotts told Cyclingnews after the race.
He wasn’t concerned by the course reduction, and actively sought to make life tough for Swenson and Røed. “I wasn’t too concerned to hear the shorter course. And I feel like I was as aggressive as anyone there. There were a few, quite a lot of people, trying to attack the whole time, but there’s only certain people I was concerned about. I was pretty aggressive as well, made a good few moves of my own, and that kind of ended up bringing back most of the groups, apart from the two Matts up the road, who, yeah, no one was catching them.”
Grotts explained his focus: “The people that were up there in the front weren’t going to beat me in the series. And so, I just had to consider myself with the people who could and try and make their life as hard as possible.”
The race became particularly challenging with heavy rain and spray. “It was pretty hectic for a bit, like I taken my glasses off as they were, like, sweaty, and I dusted up. And yeah, you just, like, squinting, trying to see through the spray of the person in front of you. Yeah, kind of calm down a bit before the finish.”
Ultimately, Grotts prioritized positioning for the final sprint, ensuring he was at the front before any climbs. He then launched his sprint, securing his overall series victory.
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