Rookie rides away with the US spoils
Cam Jones is all smiles as he wins the bunch sprint to clinch a high profile American title. Photo: Supplied.
Ruby Bay mountainbike rider Cam Jones has upstaged American superstar Keegan Swenson to claim the Life Time Grand Prix off-road cycling series.
Winning the Unbound 200 in Kansas in June, in race record time, earned Cam a wild card for the six-race series across the United States and marked him as a rookie to follow.
The versatile 24-year-old won the penultimate race, the Little Sugar MTB at Bentonville in Arkansas, USA, earlier this month to close within one point of series leader Keegan and set up a thrilling finale.
It all came down to Big Sugar Gravel, a 160km event also in and around Bentonville.
But a rough weather warning prompted organisors to halve the distance.
“I wasn’t concerned when they shortened the course as the 50-mile suits me just as well as the 100”, says Cam who rides with a Kiwi emblazoned on the back of his Scott Sport USA top.
A big storm rolled in and there were lightning strikes as well in the wider area, justifying the decision to lessen the riders’ load.
South African Matt Beers and another Kiwi Matt Wilson cleared away from the field.
But a damaged wheel rim sidelined Matt Wilson with just 6kms to go.
Meanwhile Cam was perfectly- placed in the chasing bunch.
“We pulled most attacks back today just by marking each other in the bunch.”
By each other, he’s referring to the defending champion Keegan and two other riders in contention to win the overall series.
“I positioned myself, was probably the most aggressive of the four and putting pain on the others.”
It all came down to a final frantic dash to the finish line.
“It was a long sprint. I had the sprinting legs and I managed to hold onto it as there was a lot on the line. It was a crazy race,” declares Cam, who relished the relentless rain.
Fifth place was enough to give him the overall title by two points.
“I’ve proven my point that I belong in the Life Time Grand Prix and couldn’t have done any better. It’s been an awesome year, great fun, and I’m sure I’ll be back for it again next year,” insists the former Waimea College cycling star.