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The 2025 Big Sugar Gravel wasn’t your typical season finale. The Life Time Grand Prix wrapped under dark skies, racing the clock — and the weather. With a looming storm cell, lightning warnings, and whispers of a tornado swirling through the start line (and media circles), the elite fields rolled out knowing the day could turn wild. Organizers made the call to shorten the race to a 50-mile burner — a move that turned strategy into survival.
(Photo/ Scott Sports)
Amid the chaos, Cameron Jones (SCOTT Sports) sealed one of the most impressive comeback stories in modern gravel racing. The 25-year-old started the year as a Wild Card — literally — and finished it as the overall Life Time Grand Prix Champion.
Pre-race in the morning – Cam Jones (Photo/ Scott Sports)
From Wild Card to Grand Prix King
Jones wasn’t even on the original 2025 Grand Prix roster. His entry came mid-season, earned the hard way — by winning UNBOUND Gravel 200 and forcing Life Time’s hand with the kind of ride you can’t ignore. From there, he stacked results across both gravel and MTB, including a win at Little Sugar and enough consistency to put him in contention heading into Bentonville.
The calm before the storm/garage prep (Photo/ Scott Sports)
At Big Sugar, discipline trumped chaos. With the field splintering under the on-and-off rain, Jones rode smart — staying clear of the early surges, then unleashing a massive final effort in the bunch sprint to take 5th on the day, enough to lock down the overall series title.
“I came into this series as an outsider with nothing to defend,” Jones told us post-race. “Every event was a chance to prove I belonged — and in the end, that mindset won the whole thing.”
Your Life Time Grand Prix 2025 Champion – Cameron Jones (Photo/ Scott Sports)
The Bike: SCOTT Addict Gravel RC x Shimano XTR Di2
Jones’s Big Sugar setup was nearly identical to his UNBOUND-winning rig, with one key twist: Shimano’s newly released 1x wireless Di2 drivetrain. The prototype system paired an XTR Di2 long-cage derailleur and 10-51T cassette with a 50T Wolf Tooth Aero chainring, hinting at a new gravel-specific aero design. A neatly tucked 4iiii Precision 3+ Pro power pod adds to the suspicion that we’re looking at pre-release hardware.
(Photo/ Scott Sports)
Cameron Jones — Big Sugar 2025 Bike Check:
Frame/Fork: 2026 SCOTT Addict Gravel RC (56 cm)
Drivetrain: Shimano XTR M9200 Di2 (1x)
Crankset: Dura-Ace 9200 (165 mm)
Power Meter: 4iiii Precision 3+ Pro
Cassette: Shimano 10-51T
Chainring: Wolf Tooth Aero 50T (direct mount, custom machining)
Brakes: Dura-Ace R9200 calipers w/ RT-CL900 160 mm rotors
Shifters: Dura-Ace Di2 dual-control + satellite shifters under the mount
Wheels: Industry Nine Solix SL 40 AR
Tires: Schwalbe G-One RX Pro 700×50 mm
Cockpit: Syncros SP-R101-CF seatpost, Pro saddle
(Photo/ Scott Sports)
A Perfect Season on Two Platforms
Jones’s versatility might be the real story. He dominated UNBOUND’s endless flint roads on the Addict Gravel RC, then swapped to a SCOTT Spark RC for the singletrack showdown at Little Sugar. Few riders can toggle between 200-mile gravel slogs and high-altitude XC efforts — and win both.
(Photo/ Scott Sports)
SCOTT couldn’t have written a better showcase for their engineering pedigree. Between the Spark’s World Cup roots and the Addict’s all-out aero efficiency, Jones proved that fast bikes and wise choices still win races.
The 2025 Life Time Grand Prix may have ended under storm clouds, but for Cameron Jones, the season finished in pure sunlight.