![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025_Chequamegon_LTGP_Dan-Hughes-95-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>Alexey Vermeulen racing at the 2025 Chequamegon MTB Festival. Photo by Dan Hughes, courtesy of Life Time<\/p>\n\u201cI started trying to make my moves with around seven miles to go,\u201d Vermeulen said. \u201cI could see the group was splintering, and guys were chasing to regain contact, and I knew the rubber band would eventually snap and gaps would start to open up. So I just bided my time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fight for the runners-up spot was hotly contested, with Kyan Olshove proving the fastest finisher. Brendan Johnston outsprinted Torbj\u00f8rn Andre R\u00f8ed for third place.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could tell that anybody who got on my wheel wasn\u2019t willing to work, and it was still quite a long way to the finish,\u201d Vermeulen explained. \u201cI didn\u2019t think anybody could go solo initially, but in the end I just trusted myself, saw the gap happen, and just committed. Once you commit you just have to believe in yourself because if it comes back, they\u2019re going to beat you in the sprint.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Series Standings Shake-Up<\/p>\n
The results dramatically reshaped the overall standings. Rollins has closed the gap on both Villafa\u00f1e and Decker at the top of the women\u2019s competition, now trailing Villafa\u00f1e by just 10 points in third position. Villafa\u00f1e leapfrogged Decker back into first place, opening up a two-point lead.<\/p>\n
Vermeulen\u2019s triumph saw him rise from seventh to fourth place overall. The men\u2019s standings are now incredibly tight, with Keegan Swenson\u2019s advantage cut to just one point following his 12th-placed finish. Simon Pellaud holds second place overall after finishing seventh, while R\u00f8ed is now just one point behind Pellaud in third. Only two points separate Swenson, Pellaud and R\u00f8ed at the top of the men\u2019s series.<\/p>\n
\u201cChequamegon has been my big focus since Leadville so I haven\u2019t really thought about Little and Big Sugar yet,\u201d Rollins said. \u201cI like to take things race by race but I know I want to show up at those two races the best I can and I\u2019m excited to be part of the fight for the overall win. It\u2019s going to be a really close and tough battle for the top spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
With such narrow margins, the final two races in northwest Arkansas promise a fierce battle for the Series crown.<\/p>\n
Results
\nWomen<\/p>\n
Melisa Rollins 2:14:05
\nSof\u00eda G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e 2:18:39
\nAlexis Skarda 2:18:40
\nCecily Decker 2:18:40
\nErin Osborne 2:20:28<\/p>\n
Men<\/p>\n
Alexey Vermeulen 1:56:35
\nKyan Olshove 1:56:43
\nBrendan Johnston 1:56:43
\nTorbj\u00f8rn Andre R\u00f8ed 1:56:44
\nCobe Freeburn 1:56:44<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025_Chequamegon_LTGP_Dan-Hughes-104-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>Melisa Rollins racing at the 2025 Chequamegon MTB Festival. Photo by Dan Hughes, courtesy of Life Time<\/p>\n