The Life Time Grand Prix is undergoing a major rule change on the eve of the 2025 edition of the series. Racers will be banned from drafting racers outside of their category, according to an email Life Time sent to athletes participating in the Grand Prix that Velo has viewed. This would end one of the most controversial tactics in gravel racing — at least in the major events that are a part of the Life Time Grand Prix like Unbound Gravel.
The rule will have the most stark impact on the women’s field, where it’s not uncommon for pro women to draft pro and amateur men to gain an advantage. Some racers have taken this tactic to the extreme in the past in some gravel races, using male teammates as pacers.
It’s the latest rule change in gravel and off-road racing as the sport continues to professionalize from its grassroots origins. The last major change to provide a more competitive experience for the pro fields was implemented at Unbound Gravel last year, when the pro men and women’s fields received a staggered start ahead of the amateur field, doing away with the mass-start format of the past.
That 25-minute head start for the pro women on the amateur men was a success at Unbound last year, allowing a lead group to form and stay away from the fastest amateur men. However, some intermixing did occur behind the lead group of women, meaning there was some drafting.
The fourth edition of the Life Time Grand Prix kicks off next Thursday with a gravel race at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. From there, the six-race series heads to Kansas for Unbound Gravel on May 31.