Weather Forces Big Sugar Change as Arnold Tests Gravel
IslandStats.com
Bermudian cyclist Gabriella Arnold faced an unexpected course change at the Life Time Big Sugar Gravel race in Arkansas, just one week after her success at the Caribbean Elite Cycling Championships.
Organizers of the prominent American gravel race took the decisive action to move all 100-mile riders, including the elite field, to the shorter 50-mile course. The decision was made due to severe storms and the threat of a tornado watch expected to impact the region, prioritizing rider safety.
The sudden change in distance meant the elite riders, including Arnold, had to adapt their strategy from a long endurance test to a fast, explosive half-century sprint.
Arnold was competing in the Big Sugar 50 Mile Elite Women’s race, fresh off winning two medals in Belize.
The race was dominated by the Life Time Grand Prix leader, Sofia Gomez Villafane, who took a decisive victory with a winning time of 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 23 seconds.
Arnold clocked a respectable time of 3:15:26 in the grueling gravel conditions.
Her time secured her 47th place in a highly competitive Elite Women's Division field, rounding out a successful two weeks of racing that saw her transition from her regional road and time trial success to the challenging world of American gravel racing.
