Dry, dusty and full gas—this year's Big Sugar Classic concluded the Lifetime Grand Prix with an all out brawl. In the heart of Bentonville, Arkansas, riders swapped lightweight race tires for puncture restistant casing in preperation for relentless stretches of dust and rugged gravel, pushing through roads pocketed with fist-sized rock and pea gravel descents.

Ventum Racing brought their A-game, fielding eight elite athletes across the men's and women's fields in the main 100-mile race, leaving it all on the line as the final stop to the Lifetime Grand Prix Series.

The race was a showcase of endurance, skill, and adaptability. From flats to crashes, to the constant inhalation of dust, athletes navigated through treacherous stretches of jagged, rock-strewn paths hidden beneath the shadows and canopy of the trees. The course threw everything at the riders, and the results were evident after the race.

The race was full gas from the start. With undulating terrain, and everyone trying to establish the day’s main breakaway, groups of 3-5 riders would get up the road, only to be dragged back again.

Racers strung out single file early on.

Ventum’s photographer, Marc Arjol Rodriguez, was on hand to document the grit and gravel of Bentonville. Through his lens, we captured a day of dust, suffereing, and the raw beauty of gravel racing. Here is a collection of images that tells the story of Big Sugar Classic 2024, a race that concludes the Lifetime Grand Prix, in a town that sets the standard for cycling in America.

The Spratt brothers: dusty, dirty, and full of joy.

Big Sugar participant mid course.

Caroline Tory, sun’s out, tongue’s out.

Emily's GS1 at the finish. Dusty, but intact.