Nelson’s Cameron Jones set a new best time to claim the White Rim Trail gravel challenge in Utah.
Jones won in 5:23.27 to take nearly 5 minutes off the previous best known time for the 160km challenge comprising 2.2km of elevation gain set across desert terrain through the Canyonlands National Park.
The kiwi rider said he was four minutes behind the previous best time of Keegan Swenson at the halfway mark timing point.
"I had to sort-of stay optimistic that if I was putting up with the headwind early, then it would then turn into a tailwind eventually. It was quite a mental game as well, staying positive and optimistic that it would work out in the end," Jones said.
Jones has enjoyed remarkable success on the US gravel scene, last year winning the Unbound Gravel 200 and securing the overall Life Time Grand Prix title.
He won the inaugural 130km Oceania Gravel Championship in Adelaide in January, which was the opening round of the world series, and was second in The Mid South event in Oklahoma.
The 2026 Life Time Grand Prix series will begin this month with the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.
