The dust has settled and the 2021 Professional Mountain Bike Cross-Country Tour has come to a close. After a busy mountain bike season, Keegan Swenson (Park City Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles) and Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles) are crowned the 2021 Pro XCT series champions.
With the Telluride 100 closing out the season this year, athletes had 6 races to earn points towards the overall standings. Keegan Swenson (Park City Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles) outperformed his competition and managed to earn a total of 220-points which put him 42-points ahead of Lukas Vrouwenvelder (Chapel Hill, N.C.; Giant Factory Off-Road). Swenson had been on fire all season long, after claiming the STXC and XC Elite Men's National Championship titles in Winter Park, he had his eyes set on gold. His season started off hot with a second-place finish in the Oz Trails U.S. Pro Cup #1 XCO Elite Men's race. Fast forward to the end of the season where he took the top step at the Telluride 100. Eager and hungry, Swenson will be one to watch again next season.
Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles) kicked her season off with a third-place finish in the Oz Trails U.S. Pro Cup #2 XCO Elite Women's race. Skarda stayed consistent throughout the season and finished in the Top-5 multiple times. She would go on to close out her season on top, claiming the win at the Telluride 100. Erin Huck (Estes Park, Colo.; SCOTT-Stages) and Rose Grant (Columbia Falls, Mont.; Stans NoTubes Pivot p/b Maxxis) rounded out the Top-3.
Skarda and Swenson are no strangers to the podium, but the consistency and dedication from these two riders was incredible to watch throughout the season.
A huge congratulations go out to all those that participated in this year's Pro XCT calendar.
2021 Men's Individual Standings | ||
| 1 | Keegan Swenson | 220 points |
| 2 | Lukas Vrouwenvelder | 178 points |
| 3 | Cole Paton | 135 points |
| 4 | Robbie Day | 130 points |
5 | Tobin Ortenblad | 110 points |
2021 Women's Individual Standings | ||
| 1 | Alexis Skarda | 370 points |
| 2 | Erin Huck | 140 points |
| 3 | Rose Grant | 134 points |
| 4 | Daniela Campuzano | 80 points |
| 4 | Chloe Woodruff | 80 points |
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