The Cooldown is a quick post-race recap with standout Lifetime Grand Prix athletes Alexey Vermeulen, Keegan Swenson, Sofia Gomez Villafane, and Ruth Holcomb—offering a look inside their minds after every race. How they saw the course, how it raced, and the gear they chose to take it on.
EP. 23: Unbound dominance
EP. 22: Unbound or Mudbound
EP. 21: A Spectacular Failure at Levi's GF
EP. 20: WORLD'S COLLIDE
EP. 19: PODIUM AGAIN
EP. 18: TOBIN'S GRAND PRIX
EP. 17: A New Season
EP. 16: Cape Epic's First SA Winning Team
EP. 15: Safety in Gravel
EP. 14: Midsouth Gravel
EP. 13: Valley of Tears
ep.12: VOT Dirt Crit
EP. 11: Big Sugar Finale
EP. 10: Between the Sugars
EP. 9: Little Sugar
EP. 8: Chequamegon 40
EP. 7: Keegan Wins Marathon World Championships!
EP. 6: Leadville 100 MTB Race
EP. 5: Leadville 100 MTB thoughts
EP. 4: SBT GRVL
EP. 3: Unbound Carnage
EP. 2: Levi's Grand Fondo
Ep. 1: Sea Otter Classic
Keegan Swenson
Gravel, Endurance MTB
From Park City, Utah, Keegan Swenson has set the benchmark in endurance racing. He's the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Champion, has won the Life Time Grand Prix overall title three times (2022–2024), and has five straight Leadville 100 victories (2021-2025), including a course record set in 2023. Known for his quiet confidence, deep love of the mountains, and unmatched ability to dig deeper than anyone else, he's as approachable as he is self-assured. Beyond racing, he co-hosts The Cooldown podcast with Alexey Vermeulen, Sofia Gomez Villafañe, and Ruth Holcomb, giving fans a laid-back look inside the sport.
Alexey Vermeulen
Gravel, Endurance MTB
Born and raised in Michigan and now based in Boulder, Colorado, Alexey traded the World Tour for gravel’s front row, earning wins at the Belgian Waffle Ride (2022), Chequamegon (2023 & 2025), and Big Sugar (2024), plus podiums at the Leadville 100 and Sea Otter Classic. But racing is only part of the picture—off the bike, Alexey co-hosts The Cooldown podcast with Keegan Swenson, Sofia Gomez Villafañe, and Ruth Holcomb, co-founded the From The Ground Up project, and runs the Alexey and Avery YouTube channel with longtime collaborator Avery Stumm. And when he’s not training or creating, you’ll likely spot him pedaling with his dachshund, Sir Willie the Wiener, happily perched on his back.
Sofia Gomez Villafañe
Gravel, Endurance MTB
Originally from Patagonia and now splitting time between Utah and Arizona, Sofia is an Olympian, Pan Am silver medalist, and one of gravel's brightest stars. She's a 2x Cape Epic champion (2022 & 2025), and a 3x Life Time Grand Prix champion (2023, 2024, & 2025), with standout victories at Unbound Gravel (2022) and the Leadville 100 (2023), plus a record seven Belgian Waffle Ride wins—more than any other athlete. Fierce on the bike and grounded off it, Sofia blends tactical smarts with a trailblazing spirit, inspiring the next generation of riders. She also co-hosts The Cooldown podcast with Ruth Holcomb, Alexey Vermeulen, and Keegan Swenson.
Ruth Holcomb
Gravel, Endurance MTB
Growing up in Durango, Colorado, Ruth found it hard to resist the call of mountain biking thanks to the fabled Durango Devo program, and the abundance of local trails. She quickly found her way to Bear National Team which deepened her love for racing even more alongside a national title as a junior. From Fort Lewis, to UCSB, and the U23 Lifetime Grandprix last year, Ruth has taken her passion for off-road racing far and wide. Coming into the season as u23 lifetime Grand Prix champion, Ruth is excited to begin her journey in the elite field.
