The 41st edition of the Chequamegon MTB Festival saw an intense battle across 62km of rugged terrain, starting in Hayward and navigating through the iconic American Birkebeiner Ski Trail.

The race, a mix of short but steep climbs and technical sections, tested riders' endurance and tactical powers before finishing at the Great Hall in Cable, Wisconsin. As the fourth round of the Lifetime Grand Prix presented by Mazda, the stakes were high, and the competition fierce. In the Elite Men's category, Keegan Swenson took top honours, crossing the line after 2 hours and 1
second, narrowly edging out Alex Wild and third-place finisher Sean Fincham. Toyota Specialized rider Matthew Beers delivered a standout performance, finishing 5th overall—just one second behind the winner.

The Lifetime Grand Prix overall standings are equally tight. Swenson leads the series with a slim seven-point advantage over Payson Mcelveen, with Lachlan Morton in third. Beers sits in 4th place, just two points shy of overtaking Morton. With two events left—the Rad Dirt Fest in Colorado on September 28 and
Big Sugar Gravel on October 19—the competition is far from over.

Matthew Beers’:
"Chequamegon is a unique race. It’s only two hours long, covering 64km, but with an incredibly fast average speed of 31 km/h, you have to be on point from the gun. I went into the race with a strategy to break the group early on the one major climb. Keegan and I pushed hard into that climb, and on the descent, I used my raw power to keep the pace high for about 10 minutes. That broke the field into pieces, leaving just five of us together.

From there, we dropped a couple more riders and reeled in the early breakaway. It was a tactical race from that point on. I knew my sprint wasn’t my strongest weapon, so I tried to thin out the group as much as possible. Unfortunately, my legs were a bit cooked towards the end after putting in so much work. I finished 5th, which I’m satisfied with, given the effort." Beers acknowledged the fast, tricky finish: "It’s a downhill false flat on grass, and the line comes up quick. Last year, I went too early and got swallowed up by the group, so this time I tried a more conservative approach. I just didn’t have the legs to match the sprint at the end."
Reflecting on his performance, Beers added, "I did the lion's share of the work, which was in my best interest to keep the group small. I gave it everything I had, but I’ll definitely need to sharpen my sprint for future races. Now, my focus shifts to the Marathon World Championships next week. I’m feeling positive about where I’m at and looking forward to Snowshoe."