Introducing Truman Glasgow: The Life Time Grand Prix’s newest rider

The Life Time Grand Prix has announced the addition of Truman Glasgow to its roster after Tasman Nankervis dropped out of the season-long series.

Glasgow is an off-road racer from Utah who burst onto the national scene last year in a big way with sterling performances in some of the biggest off-road races on the North American calendar, and he was one of the surprising names that was left off the list when the roster was announced in November.

“Honestly, my plan from November hasn’t changed,” Glasgow told GCN. “I was going to do all the GP races from the beginning because that field is the most competitive in the country right now. When I heard the news, I was like, ‘Oh good, I’m glad my plan doesn't have to change'.”

While the late addition did little to alter his schedule, a spot at the Life Time Grand Prix does cover the race entries which end up totalling over $1,600. For a rider who wasn’t able to negotiate sponsorship deals as a member of the Life Time Grand Prix, the extra funds can go a long way.

“Once I got accepted that was the biggest thing, having those races covered and not having to come up with entry fees opens things up quite a bit.”

The Life Time Grand Prix will return in 2024 with the same seven races and 30 riders for both men and women. Glasgow on paper looks like a classic Grand Prix athlete – a background in mountain biking that started in high school, a hometown in the Rocky Mountains and strong off-road results – but his Instagram shows a different side from most of the Grand Prix athletes.

• Read more: Life Time Grand Prix reveals riders for 2024 gravel series

Take a look at his profile and you’ll see a colour pallet that changes with the seasons as a summer of cycling always gives way to photos and videography of an elite-level skier who also, conveniently enough, moonlights as a freelance videographer.

“I’m a cyclist first. I started racing in middle school and then in high school, I started to focus on it. I have always prioritised having balance outside of cycling just so that I can stay fresh hungry and motivated. My Instagram might not look like I am riding as much in the winter, but I am definitely on the bike just as much as in the summer,” Glasgow said.

“But I guess I like having that balance and being able to reset. There is also, of course, the cross-training with backcountry skiing. You are at elevation, making a good effort. I guess it just keeps my head on straight and motivated for the season ahead.”

While Glasgow might not claim himself to be an elite skier, the terrain he skis and the tricks he lands are daunting, to say the least. The skillset he displays on social media, both on skis and two wheels, points to his virtuous level of coordination and athleticism. It is unlikely that anyone in the WorldTour could, say, land a backflip like Glasgow on the backcountry terrain that he skis regularly.

To some extent, that skillset carries over quite well to the technical nature of gravel cycling and has allowed him to quickly rise through the ranks. For this season of the Life Time Grand Prix, however, Glasgow will have the chance to refine the other aspects of racing that he is less well versed in.

“It’s been a learning experience over the last few years. I don’t have any experience racing road which is a problem cause gravel has lots of road tactics as I am learning,” he said.

“On top of that, there are tyre choices and chainring choices that you learn year after year of doing these races and can make the difference. It's so different from mountain biking with adventure and the raw power. You have to play it a lot smarter than you would have to in a mountain bike race.”

Courtesy of Truman Glasgow

This past summer Glasgow won the Park City Point To Point mountain bike race, proving his metal against some of the best off-road cyclists in the country

Fortunately for Glasgow those skills can be refined in racing and weekly with LTGP riders Nathan Spratt, Zach Calton and Carter Anderson who are all regulars on the Salt Lake City Tuesday night group ride up Emigration Canyon, a climb that featured often in the Tour of Utah. With a training group that strong, Glasgow seems set to be a quick learner.

“I still have the feeling of wanting to prove myself. Now being in this field I feel like there will be more eyes on me. Being in that field and that community has me more motivated than I was to go out there and prove myself against this stacked field.”

The Life Time Grand Prix will start with the Sea Otter Fuego XL mountain bike race on April 19.

Specialized

Specialized is a bike manufacturer based in California, USA. The company produces bicycles and components for a wide variety of cycling disciplines. Specialized also sells a range of premium products under its S-works brand.