Peter Stetina has been one of the stars of the Lifetime Grand Prix since the series began in 2022, but he will not be returning for the fourth season of the invitation-only event, which is contested for the highest prize money in the off-road racing world. That doesn't mean the 37-year-old's career will come to an end, but he wanted to “focus on the races that really suit me” and prioritize “quality over quantity.

“I'm in my late 30s and in the last few years of my career. I need to focus on the races that really suit me in the time I have left as a professional,” he told Cycling News. [The Grand Prix is great. It has literally brought North American cycling back to the forefront. But for me, this series means nothing.”

All elite riders vying for one of the 50 slots (25 women and 25 men) in the Lifetime Grand Prix had until October 28 to submit their applications; for the first time since the Grand Prix began in the 2022 season, Stetina's name will be left off the list . He was one of four elite men, along with three-time winner Keegan Swenson, Russell Finsterwald, and Cole Paton, who had finished in the top 10 all three years.

“The Lifetime Grand Prix guys are friends. We talk regularly and bounce ideas off each other. Being named in the first generation of Grand Prix was a really fun process. This year it has meant more of a personal decision,” he explained. [The Grand Prix is] biased towards mountain biking results. I love mountain biking, but I am a gravel racing specialist with a road drop bar background. If I'm not burdened by only following the series, it opens the door to other notable gravel races that haven't come up yet or are coming up. There are a lot of cool events out there."

‘There's a lot of cool events out there,’ he said.

Stetina, who finished fifth and sixth overall in the Grand Prix, finished ninth in 2024; all three years he competed in the opening mountain bike race of the Sea Otter Classic, which was used as a drop ride for series scoring.

Stetina was still working on the 2025 competition and travel schedule and sent the first draft to his “boss,” wife Deanna Stetina, who responded to a Cycling News phone interview. He confirmed that he would be competing in three gravel races that are part of the Lifetime Grand Prix: the Sea Otter Classic Gravel, the Unbound Gravel 200, and the Big Sugar Gravel. He will start the season on January 26 at Low Gap in the Grasshopper Adventure Series near his home in Northern California before returning to The Rock Cobbler and The Mid-South.

“Unbound is still the biggest in the world, and Big Sugar and Sea Otter Gravel will be very infamous. So I think I can still be in those three,” he confirmed.

In 2024, Stetina's participation in a diverse range of mixed-surface race series, including the Lifetime Grand Prix, the Gravel Earth Series, BWR's Tripel Crown of Gravel, and the Grasshopper Adventure event in Northern California and the Grasshopper Adventure event in Northern California. His “Story and Glory” gravel tour includes two overall series wins at BWR's Trippel Crown and Grasshopper, as well as 27,500 km and 985 hours in 19 events, four individual wins, 12 podium finishes, and one FKT attempt.

“My North Star this season is to focus on quality over quantity, and on races that change the needle for me through the possibility of results and new adventures. I think I have to remind myself why I came into this world in the first place, which was a mix of racing and adventure,” said one of the first World Tour riders to switch to solo off-road racing in 2019, participating in the Belgian Waffle Ride in California for the first time He is.

Over the past year, Stetina grabbed a victory in what he called “a monumental race for me” at the Traka 360 in May. The race was part of the Gravel Earth Series, and Stetina finished third overall. Competing in the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder and Ukiah Mend Gravel Epic in the United States, Stetina was able to be near her 2-year-old twins.

“There is a lot of interest from the U.S. now in the Gravel Earth Series. I think it will be something that riders can focus on. To be clear, I am not choosing this series over Lifetime. It's just that their races are all about gravel bikes, which is a new adventure for me. There are new cool things,” Stetina said. [It's] 'The Last Grizzly' by the organizers of the Oregon Trail. It's a three-day stage race in northern Utah.

The Last Grizzly Gravel will be held for the first time as a point-to-point race with camping on September 20-22; the Gravel Earth Series, whose 2025 schedule will be announced on November 7, will feature five new events from the United States.

Stetina said that while the Lifetime Grand Prix may not fit into the last spurt of his career path, it is an opportunity for other athletes, especially those seeking performance incentives without relying on privateer contracts or endorsements, to earn a living He said.

“There are a lot of young, talented riders out there right now who, at the 11th hour, still don't have a bike sponsor for next year. For me, it's already been decided and it's working out well. But for up-and-coming riders, there is a good chance of getting a bike sponsor if they are allowed to compete in the Grand Prix”

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In 2025, the Lifetime Grand Prix field will split the $280,000 prize money between the top 10 men and women. Currently, all six events in the series offer $30,000 in prize money each and are open to all top five finishers. Stetina is hoping to go after more glory and a small cash prize on her own schedule.

“I'm still going to play in these three tournaments, and I'm really happy to be able to earn ‘Christmas money,’” Stetina laughed shortly. And one more thing. The privateer model makes its living through contracts and endorsements. You can't count on the prize money. The prize money is like a bonus.