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Tour of the Gila
Tour of the Gila-logo 2021.png
Race details
Date April – May
Region New Mexico, United States. (North America)
Competition UCI America Tour
Type Stage race
Organiser Tour of the Gila Inc.
History
First edition 1987 (1987)
Editions 36 (as of 2024)
First winner  Andy Bishop (USA)
Most wins  Drew Miller (USA)
 Burke Swindlehurst (USA)
(3 wins)
Most recent  Tyler Stites (USA)

The Tour of the Gila is a cycling stage race for both men and women located in New Mexico, United States. It is sponsored by the component maker SRAM. The "Gila" began in 1987. Beginning in 2012, the men's Gila has been added to the UCI America Tour as a UCI classification 2.2 stage race, which permits UCI ProTeams to enter if they so choose; beginning in 2015, the women's Gila has also been added to the women's UCI international tour as a UCI classification 2.2 stage race.

Beginning in Silver City, New Mexico, the men's course covers around 540 kilometres (340 miles) over five days, while the women's course covers about 100 kilometres (62 miles) less. It consists of three road races (stages 1, 2 and 5, nicknamed the "Gila Monster"), an Individual Time Trial (stage 3) and a Criterium (stage 4). Through 2011, the Tour of the Gila was classified as a national race, which prohibits both UCI ProTour and UCI ProContinental teams from competing in it. In 2009 and 2010, through a special agreement with the UCI, individuals from those teams could compete as part of teams that were limited to three competitors, which led to a resurgence of interest among male cyclists in the Tour of the Gila.

Beginning in 2011, though, individuals from UCI ProTeams were completely prohibited from competing in such races. The Gila planned to upgrade to a UCI Americas Tour race in 2011 as a result, but it was not able to secure sufficient funding and had to revert to a U.S. national race. However, it upgraded to UCI America Tour status for 2012 and has remained on the UCI Americas Tour ever since, despite the collapse in American cycling sponsorship in 2013.

The women's race remained a U.S. national race through 2014, but was also added to the UCI Americas calendar in 2015, which was accompanied by a funding crisis that threatened the cancellation of both races. In the end, however, sufficient additional funding was found to continue both races as UCI events.

During the 2017 edition, Chad Young, a 21-year-old rider on Axeon–Hagens Berman, died from injuries sustained in a crash on a downhill section of the queen stage.

Recent editions

2009

Before the 2009 running, the race almost folded before SRAM was brought in as principal sponsor. Shortly thereafter, the race entered the spotlight when three riders from Astana (which was also sponsored by SRAM) -- Lance Armstrong and his Astana teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner—announced they would attend the race in preparation for the Giro d'Italia. In addition, it was Armstrong's first race after he underwent surgery to repair a broken collarbone sustained in the Vuelta a Castilla y León. The three entered the race under the team name "Mellow Johnny's", in reference to Armstrong's nickname and the name of his Austin bicycle shop. Leipheimer went on to win the event overall, while Armstrong took second. On the women's side, Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong won for the second time, during her planned final season (though she un-retired in 2011).

2010

Once again, Leipheimer and Armstrong competed as part of Armstrong's "Mellow Johnny's" team, along with Team RadioShack teammate Jason McCartney. Armstrong also entered a "Livestrong" team of under-23 riders, including Jesse Sergent, who won the stage 3 time trial, and Taylor Phinney, who won stage 4, which, when combined with Leipheimer's stage 1 victory, gave Armstrong's teams victories in three of the five stages. Fellow American professionals Tom Danielson and David Zabriskie, who ride for Garmin–Slipstream, also entered, as part of Zabriskie's "DZ Nuts" team. Ultimately, Leipheimer defeated Danielson by 59 seconds for his second consecutive Gila title. On the women's side, Mara Abbott, the 2007 winner, won again.

2011

After the success of the previous two editions of the Tour of the Gila, the event's organizers applied for the race to be added to the 2010–11 UCI America Tour calendar. However, the organizers were unable to attract sufficient funding and had to request in January 2011 that the race be moved back to the U.S. national calendar. As a result, no UCI Pro Tour riders entered, unlike the previous two years. The men's race was won by Francisco Mancebo of Realcyclist.com, who won two road stages, with 18-year-old Australian Dale Parker of Armstrong's Trek-Livestrong U23 team winning the time trial and finishing second. In the women's race, 1996 Olympic medalist Clara Hughes of Pactimo Cycling won the time trial and criterium stages and defeated defending champion Mara Abbott of the Italian team Diadora Pasta Zara by about three minutes.

2012

The 2012 edition was scheduled for May 2 to 6, 2012, with the same stages as during the previous three editions. Because of the Tour of the Gila's upgrade to UCI America Tour status, Tour organizers are required to invite the top three teams in the UCI America Tour rankings from the prior year. Ultimately, three UCI Pro Continental teams chose to enter: UnitedHealthcare and Team Type 1–Sanofi from the US and Champion System from China. National teams from Mexico and Colombia also competed. The women's race, with its higher prize money, attracted a field led by two-time champion (and defending Olympic gold medalist) Kristin Armstrong of Team Exergy TWENTY12. In the race, American Rory Sutherland of UnitedHealthcare won the first stage and stayed close in the others to win the men's title by 15 seconds over Chad Beyer of Competitive Cyclist Racing Team, while Armstrong won four of the five stages to win the women's title for the third time by a decisive 6:41 over Carmen Small. Surprisingly, the Bontrager-LiveStrong under-23 youth team, a remnant of the now-defunct Team RadioShack, took the top two places in the "Gila Monster" final stage with Lawson Craddock and Ian Boswell and won the men's team competition.

Classification jerseys

  • Jersey red.svg – leader of the General classification
  • Jersey green.svg – leader of the Points classification
  • Jersey polkadot.svg – leader of the Mountains classification
  • Jersey white.svg – leader of the Young rider classification

Winners

Men

Hoehn Gila First Overall 2023
Alex Hoehn won the 2023 edition
Rider Team
1987 United States Bishop, AndyAndy Bishop
1988 United States O'Grady, GavinGavin O'Grady Cannondale Racing Team
1989 United States Lieswyn, JohnJohn Lieswyn
1990 United States Miller, DrewDrew Miller
1991 Sweden Backmann, BjornBjörn Bäckmann
1992 United States Livingston, KevinKevin Livingston
1993 Colombia Robles, JoséJosé Robles
1994 United States Miller, DrewDrew Miller
1995 United States Vaughters, JonathanJonathan Vaughters
1996 United States Swindlehurst, BurkeBurke Swindlehurst
1997 United States Bowen, BartBart Bowen Saturn
1998 United States Swindlehurst, BurkeBurke Swindlehurst Nutra Fig
1999 United States Wherry, ChrisChris Wherry Saturn Cycling Team
2000 Canada Wohlberg, EricEric Wohlberg Shaklee
2001 United States Moninger, ScottScott Moninger Mercury–Viatel
2002 United States Wherry, ChrisChris Wherry Mercury Cycling Team
2003 United States Miller, DrewDrew Miller Trek–Volkswagen
2004 United States Moninger, ScottScott Moninger Health Net–Maxxis
2005 United States Swindlehurst, BurkeBurke Swindlehurst Team Seasilver
2006 United States Baldwin, ChrisChris Baldwin Toyota–United
2007 Australia O'Neill, NathanNathan O'Neill Health Net–Maxxis
2008 Colombia Ladino, GregorioGregorio Ladino Tecos de la Universidad de Guadalajara
2009 United States Leipheimer, LeviLevi Leipheimer Mellow Johnny's
2010 United States Leipheimer, LeviLevi Leipheimer Mellow Johnny's
2011 Spain Mancebo, FranciscoFrancisco Mancebo Realcyclist.com Cycling Team
2012 Australia Sutherland, RoryRory Sutherland UnitedHealthcare
2013 Republic of Ireland Deignan, PhilipPhilip Deignan UnitedHealthcare
2014 United States Jones, CarterCarter Jones Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies
2015 Canada Britton, RobRob Britton Team SmartStop
2016 Australia Morton, LachlanLachlan Morton Jelly Belly–Maxxis
2017 United States Huffman, EvanEvan Huffman Rally Cycling
2018 Canada Britton, RobRob Britton Rally Cycling
2019 Canada Piccoli, JamesJames Piccoli Elevate–KHS Pro Cycling
2020–
2021
No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 United States Gardner, SeanSean Gardner CS Velo Racing
2023 United States Hoehn, AlexAlex Hoehn Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team
2024 United States Stites, TylerTyler Stites Project Echelon Racing

Women

Rider Team
1987 United States Shipp, NancyNancy Shipp
1988 United States Marshall, JaneJane Marshall
1989 United States Donnelly, CarolynCarolyn Donnelly
1990 United States Donnelly, CarolynCarolyn Donnelly
1991 United States Peycke, LauraLaura Peycke
1992 United States Gagne, JaneJane Gagne
1993 United States Wavrin, MarthaMartha Wavrin
1994 United States Donnelly, CarolynCarolyn Donnelly
1995 United States Donnelly, CarolynCarolyn Donnelly
1996 United States Margagliano, DesireeDesiree Margagliano
1997 No race
1998 France Longo, JeannieJeannie Longo
1999 United States Bruckner, KimberlyKimberly Bruckner
2000 United States Holden, MariMari Holden Timex
2001 Canada Jeanson, GenevièveGeneviève Jeanson Rona
2002 Canada Jeanson, GenevièveGeneviève Jeanson Rona
2003 Canada Jeanson, GenevièveGeneviève Jeanson Rona Esker
2004 United States Neben, AmberAmber Neben T-Mobile
2005 United States Baldwin, KimberlyKimberly Baldwin T-Mobile
2006 United States Armstrong, KristinKristin Armstrong Team Lipton
2007 United States Abbott, MaraMara Abbott Webcor Builders
2008 Israel Goldstein, LeahLeah Goldstein ValueAct Capital
2009 United States Armstrong, KristinKristin Armstrong Cervélo TestTeam
2010 United States Abbott, MaraMara Abbott Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12
2011 Canada Hughes, ClaraClara Hughes Pactimo Cycling
2012 United States Armstrong, KristinKristin Armstrong Exergy Twenty12
2013 United States Abbott, MaraMara Abbott Exergy Twenty16
2014 United States Abbott, MaraMara Abbott UnitedHealthcare
2015 United States Abbott, MaraMara Abbott Amy D Foundation
2016 United States Abbott, MaraMara Abbott Amy D Foundation
2017 United States Wiles, TaylerTayler Wiles UnitedHealthcare
2018 United States Hall, KatieKatie Hall UnitedHealthcare
2019 Australia Chapman, BrodieBrodie Chapman Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank
2020–
2021
No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 United States De Crescenzo, LaurenLauren De Crescenzo Cinch Rise
2023 United States Killips, AustinAustin Killips Amy D Foundation
2024 United States Stephens, LaurenLauren Stephens Cynisca Cycling

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tour de Gila para niños

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