Canadians contest the Tour of the Gila

After the Joe Martin Stage Race, North America’s top teams travelled to the annual Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M. Centred on this town in the U.S. southwest, it is one of the major races of year in North America. The five-stage race features steep climbs through dense forest and stretches along exposed desert plateaus. It also has a challenging time trial and a criterium in Silver City’s downtown. The final stage feature three major climbs, the Devil’s Spine, Gila Monster and the Sapello.

Stage 1 was held Wednesday. The riders started in Silver City and rode 147 km to the final Moggollon climb.

On the men’s side, an early four-man break established itself while the main peloton remained relatively stagnant, waiting for a team to take responsibility for chasing. Eventually, Team 5hr Energy-Kenda took up the chase. By the lower slopes of the Moggollon, the last of the breakaway riders were caught. Then, the race blew to shreds because of  the wind-exposed, false-flat section preceding the day’s main climb. Columbian Janier Acevedo (Jamis-Hagens Berman) won the stage ahead of Chris Baldwin (Bissell) and Lucas Euser (UnitedHealthcare). Top Canadian finishers were Stuart Wight (Hagens Berman) in 44th, Chis Gruber (Champion System-Stans No-Tubes) in 67th, and Antoine Duchesne (Bontrager Cycling Team) in 71st.

The women raced up the same stage climb as the men. Mara Abbott (Exergy Twenty16) won the stage ahead of teammate Kristen McGrath (Exergy Twenty16), setting the stage for the general classification. The top Canadian was Joëlle Numainville (Optum powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies) in eighth a little more than three minutes behind Abbott. Lex Albrecht (Now and Novartis for MS) finished another minute behind in 12th.

Stage 2,  the Inner Loop Road Race, was held on a challenging circuit that featured two climbs: the first up to Pinos Altos just north of Silver City; the second, the race’s first ascent of the Sapello. Arnaud Grand of BMC Development Team won the stage after his breakaway companion Johnny Clark (UnitedHealthcare) was relegated to second for irregular sprinting. Top Canadian was Antoine Duchesne (Bontrager), finishing three seconds behind in the main field, placing 36th.

The second stage was a little more split up for the women. Janel Holcomb (Optum powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies) won solo by 48 seconds, followed by Shelly Olds (Team Tibco to the Top) in second. The top Canadian finisher was Lex Albrecht (NOW and Novartis for MS) who finished in a group 1:32 behind the winner.

Tom Zirbel of (Optum Health) won the stage 3 time trial, which was held at Tyrone Mine. Chris Baldwin (Bissell), who finished seventh on the stage narrowed the GC gap to four seconds behind race leader Janier Acevedo (Jamis-Hagens Berman). The time trial was a challenging out-and-back, wind-exposed course. In the women’s race, Allison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS) won the time trial. Lex Albrecht finished 5th, 1:07 behind.

Keil Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare) was victorious in the downtown Silver City criterium. As expected, there was no change in the GC. With a fast course that featured a short punchy climb on the backside of the loop, it was a testing stage. However, it was more of an opportunity for sprinters and criterium specialists to have their day in an otherwise hilly stage race. Antoine Duchesne (Bontrager) finished 33rd as the top Canadian in the men’s race. Joëlle Numainville (Optum Health) provided an excellent lead-out to teammate Lauren Hall. Numainville finished second.

Sunday’s final stage will see the return of the battle for the GC on longest and hilliest day of the race.