Tour of the Gila facts for kids
| 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 |
| 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 an exciting cycling stage race held in New Mexico, United States. It's a big event for both men and women cyclists. The race started way back in 1987. A company called SRAM, which makes bike parts, helps sponsor the event.
Since 2012, the men's race has been part of the UCI America Tour. This means it's a major international race. In 2015, the women's race also joined the UCI international tour. This allows top professional cycling teams to compete.
The race begins in Silver City, New Mexico. The men's course is about 540 kilometres (340 miles) long and takes five days. The women's course is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) shorter. The Tour of the Gila has different types of races:
- Three road races (stages 1, 2, and 5). The final one is even called the "Gila Monster" because it's so tough!
- An Individual Time Trial (stage 3). This is where riders race against the clock alone.
- A Criterium (stage 4). This is a shorter race with many laps on a closed course.
Before 2012, the Tour of the Gila was a national race. This meant that the very top professional teams couldn't join. But the organizers worked hard to make it an international event. They faced some challenges getting enough money in 2011, but they succeeded in 2012. The women's race also became an international event in 2015.
Contents
Recent Races: A Look Back
2009: A Big Boost for the Race
In 2009, the race almost didn't happen. But then SRAM stepped in as a main sponsor. This helped a lot! Famous cyclists like Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and Chris Horner decided to race. They were preparing for another big race called the Giro d'Italia. Armstrong had just recovered from a broken collarbone. They raced as "Mellow Johnny's", named after Armstrong's bike shop. Leipheimer won the race, and Armstrong came in second. For the women, Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong won for the second time.
2010: More Excitement and Wins
In 2010, Leipheimer and Armstrong returned. They raced with Team RadioShack teammate Jason McCartney. Armstrong also brought a team of young riders. These young riders did very well. Jesse Sergent won the time trial, and Taylor Phinney won another stage. Leipheimer won his second Tour of the Gila title. On the women's side, Mara Abbott, who had won in 2007, won again.
2011: A Temporary Step Back
The organizers wanted the race to be part of the international calendar in 2011. But they couldn't find enough money. So, it went back to being a national race for that year. This meant no international professional riders could join. Francisco Mancebo won the men's race. In the women's race, Olympic medalist Clara Hughes won. She beat the defending champion, Mara Abbott.
2012: Back on the International Stage
The Tour of the Gila became an international race again in 2012. This meant they had to invite top international teams. Three professional teams from the US and China joined. National teams from Mexico and Colombia also competed. The women's race had higher prize money, attracting top riders like two-time champion Kristin Armstrong. Rory Sutherland won the men's race. Kristin Armstrong won the women's race for the third time, winning four out of five stages!
Understanding Race Jerseys
In cycling, different colored jerseys are worn by the leaders of various competitions within a race.
– The red jersey is worn by the overall leader of the race. This is the rider who has completed all stages in the shortest total time. This is called the General Classification.
– The green jersey is for the leader in the Points Classification. Riders earn points for finishing well in stages or winning special sprints during a stage.
– The polka dot jersey is for the leader in the Mountains Classification. Riders earn points by being the first to reach the top of designated climbs.
– The white jersey is for the Young Rider Classification leader. This is usually for the best-placed rider under a certain age (like 23 or 25).
Past Winners
Men's Champions
| Rider | Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 |  |
Andy Bishop | ||
| 1988 | |
Gavin O'Grady | Cannondale Racing Team | |
| 1989 | |
John Lieswyn | ||
| 1990 | |
Drew Miller | ||
| 1991 |  |
Björn Bäckmann | ||
| 1992 | |
Kevin Livingston | ||
| 1993 |  |
José Robles | ||
| 1994 | |
Drew Miller | ||
| 1995 | |
Jonathan Vaughters | ||
| 1996 | |
Burke Swindlehurst | ||
| 1997 | |
Bart Bowen | Saturn | |
| 1998 | |
Burke Swindlehurst | Nutra Fig | |
| 1999 | |
Chris Wherry | Saturn Cycling Team | |
| 2000 |  |
Eric Wohlberg | Shaklee | |
| 2001 | |
Scott Moninger | Mercury–Viatel | |
| 2002 | |
Chris Wherry | Mercury Cycling Team | |
| 2003 | |
Drew Miller | Trek–Volkswagen | |
| 2004 | |
Scott Moninger | Health Net–Maxxis | |
| 2005 | |
Burke Swindlehurst | Team Seasilver | |
| 2006 | |
Chris Baldwin | Toyota–United | |
| 2007 |  |
Nathan O'Neill | Health Net–Maxxis | |
| 2008 | |
Gregorio Ladino | Tecos de la Universidad de Guadalajara | |
| 2009 | |
Levi Leipheimer | Mellow Johnny's | |
| 2010 | |
Levi Leipheimer | Mellow Johnny's | |
| 2011 |  |
Francisco Mancebo | Realcyclist.com Cycling Team | |
| 2012 | |
Rory Sutherland | UnitedHealthcare | |
| 2013 |  |
Philip Deignan | UnitedHealthcare | |
| 2014 | |
Carter Jones | Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 2015 | |
Rob Britton | Team SmartStop | |
| 2016 | |
Lachlan Morton | Jelly Belly–Maxxis | |
| 2017 | |
Evan Huffman | Rally Cycling | |
| 2018 | |
Rob Britton | Rally Cycling | |
| 2019 | |
James Piccoli | Elevate–KHS Pro Cycling | |
| 2020– 2021 |
No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2022 | |
Sean Gardner | CS Velo Racing | |
| 2023 | |
Alex Hoehn | Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team | |
| 2024 | |
Tyler Stites | Project Echelon Racing | |
Women's Champions
| Rider | Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | |
Nancy Shipp | ||
| 1988 | |
Jane Marshall | ||
| 1989 | |
Carolyn Donnelly | ||
| 1990 | |
Carolyn Donnelly | ||
| 1991 | |
Laura Peycke | ||
| 1992 | |
Jane Gagne | ||
| 1993 | |
Martha Wavrin | ||
| 1994 | |
Carolyn Donnelly | ||
| 1995 | |
Carolyn Donnelly | ||
| 1996 | |
Desiree Margagliano | ||
| 1997 | No race | |||
| 1998 |  |
Jeannie Longo | ||
| 1999 | |
Kimberly Bruckner | ||
| 2000 | |
Mari Holden | Timex | |
| 2001 | |
Geneviève Jeanson | Rona | |
| 2002 | |
Geneviève Jeanson | Rona | |
| 2003 | |
Geneviève Jeanson | Rona Esker | |
| 2004 | |
Amber Neben | T-Mobile | |
| 2005 | |
Kimberly Baldwin | T-Mobile | |
| 2006 | |
Kristin Armstrong | Team Lipton | |
| 2007 | |
Mara Abbott | Webcor Builders | |
| 2008 |  |
Leah Goldstein | ValueAct Capital | |
| 2009 | |
Kristin Armstrong | Cervélo TestTeam | |
| 2010 | |
Mara Abbott | Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 | |
| 2011 | |
Clara Hughes | Pactimo Cycling | |
| 2012 | |
Kristin Armstrong | Exergy Twenty12 | |
| 2013 | |
Mara Abbott | Exergy Twenty16 | |
| 2014 | |
Mara Abbott | UnitedHealthcare | |
| 2015 | |
Mara Abbott | Amy D Foundation | |
| 2016 | |
Mara Abbott | Amy D Foundation | |
| 2017 | |
Tayler Wiles | UnitedHealthcare | |
| 2018 | |
Katie Hall | UnitedHealthcare | |
| 2019 | |
Brodie Chapman | Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank | |
| 2020– 2021 |
No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2022 | |
Lauren De Crescenzo | Cinch Rise | |
| 2023 | |
Austin Killips | Amy D Foundation | |
| 2024 | |
Lauren Stephens | Cynisca Cycling | |
See also
In Spanish: Tour de Gila para niños
