Tour of the Gila Stage One

Yesterday was the first stage of the epic Tour of the Gila.  The Specialized D4W ladies did well and all finished the stage strong.  The first stage is the Mogollon road race, which is a point-to-point race from Silver City to the top of a massive climb with grades up to 19%.

Check out the course profile.

And then check out the profile of the final climb.  Notice how it gains approximately 2000 feet over 3 miles.  Yes, that hurts.

Our team finished strong with Heather as the top placed rider in 22nd and only 3:29 down from the winner, Olympic Gold Medalist, Kristen Armstrong.  Yes, we are contending with an Olympic Gold Medalist and the best pro teams in the county.  Kathryn was next at 38th, then Marilyn in 42nd, myself in 50th, Spring at 64th, and Judy at 67th.  This was Spring and Judy’s first NRC, and they did great!

For full results and photos, check out the Tour of the Gila website.  www.tourofthegila.com

Also, a big thanks to Nippy Feldhake for feeding and supporting the team.  He provided us with wet washclothes at the end of Mogollon that were pretty much amazing.  Thanks, Nippy!

This morning, we are off on the Inner Loop Stage Race.  The Inner Loop is probably my favorite day on a bike, and has one of the most dangerous (read as most fun) descents in any NRC stage race.  The Sapillo descent is great for crazy mountain bikers such as myself!

We will report back soon with race results and photos (hopefully).

Wish us luck!