Scroll to bottom to read Press Release for UCI Men and UCI Women

UCI Men Results Stage 1

UCI Men Press Release Day 1

‘Superman’ Miguel Ángel López rises to the top of Mogollon at Tour of the Gila Stage 1

Miguel Angel López, aka Superman, flew up the Mogollon climb to victory Wednesday on Stage 1 of the 36th Tour of the Gila, taking the overall red race leader’s jersey by 59 seconds and putting the peloton on notice as the man to beat in the UCI men’s competition.

The Colombian phenom, a World Tour rider who has won a stage in the Tour de France, and his team, Team Medellín – EPM, worked to pull back a breakaway and launch López onto the final climb with just a few kilometers to go. From there, the man who was stabbed in the leg at age 16 while fending off bike thieves, never saw another competitor until many of them collapsed after crossing the finish line.

“It was a beautiful day, and thank you to my teammates, Óscar, Walter, Duarte, to all who fought hard in the race,” López said. “They have done a great job, controlled the race very well, and Óscar was telling me about the climb from previous years, so he was describing it kilometer by kilometer.”

Attacks began flying from the start of the race, but nothing stuck as the riders went over and down rolling hills. A bunch sprint ensued on the first time bonus at mile 18 when Cade Bickmore (Project Echelon Racing) launched. His team had attacked at the front in the miles leading up to the sprint. Brayan Sanchez (Team Medellín – EPM) followed in second, and Stefan Verhoeff (Universe Cycling Team) picked up third.

Nearly 10 miles later three riders planned a getaway: Gregory Talpey (Expeditors Elite), Joey Bacala (Landis-Trek) and Spencer Miller (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling). Verhoeff and William Goodfellow (Yoeleo Factory Team) bridged and made the group a pack of five staying off the front with a gap consistently hovering around a one minute for 42 miles, or nearly half the race.

The break lit themselves up for the second bonus sprint with Verhoeff taking first-place points, Goodfellow in second and Talpey in third. With it, Verhoeff secured the green sprinter’s jersey.

“It’s a good start of this stage race in the U.S., looking forward to the next stages,” Verhoeff said. “We have three climbers with us, so we hope to get them in the front the other days, and me to defend this green jersey.”

Around 25 miles to go, the peloton put the pressure on and reeled in the break, instigating another break: Liam Flanagan (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling) and Patrick Welch (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling) and Ignacio “Nacho” de Jesús Prado Juárez (Canel’s – ZEROUNO).

They pushed their lead out to one minute and 30 seconds before Team Medellín – EPM and other teams at the front worked to bring it back. With just two miles to go, López closed the gap to Prado Juárez and began his campaign of putting everyone in a world of hurt until the top.

“We all trained very hard, and [Óscar] told me I had to attack when there were only four kilometers left, and we did it there and in the end, we won,” López said. “I think we deserve the victory because of the great work and sacrifice of our colleagues in our daily routines.”

Torbjorn Røed (Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team), who won Stage 1 in 2022, crossed the line in second place, followed by Ricky Arnopol (Project Echelon Racing) in third who nipped Heiner Parra Bustamante (Canel’s – ZEROUNO) at the line and Eduardo Corte Cordero (Canel’s – ZEROUNO) in fifth.

López said he and his team are ready to fight to keep the red overall race leader’s jersey for tomorrow.

“No, I think controlling the race tomorrow, we won’t have any problems,” said López, who also won the polka dot king of the mountains jersey. “I believe we have a great team, experienced people, great individuals, and colleagues, and in the end, it won’t be complicated. We can control it day by day.”

The white best young rider jersey went to Caleb Classen (Team California).

Tomorrow the teams will take on the 76.2-mile Stage 2 Inner Loop Road Race presented by Brian & Lynn Robinson/SW Bone & Joint Institute. They start out of Ft. Bayard at 9 a.m.

Stage 1 Results:

Miguel Angel López – Team Medellín – EPM
Torbjorn Røed – Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team
Ricky Arnopol – Project Echelon Racing

GC After Stage 1:

Miguel Angel López – Team Medellín – EPM : 3:49:59
Torbjorn Røed – Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team : 3:50:58
Ricky Arnopol – Project Echelon Racing : 3:51:09

U23 After Stage 1:

Caleb Classen – Team California : 3:51:29
Kieran Haug – CS Velo Racing : 3:51:41
Alexander White – Aevolo Cycling : 3:52:06

Sprinter’s Jersey After Stage 1:

Stefan Verhoeff – Universe Cycling Team : 6 pts
Cade Bickmore – Project Echelon Racing : 5pts
Brayan Sanchez – Team Medellín – EPM : 3 pts

KOM Standings after Stage 1:

Miguel Angel López – Team Medellín – EPM : 15 pts
Torbjorn Røed – Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team : 12 pts
Ricky Arnopol – Project Echelon Racing : 9 pts

Team Classification After Stage 1:

Canel’s – Zerouno : 11:34:03
Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team : 11:34:34
Team Medellín – EPM : 11:34:53

UCI Women Press Release Day 1

Prieto Castañeda launches comeback in last 200 meters, wins Stage 1 Mogollon Tour of the Gila

Marcela Prieto Castañeda (PatoBike) dug deep for a come-from-behind victory over the top of the Mogollon Wednesday on Stage 1 at the 36th Tour of the Gila.

The Mexican GC contender dropped from Austin Killips (Amy D Foundation) in the final kilometer then mustered up the strength in the last 200 meters to push past Killips and onto the top step of the podium with an eight-second lead for the red jersey.

“I was feeling good, and we were fighting neck and neck to reach the finish line,” Prieto Castañeda said. “There came a moment when I pushed hard and managed to catch up with Austin, and then I kept giving it my all, maintaining a tough but steady pace. I managed to crown myself with this victory, which makes me feel very happy, emotional, and proud since I had never won a stage here in the Tour of [the] Gila.”

The peloton stuck together for the majority of the race until the first bonus sprint at mile 18 when Rylee McMullen (Instafund Pro Cycling) launched and Sarah Van Dam (DNA Pro Cycling) and Stephanie Halamek (Amy D Foundation) followed in second and third, respectively.

The three were sucked back into the field, which stuck together until the second bonus sprint at mile 36.5. McMullen, Van Dam and Halamek repeated, with McMullen securing the green sprinter’s jersey.

Jazmine Lavrgne (Primeau Vélo Racing) woke up the peloton at mile 43 when she attacked and stayed away in a solo break with a 25-second gap. Lauren Zoerner (Competitive Edge Racing) began to bridge with the peloton hot on her heels. Zoerner joined Lavrgne, but they were caught by mile 49.

Before the second feed, a minor crash at the back caused some concern, but riders seemingly were unscathed and continued racing.

Cynisca Cycling put in a few digs but weren’t able to create enough separation to stay away.

As the group amassed to take on the climb to Mogollon, teams began setting themselves up for victory near the front and lifting the pace.

Then a select group of 10 riders remained: Prieto, Anet Barrera Esparza (DNA Pro Cycling), Ashley Frye (Cynisca Cycling), Nadia Gontova (Roxo Racing), Maeghan Easler (Roxo Racing), Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24), Emily Ehrlich (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24), Laurel Quiñones (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24), Caitlin Conyers (Amy D Foundation) and Austin Killips (Amy D Foundation).

With seven kilometers to go, the grupetto started to split apart with Killips and Prieto leading up the climb and Frye and Gontova chasing. But the chasers never closed the gap as Killips appeared to be riding away with the win.

But Prieto had other ideas, clawed her way back and crossed the line first with the upset. It was her first win at Tour of the Gila after competing five times before.

“I am very happy and grateful to my team for the work they did throughout the race,” said Prieto Castañeda, who also took the polka dot queen of the mountains jersey. “They were always at the front covering me, and I thank them very much. It was a very fought race, honestly. It was a tough climb from beginning to end, and we were fighting for the top positions to enter the last climb as close to the front as possible. The group tightened in front, and in the end, only Austin and I remained.”

Killips said she was happy with her performance despite missing the victory near the line.

“I was able to improve on my results from last year third to second,” Killips said. “I think I had a really strong climb. It’s really exciting to be riding with Amy D again with a little bit more experience under my belt and being able to help foster the environment and experience that I got to have last year for everyone. It was a hard race and a hard climb and I pedaled as hard as I could.”

After Killips, Gontova took third, with Frye in fourth and Barrera in fifth.

The white best young rider jersey went to Gontova.

“All the girls on the team rode really strong,” Gontova said. “They were all really great wheels to follow. I think we worked well together, and they helped me get up to the front coming into the climb. And then I was not feeling too strong at the start of the climb, but then I think I got into a good rhythm and was chipping away at the climb and ended up in third so I was pretty happy to get on the podium today.”

Tomorrow the teams will take on the 74.1-mile Stage 2 Inner Loop Road Race presented by Brian & Lynn Robinson/SW Bone & Joint Institute. They start out of Ft. Bayard at 10:20 a.m.

Stage 1 Results: