Everything you never knew to ask about watching Tour of the Gila

Google “how to watch a bike race.” Topping the search results are lists of TV streaming services that are required if you want to follow pro racing. But at Tour of the Gila presented by New Mexico True, anyone can come see the race IRL without needing a Peacock subscription or an HBO Max login.

The only thing a cycling-curious person needs is a basic understanding of the team-oriented endurance sport of road bicycle racing. While many endurance races are single-day events, multiday stage races add extra layers of excitement to competitive road biking. While any person wanting to learn more about the races could review the UCI tech guides or the USA Cycling race bible on the Tour of the Gila website, here’s a beginner-friendly rundown of what to know and how to best enjoy the iconic American stage race in person. Go from cycling ignoramus to super fan with these tips.

Who’s Who
At Tour of the Gila, there are seven race fields. Five are sanctioned by the national governing body of cycling, USA Cycling. Two are sanctioned by the global governing body of cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

USA Cycling categories have the least experienced riders grouped into category 5 and the most experienced riders labeled cat 1s. Individual athletes may register for whichever field best matches their experience level and/or their age. The master’s fields and special bonus competitions are for those over a certain age.

At Tour of the Gila, which is the only stage race in the nation sanctioned by the UCI, some have experience and designations even beyond the category 1 level. In order to race in a UCI field, athletes must be rostered with a team that’s been invited to participate in the Tour of the Gila UCI men’s or women’s races. This year, Tour of the Gila is hosting more teams than ever in the UCI races. The count is 19 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams. Of those 34 teams, 15 are international teams.

One day at a time
The most obvious thing to do when watching the races is to look for the person leading each race field during whatever stage is underway. (By the way, a stage is a single segment or course in a competition for the lowest cumulative time. In this case, athletes ride one stage per day over the course of several days.) It’s valid—and fun—to root for the athletes vying to be the first to cross the finish line. Winning a stage at Tour of the Gila is known as a major indicator of talent. Athletes who beat out the other competitors at the country’s only UCI stage race prove they have strength, endurance, and tactical prowess that bests the hemisphere’s top cyclists.

Winning over time
The stage winner doesn’t equate the overall winner. The competition for the lowest cumulative time over multiple days is called the General Classification, and the person leading that is the overall winner—so far. Then, there’s a special award for the athlete under age 23 who’s highest on the General Classification. To make things even more fun, there are competitions for the sprint and mountains classifications. In those, athletes earn points for crossing sprint lines along the way (and some finish lines) in high standing and for reaching summits in consistently good places.

At Tour of the Gila presented by New Mexico True, keep an eye on the riders wearing the four race jerseys which are immediate giveaways about who is leading each of these classifications. Look for the New Mexico True leader jersey, Lyman Communications climber jersey, Gila Regional Cancer Center sprinter jersey, and Southwest Bone and Joint Institute/Brian and Lynn Robinson best young rider jersey. For more on the race jerseys and what each signifies, flip to page 16 of this guide.

Both of the athletes who earned the UCI leader jerseys in 2025 are returning in 2026: Kieran Haug, who rode for Project Echelon in 2025 and is with Modern Adventure Pro Cycling this year, and Lauren Stephens of Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment.

Team players
You’ll notice that sometimes a team appears to be controlling the front of a peloton. (A peloton is the main group of riders. A team will be evident because all members will be decked out in identical jerseys and shorts — with the exception of any national or world champions who are required to wear the jerseys indicating their status.) Usually, this is a sign that a team is working for a common goal, whether that goal is to set an individual up for a sprint or a stage win or to protect the overall leader.

In the Downtown Criterium on Saturday, for example, it might seem intuitive to root for the person leading the pack. But if you watch closely, you may see that those wearing jerseys are sitting behind the lead riders—often their own teammates—and conserving energy by getting pulled along in the slipstream created by whoever is in front.

Dive deeper
If you’re getting pretty into watching the races and don’t want to miss a thing, stay tuned to the results released after each stage. Familiarize yourself with the individual athletes in jersey contention. Maybe even commit their bib numbers to memory. You’ll observe them sprinting for points at the conclusion of each stage and at designated spots along each course, climbing to be one of the first to top out on an ascent, and fighting to maintain a low cumulative time for a premier spot on the general classification.

More cowbell
Incentives called primes (pronounced “preems”) create race dynamics specific to a single stage. For example, listen to race announcer Brad Sohner during the Downtown Criterium presented by Leaders of Enchantment to hear when a prime lap is starting. During a prime, money is typically on the line for the rider who finishes that circle around the course ahead of the bunch. One clue that a prime lap is underway is the sudden increased clanging of cowbells. Add yours to the ruckus!

In the saddle
Even those without USA Cycling or UCI race licenses can experience Tour of the Gila not just from the sidelines but from a bicycle seat too. The Citizen Fun Races presented by First New Mexico Bank take place on the criterium course Saturday. Then, Sunday’s citizen road race starts at Camp Thunderbird and finishes in Pinos Altos. Registration for the citizen fun races is open through April 30th online at tourofthegila.com/race/citizens-races and in-person at The Hub Plaza between 10 and noon on Saturday, May 2.