Spanning from April 30th to May 4th, the Tour of the Gila is known for strong winds, steep climbs, and high desert exposure. The five-day stage race kicks off with road races on Wednesday and Thursday, an individual time trial on Friday, followed by a criterium on Saturday, and finishes with the famously challenging Gila Monster Road Race on Sunday. To succeed in this race requires a carefully selected roster of riders rich with fortitude, mental toughness, and experience.
The men of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling team go to Gila with the goal of defending back-to-back overall victories at the stage race in 2012 and 2013 with former Blue Train riders Rory Sutherland and Phil Deignan. The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team also won the Overall Team Classification in the demanding 2013 edition of the race. The well-rounded 2014 roster includes climbing specialists Lucas Euser and Isaac Bolivar, GC specialists Kiel Reijnen and Ben Day, and all-rounders Jonny Clarke and Jeff Louder. Carlos Alzate will handle sprinting duty with the help of leadout specialist and capable all-round rider, Danny Summerhill. Meanwhile, a separate contingent of the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train will travel to sunny Southern California to contest the 2014 Dana Point Grand Prix. Sprinters Adrian Hegyvary, Luke Keough, Karl Menzies, and Brad White will race the California criterium on Sunday, while their teammates in New Mexico take on the Gila Monster Road Race.
2013 Tour of the Gila Overall Winner, Mara Abbott, returns to defend her title, this time in UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team colors.
Building on overall victories at the Tours of San Luis and El Salvador and multiple stage wins at the Redlands Classic, the women of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team will race to defend the 2013 Tour of the Gila overall victory of Mara Abbott, this time racing in UnitedHealthcare’s Blue and White colors. Excellent climbers, Sharon Laws and Katie Hall will lend their support in the hills, while sprinter Rushleee Buchanan and all-rounder and U.S. National Criterium Champion Alison Powers will add top-end speed and expertise.
“The Tour of the Gila is one of the few UCI men’s races in the USA. We are here to support their effort and of course defend our win from last year. The Tour of Gila is not only a great race, but also a perfect lead-in to the Amgen Tour of California,“ Sports Director and General Manager Mike Tamayo commented, “Coming to Gila in 2014 with a women’s team is a first for us. We have a very strong team that has been dominant in climbing and UCI races like San Luis and El Salvador. The growing dynamic between the men’s and women’s squads has been exciting to watch, they’re learning from each other and really supporting each other in these races. This week will be a fun one for the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train.”
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