Front Page News

Photo by VeloImages/Brian Hodes for Tour of the Gila.

By Rebecca Reza, RadioTour

Silver City, NM — The U23 US National Crit Champion Chloe Patrick outsprinted the reduced peloton to win a third stage for Cynisca Cycling in Downtown Silver City. Marlies Mejias was second for Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty24, followed by the overall GC leader and Patrick's teammate, Lauren Stephens in third.

Patrick reveals what transpired as she came around the final turn into the sprint. "I was on Lauren's wheel, she was just guiding me around the pack. She just has so many years of experience, I knew I could trust her. I just sat on the wheel, she took me where I needed to be, and then the last straight away I just opened it up and got her at the line."

Photo by VeloImages/Brian Hodes for Tour of the Gila.

By Rebecca Reza, RadioTour

Silver City, NM — Cade Bickmore celebrated his team's third stage victory in as many days at the Downtown Criterium presented by the Town of Silver City Saturday. Project Echelon continued the winning momentum the team displayed a couple weeks ago in California. At stage 3 of the Tour of the Gila 2024, Luca Haines was second for Team California, with Brody McDonald in third for Aevolo Cycling.

Cade Bickmore took 2023's green jersey on this same stage, and he addressed how pleased he was to have earned both for a second time on Saturday. "Yeah, it was great," said Bickmore. "I think it's sometimes harder to win a race the second time because everybody's expecting it. But the team was great today, and the legs were good, so it was great to be able to repeat here."

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

The photo essay includes  photos from three downtown corners of racers in in Master Men 3, 4, Master Men 2, 3, Women 2, 3 and the citizen's races hosted by First New Mexico Bank. Citizen racers included 3- and 4-year olds, 5- and 6-year olds,  a large group of 7- and 9-year-old girls that had to be broken into two groups, a smaller group of 7- and 9-year-old boys, 13-16 years olds and a group of 17-35+ who did an entire lap, just like the pros.

Photos by Paul Michaud

The 2024 Tour of the Gila downtown Silver City Criterium took place on Saturday, April 27, 2024 on the streets of downtown Silver City. The day was windy, with clouds coming and going. 

The first photo essay features the UCI Women and the second photo essay covers the UCI Men.

Race Leaders from left Jonas Walton, Best Young Rider; Scott McGill, Sprint Leader; Tyler Stites, Race Leader; Wilmar Paredes Zapata, King of the Mountain Photo by Mitch Clinton

By Rebecca Reza, RadioTour

At Tour of the Gila on Friday, Project Echelon's Tyler Stites blasted through the finish, seizing the win with a time of 33:07 at the Tyrone Individual Time Trial presented by Freeport McMoran. He came close to the course record of 32:59 that was set by Levi Leipheimer in 2009. The current Pan Am Time Trial Champion, Walter Vargas, was second for Team Medellín, clocking a time of 33:18. Jonas Walton rounded the podium in third, finishing in 33:45 and moving into the lead of the Best Young Rider Classification.

Race Leaders (L to R) Nadia Gontova, Best Young Rider; Lauren Stevens, Race Leader and Queen of the Mountain; Margarita Misyurina, Sprint Leader. Photo by Velo Images

By Rebecca Reza, RadioTour

Cynisca Cycling's Lauren Stephens raced to victory in Tyrone for Stage 3 of the Tour of the Gila 2024. Having won on the same course in 2015, she improved her previous best time by 23 seconds. Her victory at the Tyrone Individual Time Trial also increased her lead on the General Classification by 2:01, ahead of Nadia Gontova on GC. The DNA Pro Cycling rider was fourth on the stage. Alia Shafi finished 51 seconds behind Stephens, clocking a time of 39:03; 23 seconds ahead of Cécile Lejeune, racing for the Steve Tilford Foundation, finishing with 33:26 in third.

"It was quite windy out there," Stephens said after the finish. "It was a great ride; I couldn't have asked for anything more."

On a breezy Friday, UCI Men and UCI Women tested their speeds during the Stage 3 Time Trials

All photos by Paul Michaud

Local and visiting officers honor PFC Pitsor. Photo Courtesy of Al Gamboa

Photos, unless otherwise noted, and article by Mary Alice Murphy

Private First Class Richard Glenn "Dickie" Pitsor, born in 1923, entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from New Mexico and served in Company G of the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment in the Philippines during World War II.

The 200th Coast Artillery Regiment arrived in the Philippines in September 1941 and the soldiers were stationed at Fort Stotsenburg on Clark Air Base, Manila. After the Japanese invaded the Philippines, the regiment was sent to defend the Bataan Peninsula. According to records, the regiment did not receive adequate support in the way of arms, ammunition or food and medication.