Silver City, NM — As a race sanctioned by the global governing body of cycling, Tour of the Gila must provide housing for teams participating in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) men's and women's races. Amateur racers tend to book up the hotels and vacation rentals in Grant County, and it's more cost-effective for the race to house teams with local families.
Staying in a home with a kitchen and bike storage is also more convenient than a hotel, where space is limited and meals cannot be cooked for large groups. While some teams do book hotel rooms for their riders and staff members, others rely on volunteer housing hosts to welcome them in.
Many housing hosts offer their homes simply to support Tour of the Gila, which is in its 38th year. Doing so offers families benefits too, and many cite getting to know individual racers as the greatest benefit. Hosting racers is a way to learn more about the sport of road cycling, and it's a way to introduce role models to children in the host household.
To sign up as a housing host, email
More encouragement is offered in the following testimonials from repeat housing hosts.
In 2023 and 2024, the Cramm family hosted Team Novo Nordisk, an all-diabetic professional cycling team. "They are also all type 1 diabetics, and it is inspiring to see how they do not let that limit them in what they achieve," says Jeff Cramm, who along with his wife Alicia and their children, have held barbecues for their guests prior to the race. "Overall, hosting had a low impact on our family life. The two team members we host each year sleep on beds in my son's room, while my children get to have a sleepover in the other bedroom."
The Cramm family enjoys hosting because the children get to interact with people from another country as well as diverse backgrounds, forming bonds with the athletes they host. "The racers are very kind and take time to explain things to my kids," Jeff says. "It is one week a year out of our busy schedules, and it is fun to see a glimpse inside Tour of the Gila."
Also with two young children, Stuart Egnal and Erin Fitzgerald have taken in women's teams during Tour of the Gila. The racers sleep on air mattresses in one big room on the lower level of the house, cook in the family's kitchen, and store bikes in an out-of-the-way and safe place. "They were super respectful of our house and thoughtful about our schedule because the kids were still in school," Erin says, noting that having athletes stay in their house added to the kids' excitement about the race. "It was really fun."
