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Jackie Tyson

'This race showed me how tough our sport is' - Lauren Stephens set to defend title at Tour of the Gila

Lauren Stephens Lauren De Crescenzo De Crescenzo UCI New Mexico Cyclingnews Mexico Project Echelon Racing

Lauren Stephens reacts to solo win at 2025 The Growler at Levi's Gran Fondo.

Lauren Stephens, winner of the 2024 Tour of the Gila is coming straight off a victory at The Growler at Levi's Gran Fondo on Saturday, and will lead Aegis Cycling's women's team for her defence at the UCI 2.2 stage race, which takes place in Silver City, New Mexico from April 23-27.

The women’s field will have a total of 12 squads representing four countries, including USA's Fount Cycling Guild, who finished second overall last year as a team and returns with last year's third-place GC finisher Eleanor Wiseman.

Also in the mix are Lauren De Crescenzo, sixth at The Growler, and Kira Payer, third overall at Redlands Bicycle Classic, racing for SpeedBlock p/b Terun. Cara O'Neill, who was 10th at Redlands, will line up with Canadian team TaG Cycling Race Team.

"Tour of the Gila has a special place in my heart. I raced here for the first time in 2009. Inner Loop that year still makes my top 5 of hardest races I’ve ever done," Stephens told Cyclingnews.

Stephens first raced the Tour of the Gila 16 years ago and a few years later in her third professional road season she won the 26.6km time trial stage in Tyrone and finished third overall. This will be her fifth pro appearance at the US stage race, where she has eight stage podiums and has placed no lower than seventh in the GC.

"Before the first QOM the race had blown to pieces," Stephens recounted about the road stage that follows the Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway from Fort Bayard, which is stage 3 this year. "I found myself in the second group, the winds were so strong I was blown off the road at one point and I remember Alison Tetrick being spun in a 360 going up the final QOM that day.

"That year was also the first time I wasn’t pulled in a crit. This race showed me how tough our sport is and made me hungry to get better. Coming back last year and winning the race is something 22-year-old Lauren could have never imagined."

A multi-discipline rider who has won the last two US Gravel National Championships and the Pan-American road race title, Stephens will be the rider to beat. Last year with Cynisca Cycling, she posted a dominant GC victory with two stage wins and the mountains classification title. This year she will be supported by Emma Langley, who finished in the top 20 with Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24 last year, and four other riders.

"This year I’m here with a team Lee Whaley and I put together with the help of Michael Engleman [Gila race director]. I’m excited to be back here racing and to work with a group of young, talented riders," Stephens told Cyclingnews about the Aegis Cycling mixed team, which also has support from local entrepreneur Jon Saari and Leaders of Enchantment podcast owner Doug Campbell.

Tour of the Gila details

Cade Bickmore (Project Echelon Racing) raced in 2024 and won stage 4 of the Tour of the Gila (Image credit: Velo Images/Tour of the Gila)

The men's international field for the 38th edition of the New Mexico stage race will feature 20 teams from five countries - Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Great Britain and the USA. Among the six UCI Continental-level teams in the field, the second-best overall team Project Echelon Racing. The US squad brings last year's best young rider Jonas Walton and 2023 BYU winner Caleb Classen on the seven-rider roster.

And also coming straight from The Growler like Stephens and De Crescenzo are the men's runner-up Conn McDunphy, who lines up with Team Skyline, and third-placed Marcis Shelton, racing for Team California.

“With such a strong showing of teams from across the world, Tour of the Gila 2025 is sure to be an exciting one to follow. Both of these fields are looking super competitive,” said Tour of the Gila Race Director Jack Brennan. “With no teams, you have no races. These teams will bring top talent to New Mexico."

The five days of pro racing in New Mexico begins with a 7.2km time trial in Tyrone, the men starting at 9:15 a.m. MDT and the women taking the course immediately after. Three road stages and a criterium complete the five days of elite competitions, with the 110.9km Gila Monster finale for both men and women that includes the traditional 11.3km uphill finish at Piños Altos.

Race updates will be shared on Tour of the Gila social media as the races happen. Following each stage organisers will release short video recaps as well.

Tour of the Gila remains the only UCI stage race for men in the United States this year. The Tour de Bloom in central Washington state is a UCI 2.2 event for women only, taking place May 2-May 6. One-day UCI races in the US include Gran Premio New York City on May 18 (men only) and Maryland Cycling Classic, a ProSeries event for men and a 1.1-level race for women, on September 6.