'Tour of the Gila'

[GirishH]

@Sidewinder, Enjoy the Tour of the Gila! For the longest time, I thought it went through the Gila Wilderness.

I just realized it’s mostly road riding—is that correct?
Regardless, enjoy! It seems like a fun event.

[Sidewinder]

I found this 'Spectator Guide' in the latest edition of the local rag, the Silver City Daily Press... I think the newspaper also offers a digital or electronic edition, in case anybody wants to read the entire guide, lol. Here are some pics of the guide!

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Cool jersey guide, lol... and I like the page showing the longest and most grueling stage of the race (Stage 5, I reckon), check out those mountains & grades at the bottom of the page! Lol... and how about that shot on the back cover of the guide, seen in the last 2 pics? I can just see myself tackling that grade while riding my SE Racing 'Rip Style' Beach Cruiser, lol. Single gear, coaster brake... yeah, I'm all set! Actually, I'm considering riding the cruiser in the Citizens' Race (or whatever it's called), a short race done solely for fun in the Stage 4 "Downtown Criterium!" Drink a hard cider as I pedal along, maybe something harder in my Tombstone hip flask, lol.

P.S. One shot shows last year's winners, I don't think there's an ounce of fat between ALL of 'em, lol...

The race begins tomorrow, I am psyched to attend this event as a spectator in Stage 4! Maybe I can attend other starts & finishes on different days and in different stages! I gotta check the guide more closely, I just perused it quickly when I discovered it yesterday! I'm really learning to LOVE this historic mining burg, it has SO MUCH to offer in the way of entertainment! The Tour of the Gila, the annual rodeo, numerous music festivals & car shows, parades on holidays, the whole nine yards! And don't forget the trail riding & kayaking, lol...

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(04-28-2026, 11:24 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @Sidewinder, Enjoy the Tour of the Gila! For the longest time, I thought it went through the Gila Wilderness.

I just realized it’s mostly road riding—is that correct?
Regardless, enjoy! It seems like a fun event.

I just noticed your reply, GirishH, and yes, all stages of the race are on paved roads, mostly skinny little 2-lane blacktop highways! There will be "rolling roadblocks" on the highways, so the racers won't have to contend with traffic, I reckon. I am really looking forward to this race, I recently learned that it is the ONLY American race sanctioned by the UCI, or Union Cyclistes Internationale (?), which governing body presumably also oversees the 'Tour de France?' Should be a cool event, and a boon to the local economy, lol. I'm really loving life in this historic mining burg, there's SO MUCH to see and do here, ya know? If ya get bored in this town, you ain't trying hard enough, lol... CHEERS!!!

[Sidewinder]

Meant to include close-ups of those pics on one previous page here they are! Pretty rugged area of the wilderness, though the racing will occur on paved roads through the area...

   

   

   

   

Today's first stage is on the course shown below, time trials which start and finish near the small community of Tyrone...

   

I want to attend the start of tomorrow's 'Mogollon Road Race'---the class of 'UCI Men' will start at 0940, and rain may be in the forecast! Dunno whether they'll race in the rain like Moto GP riders, lol. If so, the racers will have some weather-related cooling on the steep grades! Perhaps some hypothermia, lol...

   

Friday's 'Inner Loop Road Race' will most likely occur in the rain, according to meteorologists... again, I dunno if rain will force cancellation, I certainly hope not!

   

Same goes for the 'Downtown Criterium' race on Saturday morning, rain may be a factor, but I intend to go as a spectator anyway! Here's the downtown course!

   

Here's the guide page on the 'Citizen Fun Races!' I'd do this on my beach cruiser, but they want $10 to register, and I'm a CHEAP B@STARD, lol... why pay $10 to work up a sweat on those hills when I can pedal elsewhere for free?

   

Last but not least, we have a separate publication, dated from March, with a photo of the recent kite festival held somewhere up near the town of Cliff on US-180... I only include this shot because those mountains will probably be visible to passing riders in the 'Mogollon Road Race' on Thursday. Mountains on that side of the range don't have as much forestation, aye?

   

[Sidewinder]

I attended the "unofficial starts" of two race classes this morning: UCI Women & UCI Men. I guess the Stage 2 'Mogollon Road Race' doesn't officially start until the cyclists ride through town and turn onto US-180, but it was still fun to watch the unofficial starts. I was surprised to see so many vehicles involved: law enforcement, race officials, lead car, road judges, various folks on motorcycles, an ambulance, support vehicles including neutral support, etc. Some of the motorcycles were STYLIN', ridden by 'Race Marshal' and 'Motor Commissaire' and 'Regulators' who helped control the race! You'll see shots of those motorcycles in a moment, lol. Here we go with the class start of UCI Women, I'm not sure how many riders there were, but I later learned there were nearly 120 male racers in the class of UCI Men... evidently, a few riders washed out in the time trials! That sucks, but nobody said these race stages would be EASY, lol.

   

   

   

   

I have better shots of the start for UCI Men, but here are some of the motorcycles! Mostly large adventure bikes like the 'Africa Twin' or BMW R1200/1250, aye?

   

   

   

   

   

   

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Round #2, 'Mogollon Road Race' starts...

   

That motorcycle had a rack of spare wheels for racers, lol... several support vehicles also had heaps of spare gear & equipment! I saw some primo support rigs. my favorite were probably the 'Modern Adventure Pro Cycling' rigs, all lifted with burly tires to handle paved roads, dirt roads, gravel roads, etc. Check 'em out when ya get to those photos!

   

All around the park, there were teams hanging out near their support rigs!

   

Had to get some shots of the beautiful trees as well, lol...

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Last pic shows several beautiful trees in the park, lol... it's a nice venue, same place where they hold several music festivals, car shows, etc.

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Round #3, 'Mogollon Road Race' starts...

   

Some riders left their bikes leaning against these Port-a-Potties, which gave me an opportunity to snap shots of the bikes without their riders, lol. I'm thinking the cost of 120 or so bikes would probably add up to a significant amount of money, let alone all the support rigs and motorcycles, lol.

   

   

   

A number of State Troopers hung out nearby, waiting to become part of the motorcade in front of and behind the column of racers...

   

A priestess of some sort gave a blessing to the assembled racers in more than one language...

   

   

Once the motorcade began and the clock ticked down, the racers pedaled past and took the first turn before heading through the historic district of Silver City...

   

   

   

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Looks like I have one more park shot, might as well toss it into the mix, lol. I met some cool folks who were also spectators this morning, and we will most likely meet again for the 'Downtown Criterium' race on Saturday. I hope to get some better cornering shots in that race, plus some exciting start/finish photos! We have rain in the forecast for the next few days, but hopefully today's riders in the Stage 2 'Mogollon Road Race' will complete the course before rain falls this afternoon or evening! Rain again manana, which means the Stage 3 'Inner Loop Road Race' might be a little wet, we'll see what happens... I don't care if it rains a little on Saturday, but it may clear up before the start of the 'Downtown Criterium!'

   

[GirishH]

@Sidewinder, this print is really so cool.

I think I saw similar publications during the Ragbrai in Iowa but this is so, so vintage looking print..:-)

(04-28-2026, 05:19 PM)Sidewinder Wrote:  I found this 'Spectator Guide' in the latest edition of the local rag, the Silver City Daily Press... I think the newspaper also offers a digital or electronic edition, in case anybody wants to read the entire guide, lol. Here are some pics of the guide!

















Cool jersey guide, lol... and I like the page showing the longest and most grueling stage of the race (Stage 5, I reckon), check out those mountains & grades at the bottom of the page! Lol... and how about that shot on the back cover of the guide, seen in the last 2 pics? I can just see myself tackling that grade while riding my SE Racing 'Rip Style' Beach Cruiser, lol. Single gear, coaster brake... yeah, I'm all set! Actually, I'm considering riding the cruiser in the Citizens' Race (or whatever it's called), a short race done solely for fun in the Stage 4 "Downtown Criterium!" Drink a hard cider as I pedal along, maybe something harder in my Tombstone hip flask, lol.

P.S. One shot shows last year's winners, I don't think there's an ounce of fat between ALL of 'em, lol...

The race begins tomorrow, I am psyched to attend this event as a spectator in Stage 4! Maybe I can attend other starts & finishes on different days and in different stages! I gotta check the guide more closely, I just perused it quickly when I discovered it yesterday! I'm really learning to LOVE this historic mining burg, it has SO MUCH to offer in the way of entertainment! The Tour of the Gila, the annual rodeo, numerous music festivals & car shows, parades on holidays, the whole nine yards! And don't forget the trail riding & kayaking, lol...

---

(04-28-2026, 11:24 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @Sidewinder, Enjoy the Tour of the Gila! For the longest time, I thought it went through the Gila Wilderness.

I just realized it’s mostly road riding—is that correct?
Regardless, enjoy! It seems like a fun event.

I just noticed your reply, GirishH, and yes, all stages of the race are on paved roads, mostly skinny little 2-lane blacktop highways! There will be "rolling roadblocks" on the highways, so the racers won't have to contend with traffic, I reckon. I am really looking forward to this race, I recently learned that it is the ONLY American race sanctioned by the UCI, or Union Cyclistes Internationale (?), which governing body presumably also oversees the 'Tour de France?' Should be a cool event, and a boon to the local economy, lol. I'm really loving life in this historic mining burg, there's SO MUCH to see and do here, ya know? If ya get bored in this town, you ain't trying hard enough, lol... CHEERS!!!

[Sidewinder]

Ja, they like using old school artistic editions, lol... hey, I took some more pics of the 'Downtown Criterium' this morning in the "historic district" of Silver City, you'll see some cool old buildings in the background!

   

   

Tires are piled up for safety on that turn, the fastest turn on the course due to a long steady downgrade approach! That's a nasty tall curb behind the tires too, I mean a wheel-crunching & bone-breaking curb!

   

   

   

The lead motorcyclist would round the turn, followed in a few seconds by the peloton... this was a women's race, you'll see more riders in a men's race momentarily!

   

Stickers plastered to a lamppost, most of the posts in the historic district have stickers plastered to 'em, it's a "cultural thing!"

   

   

   

This flyer was in a shop window, I photographed it as a reminder to mark my calendar, lol...

   

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Round #2, 'Downtown Criterium' in Silver City...

   

That's the historic Art Deco 'Silco Theater'---named for two elements mined in this burg, silver & copper!

   

I liked that flyer for the race, lol...

   

Here come the racers! And just like that, they're GONE!

   

   

This was the start of a men's class, don't ask me which one, but it's not the 'UCI Men.'

   

   

   

   

   

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Round #3, 'Downtown Criterium' in Silver City...

   

   

   

   

Another old theater across the street, but I don't think this one is used as theater anymore...

   

   

Back to the turn at Broadway & Bullard Street, fastest turn on the 1-mile rectangular course... racers did laps, yeah?

   

   

I liked this "stealth police rig" I saw while walking back to my car, it's an unmarked "plain black wrapper" (in trucker lingo, lol). Nice guard up front, can you imagine the righteous high-speed VEHICLE-BASHING you could do in this rig? You'd hafta call me "Cap'n Crunch!!!" My new 'Demo Derby' radio moniker!!!

   

   

Okay, I'm off to the store to resupply with hard cider & rum for Derby Day, "WOOHOO!!!" Don't miss the Kentucky Derby this afternoon! I'm rooting for the bargain basement "thrift shop horse" which only cost owners $100 Grand, lol. Wouldn't that be CLASSIC if the cheap $100K horse beat other racehorses which cost $$$MILLIONS???

"GO, THRIFTY, GO!!! WOOHOO!!!"

P.S. I wanna hear folks sing "My Old Kentucky Home!" A Stephen Foster tune, IIRC... somehow, "My Old New Mexico Home" just doesn't have the same ring to it, lol. Not to say that there aren't any historic homes here, AYE? Y'all be good! CHEERS!!!

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Wait, I almost forgot these historic cabin shots, the cabin sits near the main entrance to the Silver City Historic Downtown District! I could LIVE in this cabin if it were situated up in the forest of the Gila Wilderness, and not right by the highway (NM-90, which becomes Hudson Street in town, until it hooks up with US-180, our other main drag).

   

   

Okay, NOW I'm outta here, gotta buy that cider & rum and head back to the ol' hacienda to watch the Kentucky Derby, WOOHOO!!!