UCI Gila Breakthrough Rides

Tour of the Gila UCI Stage Race

Motivated by a standout performance at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, a squad of six headed to the Tour of the Gila in Silver City—widely regarded as the toughest stage race in the U.S. The terrain and demands pushed many of our riders well outside their comfort zones, particularly those who lean more toward power and sprint strengths. But that’s exactly the point, growth happens when you step into the uncomfortable.

The team lineup featured Emily Ehrlich (32), Emmi Gilbert (22), Olivia Cummins (23), Kenna Pfeiffer (21), Marj Rinaldo (35), and Ella Sabo (20). The race opened with the time trial, where an under-the-weather Emily Ehrlich still managed a determined ride to take 2nd, missing the win by just six seconds. Stage 2 brought the infamous Mogollon Road Race, finishing with a brutal 10km climb, here, Emmi Gilbert rose to the occasion with a stellar 3rd place, securing her first UCI podium and moving into 3rd overall on GC.

The Inner Loop Road Race proved to be another demanding day, but Emmi again showed strength and composure, making the decisive move and finishing 4th. In the downtown criterium, the team executed to perfection, Emily Ehrlich and Olivia Cummins controlled the closing laps, setting up Ella Sabo to take an impressive stage win.

On the final stage, Kenna and Marj did the early work, Olivia and Ella supported Emmi until the base of the Gila monster Climb where Emmi eventually found herself isolated but continued to fight, finishing a strong 4th and solidifying 3rd place overall in the general classification. (Emily did not start the day due to illness)

Across all five days, the team showed unity, and commitment, each rider contributing fully to the collective effort and learning a lot along the way. A big thank you to Cathy Fegan-Kim for stepping in last minute to direct, and to Rafael Meran and Racer Gibson for outstanding support and teamwork behind the scenes. This race has a way of revealing everything. The altitude, the terrain, and the accumulated fatigue leave a lasting mark, separating preparation from performance. It’s where true fitness shows itself and where grit, adaptability, and depth are tested at every level. Full story here: https://conta.cc/42jINHA

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Stage 1 - Tyrone Time Trial

One of the toughest time trials in the US combining distance, altitude, a climb and a ripping descent. Unfortunately Emily was sick but decided to try and race through it, she ended up in 2nd by 6 seconds.

1. Lauren Stephens (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment 38.01
2. Emily Ehrlich (USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 38.08
3. Ashley Frye (USA) Competitive Edge 29.15

(8) Marj Rinaldo (USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 39.44

(10) Emmi Gilbert (USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 39.50

"The Tour of the Gila Time Trial was a challenge for me before the race even began. A few weeks of battling my usual altitude sickness in preparation for the race left me feeling exhausted on the start line. It was a great learning experience to understand how altitude personally effects me long term, and how I might use it in the future. In the race itself, I wanted nothing more than to push beyond my limits, and I succeeded at that. Hardly being able to walk and nearly blacking out at the finish line, I knew, if nothing else, that I had pushed past my mental limits. I finished a bit faster than my previous performance at this race, so I was happy with my effort." - Emily Ehrlich

"Very exciting—I even had my hype music going on the trainer. I went into the TT aiming for top 20 and committed to riding hard in the aero position. One thing to improve is head placement—I was looking up too much, so I need to stay more compact. Overall, I felt surprisingly comfortable and confident, especially after practicing on Mt. Lemmon since Redlands and getting used to going fast in the skis. I also got a bit lucky with the wind, which can be unpredictable in New Mexico. My pacing plan was simple: push hard over the climbs, get aero and up to speed quickly on the descents, and don’t let up." - Emmi Gilbert

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Stage 2 Mogollon Road Race

1. Lauren Stephens (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
2. Ashley Frye (USA) Competitive Edge
3. Emmi Gilbert (USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
   

"This one was awesome. The first couple hours were fine, I had my teammates to protect me and keep me out of trouble, which was unbelievably helpful. The sprint points got spicy, but I felt like it was good to put out a little bit of power before the Mogollon climb, so as to not go into that with heavy legs. My teammates put me in a great position for the final ascent, it was hectic as hell on the highway right before the only right hand turn of the day. Ella made it over the first climb with me and spent that time protecting me from the wind and keeping me in position. Once the selection went, I knew I just had to pedal hard. I was originally dropped from the lead group of 4, but managed to fight my way back up to a 3rd place finish on the day, my first ever UCI podium finish! I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates. Emily, Ella, Olivia, Kenna, and Marj, all did exactly what I asked them to do without hesitation. I couldn’t be more grateful." - Emmi Gilbert

Stage 3 - Inner Loop Road Race

1. Grace Arlandson (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
2. Lauren Stephens (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
3. Kira Payer (USA) Speedblock Terun
4. Emmi Gilbert (USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
   

"Stage 3 definitely wasn’t what I expected. I knew the QOM points would be hard, but not that the group would split like it did—three Aegis, two Competitive Edge, two Speedblock, and me. After the Sapillo descent, I took a few pulls to read the group and it became clear Aegis was pushing to keep Olivia and Ella out. Once we heard a 3-minute gap, I knew my job was to sit in. I stayed near the back until the second feed, then moved up before the climb to avoid any unnecessary efforts. In the final kilometer, Kira Payer launched early—I hesitated at first, then realized I had to go immediately. Not what I expected, but had to roll with it." - Emmi Gilbert

Stage 4 - Silver City Downtown Criterium

1. Ella Sabo (USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
2. Camille Laflamme (CAN) Speedblock Terun
3. Grace Arlandson (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
   

"Tour of the Gila was an unforgettable week for me and my team. After three hard days of racing, we were all relieved when crit day finally came around. From the whistle, my team took control of the race and executed our plan perfectly, delivering me into the final sprint where I was able to take the stage win. It felt amazing to take the win after such a demanding few days, especially knowing we still had one more tough stage to go.

One of the biggest highlights of the week was getting the chance to work for Emmi. She’s always the one sacrificing for us in the flatter races, so it meant a lot to finally return the favor. She is one of the most selfless teammates I know, and seeing her succeed and step onto her first UCI podium was easily the most special moment of the week for me.

Beyond the racing, Gila itself was incredible. When we weren’t suffering, it was hard not to appreciate how beautiful it was. Riding through the national forest with those views made the experience even more memorable. Overall, it was a week full of hard racing, great teamwork, and, without a doubt, way too many carbs." - Ella Sabo

"This year was my first time racing Tour of the Gila, and it lived up to its reputation! It was a big week that challenged me a lot on the bike. I had so much fun pushing myself to help my teammates achieve their goals and the team’s goals, and succeed! It left me feeling more motivated than ever to keep improving and come back even stronger next time." Olivia Cummins

Stage 5 - The Gila Monster

1. Kylee Hanel (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
2. Grace Arlandson (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
3. Lauren Stephens (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
4. Emmi Gilbert(USA) Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
   

"I feel like I have both a lot and nothing to say about this stage. It unfolded very differently than I expected. The team set me up perfectly for the first climb—I was right on Lauren Stephens’ wheel and ready to go all in. But when we hit the climb, the pace just didn’t go like I thought it would, and I was caught off guard for a moment trying to decide how to respond. I kept thinking that if I pushed the pace, I’d open the door for Lauren or Ashley to counter and I’d risk getting dropped, so I hesitated.

As the group got smaller, I honestly felt a bit overwhelmed. I didn’t want to let the team down, and I didn’t want to lose my GC position. When Kylee attacked after the QOM as it flattened out, I didn’t go with her—I think I was just a bit too spent in that moment. Once she was out of sight, I worked with Ashley and Galen to try to limit the gap as much as possible. We all knew Lauren and Grace wouldn’t contribute and would wait to attack late.

To be honest, I’m really disappointed in how I handled it. The team put in so much work for me, and I feel like I didn’t deliver—that’s what stings the most. I know how hard it is to ride for your teammates, and I don’t take that lightly. Now it’s on me to learn from this and figure out how to come through for them next time. I don’t want to make that mistake again." - Emmi Gilbert

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