Tour of the Gila: Lauren Stephens and Walter Vargas earn first leader’s jerseys with opening time trial victories

Two-time winner Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) began her defence of the Tour of the Gila elite women’s overall title by holding off Emily Ehrlich (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) by just six seconds to win the elite women’s stage 1 individual time trial.

Team Medellín-EPM’s Walter Vargas, a seven-time Pan-American ITT winner and second overall in New Mexico in 2024, set the fastest time to win the elite men’s ITT on Wednesday, besting his closest rival by 37 seconds.

Starting mid-way in the 185-rider elite men’s field, Vargas clocked 32:30 on the 16.15-mile (26km) course, highlighted by 1000 feet (304.8 metres) of elevation gain. Beckam Drake (Elevate Racing) was second while last year’s overall runner-up Eric Brunner (Project Echelon Racing) finished third, 52 seconds off the pace.

Men’s defending champion Kieran Haug (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) finished in 14th place at 1:35 down, while his teammate Tyler Stites, the 2024 winner, placed fifth at one minute in arrears.

Starting 16th in the 71-rider elite women’s field, Stephens posted a time of 38:01 on the same course used by the men. She then waited in the hot seat with only Ehrlich, starting second to last, coming close. Ashley Frye (Competitive Edge Racing) rounded out the podium in third, finishing 1:14 back.

Stephens and Ehrlich faced off in the time trial at Redlands Bicycle Classic earlier this year, with Ehrlich taking the win, 45 seconds ahead of Stephens in second.