In a very fast finish, Scott McGill (Project Echelon Racing) was victorious Thursday in the second stage of the Tour de Gila 2024, which featured a 120.7-kilometer route starting and finishing in Fort Bayard. Colombian Wilmar Paredes (Team Medellin-EPM) maintained the lead of the race.
The 25-year-old American rider won the duel with Colombian Wilmar Paredes (Team Medellín-EPM) and his compatriot Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing), who came second and third, respectively.
The day’s menu included three mountain passes: 18.7 km (11.6 miles), 32.5 km (20.2 miles) and 102.8 km (63.9 miles), as well as two intermediate sprints. Once over the third and final category 3 climb of the route, the peloton sped 16 km (10.5 miles) to Bayard and then the final 3.1 km (2.5 miles) through town to the uphill finish at Fort Bayard.
Stephen Schaefer (Landis/Trek) and Conn McDunphy (Team Skylight) spent some time out of the lead, but the race came back together once the major climbs were over. A big crash split the peloton on the way to Fort Bayard, but all the jersey holders avoided the crash.
Project Echelon managed the finish to perfection, securing the stage win for McGill and putting Stites in the lead heading into the stage three time trial.
s for the general classification, Wilmar Paredes (Team Medellín-EPM) from Antioquia is still in command. The paisa is escorted by the American Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) and by his countryman Walter Vargas (Team Medellín-EPM), who completes the podium.
In the closing of the fraction, the local rider Stephen Schaefer (Landis Cyclery/Trek) tried to surprise with a distant attack, but Team Medellin-EPM kept him under control, giving him capture in the final kilometers.
This Friday, the U.S. round will continue with the third stage, an individual time trial with a 26-kilometer course starting and finishing in Tyrone. The successor of the American Alex Hoehn, last year’s champion, will be known on Sunday in Piños Altos (New Mexico), after five grueling days of competition.
Tour of the Gila (2.2)
Results Stage 2 | Ft. Bayard – Ft. Bayard (120,7 km)
| 1 | Scott McGill | Project Echelon Racing | 3:07:04 |
| 2 | Wilmar Paredes | Team Medellín-EPM | ,, |
| 3 | Tyler Stites | Project Echelon Racing | ,, |
| 4 | Cade Bickmore | Project Echelon Racing | ,, |
| 5 | Brody McDonald | Aevolo | ,, |
| 6 | Sebastián Brenes | Canel’s – Java | ,, |
| 7 | Sean Christian | Aevolo | ,, |
| 8 | Ulises Castillo | Above & Beyond Cancer Cycling p/b Bike World | ,, |
| 9 | Samuel Boardman | Project Echelon Racing | ,, |
| 10 | Cormac McGeough | Canel’s – Java | ,, |
Ranking General
| 1 | Wilmar Paredes | Team Medellín-EPM | 6:29:04 |
| 2 | Tyler Stites | Project Echelon Racing | 0:06 |
| 3 | Walter Vargas | Team Medellín-EPM | 0:25 |
| 4 | Heiner Parra | Canel’s – Java | 0:35 |
| 5 | Óscar Sevilla | Team Medellín-EPM | 0:45 |
| 6 | Róbigzon Oyola | Team Medellín-EPM | 1:12 |
| 7 | Brayan Sánchez | Team Medellín-EPM | 1:33 |
| 8 | Efrén Santos | Canel’s – Java | 1:36 |
| 9 | Kieran Haug | CS Velo Racing | 2:08 |