Added Incentive to Register for Tour of the Gila Presented by New Mexico True
Monē Bikes Frameset To Be Raffled to Amateur Competitor in the Iconic Stage Race
Silver City, NM — In 2026, Tour of the Gila presented by New Mexico True will again raffle a Monē Bikes frameset to one lucky competitor in any of the five USA Cycling races. Every person who registers and shows up at the start line of the three- or four-day race is automatically entered to win.
Teenage athlete Sterling Smith's name got drawn in the raffle for a Monē Bikes Hachita frame on the day of the 2025 Downtown Silver City Criterium. "It was the best thing I've ever won and the nicest bike I've ever owned," the two-time Tour of the Gila competitor says.
Smith had been automatically entered to win when he signed up for the stage race, which was already a season highlight for the young cyclist, who's raced Valley of the Sun, Tucson Bicycle Classic, La Primavera Lago Vista, and Junior Nationals. "Tour of the Gila is by far the most fun stage race that I get the opportunity to do, he says, noting the climbing and the scenery along the courses.
Since winning the raffle for Tour of the Gila participants last year, Smith has been building the frame out into his dream bike and is using it for a bike tour in California over spring break. "I think that anyone who is interested any kind of biking would be so excited to get this bike," he says.
Further, he thinks anyone who's interested in racing bikes would be lucky to experience Tour of the Gila. "You gotta get out there and experience it. Tour of the Gila is goated."
For amateur competitors like Smith, Tour of the Gila offers five USA Cycling-sanctioned races. Expanded eligibility makes way for racers of all experience levels to take on a stage race that's either three or four stages long over as many days.
Two fields will race four stages starting with the Mogollon Road Race on Thursday, April 30. The Men 1,2 (40+ bonus) and Men 3 (40+ bonus) fields are designed for experienced, advanced, and elite athletes with USA Cycling race licenses. Individuals at the elite level who do not belong to a team participating in the UCI races may sign up to race in the Men 1,2 field.
Three fields will race three stages starting with the Inner Loop Road Race on Friday, May 1. The men's fields racing over the long weekend are Men 4,5 (40+ bonus) and Master Men 1,2,3,4 for men over age 40 (50+ bonus, 60+ bonus, 70+ bonus). The Women 1,2,3,4,5 (35+, 45+, 55+ bonus) field is an open race for females ranging from first-time road racer to elite athlete. This week, the race organization in coordination with USA Cycling, moved to include category 5 or "novice" racers just getting started in USA Cycling events.
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Tour of the Gila presented by New Mexico True is the iconic road bicycling stage race based out of Silver City, New Mexico. Since 1987, the race has become renowned worldwide for notoriously challenging courses and is a treasured favorite among cyclists at all levels. Over five days, athletes follow routes leading from the town's colorful streets, through the region's rich history, and along the edges of the nation's first designated wilderness. Sanctioned by both the global and national governing bodies of cycling, Tour of the Gila presented by New Mexico True provides a rare opportunity for amateur competitive cyclists to compete on the same courses (and on the same days) as the professional athletes. Tour of the Gila presented by New Mexico True runs from April 29 - May 3, 2026.
