Ryan Blickem and Geneviève Jeanson began their respective races at the Outside Magazine Tour of the Gila Stage Race on Wednesday with victories in the Dan Potts Memorial Time Trial.

Blickem, racing for Healthmaxx-BOOM Enterprises, turned a time of 36:42 for the 16.15-mile, out-and-back TT, which started and finished in Tyrone, New Mexico, ascending 6394-foot Little Burro Pass in each direction. Andrew Bajadali (Vitamin Cottage) took second at 37 seconds slower, with teammate Jon Tarkington third at 0:52.

Jeanson cranked out a 40:25.92 to take the win by 45 seconds over Kimberly Baldwin (T-Mobile). Katheryn Curi (Webcor Builders) was third at 1:48.

Today brings the Silver City-Mogollon Pass Road Race, a mountainous, 94-mile grinder for men (71.5 for women), culminating in a 6.7-mile climb that gains more than 1300 feet.

The rest of the week is equally painful:

Friday: The Fort Bayard Inner Loop Road Race. Eighty miles for men, with 5781 feet of climbing; 77.9 miles and 5854 feet of vertical for women.

Saturday: Downtown Silver City Criterium A 1.08-mile circuit on city streets with four 90-degree corners and 80 feet of climbing per lap; 69.7 miles men, 27 miles women.

Sunday: The Gila Monster Road Race. The leg-breaking finale starts in Silver City and finishes in Pinos Altos. Men will race 106.4 miles and climb 9131 feet, while women tackle 71.8 miles and 5610 feet of up.

Last year’s overall winners were Scott Moninger (Health Net-Maxxis) and Amber Neben (T-Mobile). Neither started this year’s edition.

Tour of the Gila
Dan Potts Memorial Time Trial
Men
1. Ryan Blickem, Healthmaxx-BOOM Enterprises, 16.15mi in 36:42.83
2. Andrew Bajadali, Vitamin Cottage, at 0:37
3. Jon Tarkington, Vitamin Cottage, at 0:52
4. Ivan Stevic, Aerospace Engineering-VMG, at 0:53
5. Chris Brennan, at 0:59
6. Burke Swindlehurst, Team Seasilver, at 1:08
7. Phil Wong, Fiordifrutta, at 1:15
8. Todd Wells, GT-Hyundai, at 1:23
9. David Clinger, Webcor Builders, at 1:23
10. Bernard Van Ulden, Webcor Builders, at 1:28

Women
1. Geneviève Jeanson, 16.15mi in 40:25.92
2. Kimberly Baldwin, T-Mobile, at 0:45
3. Katheryn Curi, Webcor Builders, at 1:48
4. Dotsie Cowden, Colavita-Cooking Light, at 2:12
5. Brooke Ourada, T-Mobile, at 2:27
6. Lynn Gaggioli, Monex, at 2:34
7. Beverley Harper, Touchstone Climbing, at 2:51
8. Kori Seehafer, T-Mobile, at 3:16
9. Kele Hulser, Ford-Basis, at 3:21
10. Kim Anderson, Colavita-Cooking Light, at 3:22