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Swart and van Uden win Gila crit as Leipheimer dodges a crash, finishes on Horner's bike.
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Levi Leipheimer's Tour of the Gila almost went sideways just six corners from the end of Saturday's Downtown Silver City crit, when the race leader rolled a tire while dodging a crash. Leipheimer finished on teammate Chris Horner's bike and retained his lead.
Meanwhile, the day's victories went to the youngsters: 20-year-old New Zealander Roman van Uden of Land Rover-ORBEA and 22-year-old South African Carla Swart of Lipsmackers. Women's leader Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo TestTeam), worked hard to retain her overall advantage, driving the front of the field for much of the race before stepping aside for the sprinters' teams in the final laps.
2009 SRAM Tour of the Gila
- Stage 4: Downtown Silver City Criterium
- Men: 43.2 miles (69.6km)
- Stage winner: Roman Van Uden (Land Rover-Orbea) in 1:35.56
- Stage winner's average speed: 27.0 mph (43.5 kph)
- GC leader: Levi Leipheimer (Mellow Johnny's)
- Team GC leader: Bissell
- Stage 1 winner: Leipheimer
- Stage 2 winner: Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Colavita-Sutter Home)
- Stage 3 winner: Leipheimer
- Women: 27 miles (43.5 km)
- Stage winner: Carla Swart (Team Lip Smackers) in 1:07:20
- Stage winner's average speed: 24.1 mph (38.72 kph)
- GC leader: Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo TestTeam)
- Team GC leader: ValueAct
- Stage 1 winner: Armstrong
- Stage 2 winner: Gina Grain (Webcor Builders)
- Stage 3 winner: Armstrong
- Up next: Stage 5
- Sunday's Gila Monster stage is the "queen stage" of the SRAM Tour of the Gila. Much of the route is the reverse of stage 2's Inner Loop course, except that men do an additional 18-mile jog out to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. That jog includes one second-category climb and then a first-category climb back up and makes for a 106-mile day. It was the descent to the Cliff Dwellings where Bissell's Tom Zirbel and Tecos' Fausto Esparza crashed last year. The crash cost Zirbel a broken collarbone and the race lead. Esparza was partially paralyzed from the crash. Women do 72 miles, including three categorized climbs. All the categories finish with a long, twisty, narrow undulating climb to the old town of Pinos Altos.
A gusting wind blew course barriers around the course and — along with the largest pro men's field ever at the Gila — contributed to at least three crashes in the final laps of the men's race. All riders that were with the lead group with two laps to go were given the same time as van Uden. That included Leipheimer, second-placed Peter Stetina (Felt-Holowesko-Garmin), third-placed Chris Baldwin (Rock Racing) and Leipheimer's teammate Lance Armstrong, in fourth.
Leipheimer's adventure started on a 90-degree left-hander, a lap and a half from the finish.
"Scott Nydam crashed in front of me. I locked it up and I missed him but someone hit me from behind and it pretty much rolled the tire," Leipheimer told VeloNews.
Armstrong was just ahead of the crash and was unaffected.
The previous 38 1/2 laps were a bit less eventful. Armstrong was often at the front, closing gaps and helping keep the pack mostly intact until Fly-V's Ben Day took a flyer with about 15 laps to go. Day built up a lead of more than 40 seconds before Colavita, Trek-Livestrong and Kelly Benefit Strategies worked to haul him back with seven to go.
In the final laps, Colavita appeared to be the most organized, with Steve Bauer's Planet Energy team moving up with two to go and Livestrong's Taylor Phinney also present near the front.
But any organization got thrown out in the final two laps. Phinney got stuck behind the crash that delayed Leipheimer and twisted his handlebars (he finished on teammate Sam Bewley's bike).
Colavita's lead-out train, hoping to set up Lucas Sebastian Haedo for a second Gila stage win, got delayed by the Leipheimer/Nydam crash, and then by another pileup on the last lap. That opened the door for van Uden to enter the final turn second, jump around and take it all the way to the line. Haedo's teammate Davide Frattini helped him close some gaps after the crash and got Haedo to the turn in fifth position. The Argentinean passed three riders in the final 250 meters to take second, while Alex Howes (Felt-Holowesko-Garmin), who was second to Haedo on stage 2, was third.
Race notes
- Officials denied OUCH-Maxxis's Rory Sutherland's protest over his finishing time in the stage 3 time trial. Sutherland thinks his time was exactly a minute faster than the official time, and says his case is backed up by team director Mike Tamayo's video recording of the official start clock. USA Cycling's chief referee Bill Wycoff said he has reviewed the time sheets and everything is consistent with the official time given to Sutherland.
2009 SRAM Tour of the Gila, stage 4: Leipheimer had a quiet race, but some excitement at the finish."I can't deny that Mike has video showing what he says, but I have to go with what I have," Wycoff said.
- Phinney said his team, with a little help from Armstrong, was working to get him a stage win before the crash eliminated his chances. "This was supposed to be my day," Phinney said. "Lance pulled up to me with maybe four laps to go and was asking me what I wanted to do and you know, he was helping out a little bit, and my guys were just doing their best to stay up there. We were sort of a big cooperating team; I think we'll give them some help tomorrow."
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