Mitchel Clinton
las carreras calientes hot races of the southwest
– a rider’s eye view
In recent years, stage racing in the desert Southwest has become hotter than a steaming, greasy plate of huevos rancheros smothered in chile verde with extra chorizo. We sent Mountain Flyer’s skinny-tired correspondent Joshua Liberles, a first-year pro on the Colavita/NM PB JNF Squad, on one big insane block of stage racing and asked him to chronicle the pandemonium.
The author, Josh Liberles, leads out a breakaway, only to be swallowed up by the peleton near the finish of the downtown criterium at the Tour of the Gila stage race in Silver City, N.M. No worries. This was just one of many races he had a chance to make his mark in this spring.
by Josh Liberles
Okay, cue the appropriate mariachi-style horns and get ready for a whirlwind Ring-of-Fire, six-week racing adventure through the Southwest. To get my fitness to a level that wouldn’t crack until this insane block was done, I worked with my coach, John Verheul. I needed him. I was about to embark on 17 stages, 824 miles and lots of huevos rancheros. At least that was the goal.
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