Clinger, Stevic meet again in La Vuelta de Bisbee
Ivan Stevic (Aerospace Engineering-VMG) and David Clinger (Webcor Builders) headline the pro men’s field in the 27th edition of La Vuelta de Bisbee Stage Race, which kicks off Friday.
The three-day, four-stage event in the high-desert terrain of southeastern Arizona features an uphill prologue time trial, two road stages and an individual time trial, with more than 175 miles of racing and 10,000 feet of climbing for the pro/1-2 field.
Stevic was the revelation of the Sea Otter Classic road stage race April 14-17 in Monterey, California. The 24-year-old Serb won the stage-2 circuit race and bridged a six-minute gap to the leaders in the closing Fort Ord road race to finish fourth overall.
Clinger and Webcor, meanwhile, will be eager to ease the sting of being snubbed by the Tour de Georgia, where last year the squad put now-departed leader Chris Horner on the podium in third place.
Also racing in Bisbee this weekend will be some of last year’s top-10 men, including John Hunt (California Giant-Village Peddler), fifth overall in the 2004 LVDB and eighth overall in this year’s Redlands Bicycle Classic; Mike Dietrich (Fiordifruitta), sixth overall in 2004; and Scott Blanchard (Eclipse Racing), seventh last year. The start list also includes the regional Landis-Trek-VW squad and a seven-man U.S. Armed Forces cycling team that includes George Ganoung, the 2004 military national road champion.
The women’s field is considerably smaller than in years past, but has three of last year's top-10 finishers returning - Brooke Ourada of T-Mobile (second), Maatje Benassi of Excel Sports Boulder (seventh) and Carolyn Donnelly of Landis-Trek-VW (ninth).
Neither Davide Frattini (Colavita-Sutter Home), who is racing in Georgia, nor Lynn Gaggioli (Monex) will be on hand to defend their 2004 titles.
Stages
Friday, April 22: Mule Pass Individual Time Trial. This prologue TT gains 837 feet of elevation in its 2.8-mile run through the heart of Old Bisbee to the “Top of the Divide.” Malcolm Elliott set the men’s record of 9:18 in 1993; Leslie Schenk established the women’s mark of 10:33 in 1987.
Saturday, April 23: Sulphur Springs Road Race. Stage 1 covers the rolling rural highways east of Bisbee. Pro/1-2 men complete a two-lap circuit that includes 2300 feet of climbing over 79 miles.
Saturday, April 23: Warren Time Trial. This 8.3-mile, out-and-back ITT extends south to the border with Mexico, starting at Vista Park and finishing in front of Bisbee City Hall.
Sunday, April 24: Tombstone Road Race. Starting in Old Bisbee, the closing 87-mile road race weaves through the San Pedro River Valley and Tombstone. The race gains more than 6400 feet and finishes with a 5-mile-long climb that averages 6 percent grade.
| Official race website | Start list |
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