What it's like to be the Lantern Rouge at a UCI Stage Race
This year I had the incredible fortune to guest ride for the Landis/Trek team at my first UCI stage race, the 2022 Tour of the Gila. I first registered for this race in Spring 2021 as a cat 3, and then when it was postponed to the Fall, I was able to move into the amateur P1/2 field when I upgraded that Summer. Early this season I was upgraded to cat 1 and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to race at the highest level. With the help of the Gila race director, I was able to connect with Brian - the Landis DS. Brian was looking to fill a few more spots on his roster and I was eager to prove my worth as a rider and hopefully get some looks at the race. I completed a seven man roster that included climbing phenoms Stephen Schaefer and Sam Gilletly, crit dawg Jim Maddock, Jordan Miller who recently placed 5th on Stage 4 of the 2021 Vuelta Ecuador, and our road captain - Joey Bacala. (The Landis/Trek squad before Stage 1. From right to left: Brian, Joey, Stephen, Sam G, Me, Jim, Jor...