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BISBEE — Short as it is, the prologue, the opening stage of La Vuelta de Bisbee isn’t a primary factor in determining the overall winner of the race.
But covering the last uphill climb of Sunday’s final stage, it gives insight into which riders are the top climbers and therefore, the favorites to win.
“That’s the stage that’s been there since the beginning and hasn’t changed,” race organizer Albert Hopper said. “It gives the riders a chance to go anaerobic at the start. It’s a teaser, it gets every up to push hard right at the beginning.”
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Malcolm Elliott of England set the record for the prologue back in 1993, in the old, longer format of the race.
He didn’t win the overall title, but last year’s overall winner Phil Zajicek of Tucson set the tone for his championship by grabbing the yellow jersey with a time of 10 minutes, 25 seconds in the prologue, 1:07 behind Elliott.
Drew Miller, the 2002 champion, won the final stage last year and finished second to Zajicek. He finished 13 seconds behind Zajicek in the first stage.
Both are back, but may not be favorites, as a handful of new riders from new teams are flooding the field.
“It’s going to be a very interesting race,” Hopper said. “There’s no big teams, but a lot of good racers, so we’ll see what happens.”
The prologue begins today in front of the Copper Queen Hotel in Old Bisbee. One at a time, 30 seconds apart, the riders climb through Tombstone Canyon and exit on West Blvd., heading up the trail to the top of the Mule Pass Tunnel, where they finish in the same place they will on Sunday.
The prologue begins at 4:45 p.m. and will run for approximately three hours. Roads will remain open to traffic, but motorists are asked to pay special attention to cyclists.
Saturday’s events will include a road race and the Warren time trial at 3 p.m.
