Tour of the Gila: Samuel Florez and Kylee Hanel win Gila Monster stage 5 finale

The 2026 Tour of the Gila concluded with impressive performances in the demanding Gila Monster stage 5, featuring significant climbing and challenging terrain. On the women’s side, the Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment team dominated the 65.9-mile stage, securing a clean sweep of the podium. Kylee Hanel claimed a solo victory, finishing nearly a minute ahead of her teammates Grace Arlandson and Lauren Stephens, who successfully defended her overall title for the third consecutive year. Stephens’ consistent strength throughout the event was underscored by three stage wins and a firm hold on the leader’s jersey from start to finish. The women’s final standings reflected the dominance of the Aegis squad, who made history by winning all the classification jerseys for the first time in the race’s 39-year history. Stephens took the mountains classification, Arlandson secured the sprint jersey, and Hanel was awarded best young rider honours. Outside the Aegis team, Ashley Frye and Emily Gilbert maintained their positions in second and third overall, respectively, rounding out a competitive top tier in the women’s race. The team also triumphed in the overall teams classification, cementing their status as the event’s standout squad. In the men’s race, Modern Adventure’s Samuel Florez emerged victorious on the final stage in Piños Altos, finishing ahead of teammate Kieran Haug and Henrique de Silva Avancini from Localiza Meoo-Swift. Despite finishing third on the stage, de Silva Avancini’s performance was enough to overturn a time deficit and claim the overall men’s title, finishing 24 seconds ahead of Haug. Diego Camargo of Medellín-EPM completed the podium in third place, while the previous race leader Walter Vargas struggled on the punishing 100.6-mile stage and dropped significantly in the general classification. The men’s classifications also saw strong individual performances with Robinson López taking the mountains jersey and Patrick Welch winning the sprint classification. Florez, who finished fourth overall, was recognised as the best young rider, highlighting the depth of talent within the Modern Adventure team. Their collective strength was further emphasised by having four riders in the top ten and securing the teams classification victory. The 2026 Tour of the Gila thus concluded with dominant team displays and notable individual achievements across both the men’s and women’s fields.