Lill repeats at Sulphur Springs Road Race

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Darren Lill emerged from a 75-mile seven-rider break to take Saturday morning’s 90-mile Sulphur Springs Road Race at La Vuelta de Bisbee.

The solo victory gave Fly V Australia's Lill the leader's yellow jersey going into Saturday afternoons 7.2-mile Warren Time Trial.

The break, made up of Lill, Corey Carlson (Team Rio Grande), Christian Helmig (Metro VW), Chris Aten (Bicycle Haus), Jared Gilyard (RideClean), Ian Holt (Team Rio Grande) and Roman Kilun (UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis), had a lead of 2:02 at the KOM sprint at 20 miles, and continued to pull away to push the gap to 6:25 at the first feed zone with 43 miles covered, and 11:24 at the second feed zone at 68 miles.

Lill held a 9:35 lead over the first arrivals of the main pack at the finish. Break members hold the top seven places on GC.

The main pack, controlled by Fly V Australia and UnitedHealhcare, riding for Kilun, the virtual yellow jersey on the road, at times slowed to a crawl into a fierce headwind.

"There was no way the pack could come back," said Lill, who praised the hard work of the other riders in the break.

The break members worked smoothly together until some fierce attacks began with about 12 miles to go, shedding tired riders.

With about 8 miles to go, a grimacing Holt attacked the remaining leaders and pulled out a 10-second lead.

Kilun attacked the remnants of the break to move ahead. Lill bridged up and shot by Kilun with about three miles to go.

"I attacked and that shed everyone but Darren," Kilun said. "I made a mistake. He came up to my wheel and hit it again. I hesitated."

Kilun chased Lill the rest of the way into the finish line in Bisbee's historic downtown area to finish nine seconds behind.

Lill, who took the Sulphur Springs Road Race and the overall victory at last year's La Vuelta, said Fly V's plan was to pressure Rory Sutherland, who won Friday's prologue time trial, and his UnitedHealthcare team.

La Vuelta concludes Sunday with the Tombstone Road Race, a 84-mile trek that twice climbs the 5,930-foot Mule Pass and has historically seen large time gaps spread out the field.