Tour of the Gila turns 30 - Gallery

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The Tour of the Gila is among the oldest races in the US and will celebrate its 30th year when it rolls out of Silver City, New Mexico, Wednesday morning for the opening stage of the 2016 race.

Since the first edition in 1987, the race has accumulated a long list of general classification and stage winners that includes a who's who of American cycling, from Andy Bishop in the first year to Mara Abbott's record-setting four wins, including the past two in a row. 

The all-rounders' race starts with the Mogollon Road Race, which finishes on a climb to an Old West ghost town; a relatively flat road race that encircles the massive, open-pit mine that drive the local economy; a windswept and hilly time trial that favours big power; the up-and-down Silver City criterium with a fast downhill final corner; and the final 'Gila Monster' stage, which relentlessly climbs and descends for hours before the finish at Pinos Altos.

The Tour of the Gila has been a staple of American domestic racing for three decades, an we've put together 30 photos from the most recent editions of the race to help roll out the 30th edition.