After wrapping up Big Sugar in Arkansas, I headed west to Tucson for some warm-weather training and one final race to close out the season: El Tour de Tucson. This event has been around for over 40 years and is now the largest cycling event in the U.S., with over 11,000 riders showing up this year.
While most of the field treats it like a grand fondo—more relaxed and recreational—there’s still a real race happening up front. This year, the top prize was a bike worth over $10,000, which definitely raised the stakes.
The course covered 100 miles of rolling terrain around Tucson, but the real challenge was the wind. Gusts were strong enough to split the group and force some tactical changes. I started in the Platinum group, just behind the VIPs, and for the first hour we had a massive pack—close to 2,000 riders. That made things sketchy. A lot of people weren’t confident riding in a bunch, and there were plenty of crashes at the back.
Landis showed up with a full squad and played their cards well. Around mile 60, two of their guys got a gap, and the rest of the team disrupted the chase in the front group. I worked with Team Skyline and Kelly Benefits to try to reel them back in, but it didn’t stick. I launched a late attack and finished third.
I really wanted that win—not just for the result, but to secure the bike, which was the prize for first place, to help fund my 2026 season. I am still happy with finishing in third, and it was a good way to end the season. Now it’s time for a reset. I’m taking a full week off the bike—the longest break I’ve had since I started riding. Some pros take three to four weeks off annually to reset their systems and prep for the next block. For me, this week is about recovery and gearing up for what’s next.