SRAM Tour of the Gila race leader Mara Abbott (Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12) held the leaders jersey in the windy conditions of the Tyrone Time Trial. Her lead is 1:08 over fellow SRAM rider Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley). In fact the top ten of the race all ride SRAM componentry

Levi rolls into the staging area before his TT

The winds were no longer gusting at 50 mph, but milder 20 mph crosswinds along with colder 40 degree conditions greeted the pro Men and Women Friday morning, who were the first to start the SRAM Tour of the Gila Tyrone time trial. Crosswinds meant that riders had to choose whether or not to ride deep section rims on the front and discs on the rear. Most riders took a conservative approach to the wheel set-up, including Mens’s race leader Leipheimer.

Early on everyone was hearing that SRAM equipped Trek-LIVESTRONG rider Jesse Sergent was leading. It is often the case at time trials for there to be a surprise leader eaqrly on. Sergent, who a few editors had trouble identifying, could not be located since he had started to ride back to his hotel before all the favorites had finished, assuming he would be displaced as leader. sergent got a call and did make it back for the awards ceremony, posting a winnning time of 34:09. Sergent’s teammates were in great spirits and stuck around to cheer him onto the podium, with a few “I love you Jesse!” from Taylor Phinney and others.

Trek-LIVESTRONG’s Jesse Sergent gets pinned before the TT, surprising everyone with a great time and the stage win

Sergent warms up, I personally knew he was going to have a great day…

Leipheimer arrived at the start last minute, which made sense in the cold conditions and the race leader had to run through all the gauntlet of UCI required official measurements for his bike (see pics). Numerous riders were sent back to there team cars to make adjustments, Leipheimer made it through with time to spare.

Weighing Levi’s bike moments before he has to roll, they are calling him to the start…

Measuring Levi’s bike, he is less than a minute from his start here, time is getting tight, the GC leader remains cool

The course features two climbs and obviously two descents, but the final downhill stretch into the crosswinds was long and open and favored more powerful riders like Vera Bradley’s Alison Powers. Powers ultimately posted the winning time for the Women (39:18) and took back two minutes on the race leader. Powers now sits second with two stages to go, 1:08 back.

The Gila TT start gate

Today’s SRAM Tour of the Gila video diary – stage three:

Mara Abbott (Peanut Butter Twenty12) is all smiles early morning before the TT start, okay maybe not smiles but definitely in good spirits. This look and her climbing ability has earned her the nickname “Uniclimber”

Fly V Director Henk Vogels congratulates Trek-LIVESTRONG’s Axel Merckx after Sergent wins the TT

United HealthCare’s Chris Baldwin makes a last minute wheel change due to the crosswind conditions, he is moments from his start but waits for a lower profile front wheel from his team car

Levi (Mellow Johnny’s) finishes second on the day, ripping into the finish at over 40mph

Men’s podium – Sergent, Leipheimer, Zabriskie (DZ-Nuts)