Volunteering as a either a race marshal or a support driver is a great ways to get involved with the Tour of the Gila. But short of actually riding in the race itself, hosting riders is perhaps the best way to gain a close-up, personal view of the Tour Of The Gila. And nothing says you can't be a Marshall or a support driver AND host riders, too! The following is just one example of the sort of things hosts experience.

"It's such a monumental event!!" That's exactly the way Josh, the bike racer my wife and I hosted for the 2002 Tour Of The Gila, described the event. His feeling about the Tour was one of the main reasons Josh ultimately decided to do the 100 mile "Gila Monster" stage on Sunday despite having begun feeling sick on Saturday and still not being in top condition the next morning. Since we were also driving a support vehicle for the race, we were at the finish line when Josh came in. He looked predictably exhausted, but as we approached him we also noticed that he had some serious "road rash". It turned out that despite feeling less than 100% that morning, he'd made it into 16th place or so before crashing just three miles from the finish. Luckily Josh wasn't seriously hurt, unlike his bike. His front wheel had been badly bent and, not wanting to wait for a support vehicle that close to the finish, Josh pulled the wheel, beat it on the road until it was straight enough to work, cut his front brake cable with wire cutters borrowed from some nearby National Guardsmen so the wheel wouldn't rub, and finished the race having dropped only about ten places. His main comment on the whole thing? "Well, I've done about 42 races or so this season and I haven't crashed 'til now. It was probably about time....." We took him back to the house, doctored him up, and that was that - no complaining, no self-pity, just the breaks of the game. In six days Josh had already afforded us many personal glimpses into the life of a bike racer, and we had come to know and genuinely admire him. Bike racers are, after all, what the Tour of the Gila is really all about. That day we really got to see what they're made of, and we got hooked on hosting.

WHY ARE HOSTS NEEDED?
As with other sports, these athletes do what they do because they love the sport. The lucky few are paid professionals. Most of the other riders who compete are doing so without sponsorship of any kind. The travel involved in bike racing is extensive and expensive, and some riders might not be able to participate in the Tour Of The Gila without hosts.

GETTING STARTED
Once you've made the decision to be a host, contact Trish Geels, email trishgeels6@msn.com or call (575)-388-5236 or Jack Brennan (575) 388-3222. Trish will ask you your preferences (male or female riders and how many?) and then put you on the list. The riders seeking hosts contact Trish, and she makes the matches. About three weeks prior to the race, she'll let you know who your guests will be. The rider(s) themselves will contact you by phone soon after that, and you can make specific arrangements with them. Some riders like to arrive a day or two ahead of time to get acclimatized. Five to seven nights is the usual total length of stay, but that's between you and them. Many leave on Sunday after the race. Riders who return the following year have first dibs on their previous hosts, the riders should contact their previous host by March 1st. After that the host may be assigned a new rider. (There can be some pretty neat moments even during those first phone contacts. I mentioned over the phone to Josh that I had become interested in riding and racing in high school in N.J. through a friend of my brother's, Mike Fraysee, who had gone on to manage the Olympic bike team for a couple of years. Turned out that Josh, who's from L.A., had recently gone to Cuba with Mike for a race that he puts together there each year. It was a nice connection...)

ACCOMMODATIONS
It's nice to have a spare bed or two, but riders have been known to sleep on the floor if need be. We provide bedding, towels and a turn in the shower after we're done. All that's truly necessary is a place to sleep and shower and cook. We have a small, two bedroom, one bath home. The guys we've hosted have never inconvenienced us at all, and considered the fact that we have a shed where they could store and prepare their bikes a luxury.

FOOD
Riders are responsible for their own food and its preparation. It helps to set aside some space in your refrigerator that is theirs for the duration of their stay, and they'll need access to the stove, etc. The guys we've hosted have been utterly polite and considerate, and no problem at all in the kitchen. We always offer to cook a meal or two for them if they'd like, but it isn't at all necessary to do so. And while not guaranteed, it's not at all unusual for riders to take their hosts to dinner as well.

ETC.
My wife and I had watched and photographed the Tour for several years and felt we wanted to help out in some way. We'd thought about hosting for a while and finally decided to go for it. Now we wish we'd done it sooner. We've gotten to know more about bike racing and the Tour Of The Gila itself than we ever imagined we might, and have been afforded a truly personal view of what's involved. Bike racers are amazing athletes and genuinely remarkable individuals. They also tend to be thoroughly pleasant and very likable individuals. Through hosting, we've been privileged to become friends with some of them, and we look forward to getting to know others in years to come. Thanks for your interest in hosting !! Riders are already making requests for housing, so come on and sign up - it's definitely a great way to get involved in the Tour Of The Gila! AND REMEMBER - you can host and do other volunteer duties as well.

SUPPORT DRIVERS & MECHANICS
Want to get an up-close view of the TOTG racers for more than a few minutes at a time? Support drivers and mechanics are right there with the racers all the way from start to finish, and their experience of the race itself is second only to the racers'. Support drivers are needed to supply riders with spare wheels in case they have a flat, and to provide for certain other needs during the race as well. Mechanics are the people who actually exchange wheels with the riders and may occasionally assist them with a wheel change. Depending upon how many mechanics are available, support drivers may handle both jobs. Several vehicles are required for each different category of racers on each day of the race except the time trials, so the need for drivers & mechanics is quite substantial. While experience is helpful, it is not required. After all, you've gotta start somewhere, right?

GETTING STARTED
If you'd like to drive a support vehicle or ride along as a mechanic, please contact Michelle Geels at (575) 534-2687, or e-mail her at racemistress@tourofthegila.com. Also, if you'd rather not drive but have an appropriate, reliable vehicle that you'd be willing to allow someone else to drive, we're looking for those as well. Again, contact Michelle. Michelle will notify you, usually by phone, of your specific assignment, and will notify you if there are any changes in assignment. The type of vehicle you drive does matter. Small pickups with an open bed are great, and large ones are O.K., too. Small, low profile sedans with sunroofs and convertibles are also good. Large SUV's and sedans don't work well for this purpose, however.

LEARNING THE ROPES (SPOKES?)
Drivers meet for one evening a few days before the race for instructions. For being such a vital function, driving support and being a mechanic are both actually relatively simple. Drivers will be issued color coded "credentials" which identify your vehicle as an official race vehicle for a particular category of racers, and you'll be taught how to handle a wheel exchange properly in order to ensure that each racer gets his or her own wheels back when the race is over. Besides learning how to tell a 9-speed from a 10-speed rear wheel, it involves some very simple but important record-keeping. Most importantly, however, you get a free TOTG Race Staff T-shirt and directions to the volunteer party......ON RACE DAY
You'll be expected at the starting area prior to the start of your category's race. You'll be issued a "BIKE RACE AHEAD" sign for the rear of your vehicle, and a radio for communication with the other support drivers in your group. Bring a pad or clipboard and pencil to keep track of racers you may have to leave behind, and an envelope for keeping track of wheel tags doesn't hurt. It also helps to carry an old, clean blanket to protect your vehicle's seats should you need to transport a mildly injured rider (This is relatively unlikely, but possible. Emergency vehicles are available and handle most such needs.) Bring snacks and soft drinks for the drive, which is a long, slow one, and it's nice to have a few bottles of water with you in case a rider really needs one.

THE RACE ITSELF
There's no way to effectively explain what the driving itself is like and what all it involves. Suffice it to say that you learn as you go, and there's always someone there on the radio to ask if you have any questions once you're rolling. You simply have to pay close attention, use your head, and do as COM 1 (the main support vehicle for each group) tells you to - and enjoy the race and the ride.