Today’s Tour of the Gila came out and bit the race leader, Levi Leipheimer, with just six corners remaining in Saturday’s Downtown Silver City Crit. Leipheimer had to avoid a crash that happened right in front of him, and in doing so he rolled his tire and went down. But the quick thinking of Chris Horner saved Levi’s day. Horner hoped off his bike and gave it to Leipheimer so he could finish the race and maintain his overall lead.

The men’s race was won by Roman van Uden (Land Rover-Orbea) with a solid finish. And the women’s race was won by Carla Swart (Lipsmackers), with overall leader Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team) hanging onto her overall lead.

Today’s race threw some very windy conditions at the riders which caused more than a few crashes.

Stage 4: Downtown Silver City Criterium
Men: 43.2 miles (69.6km)
Stage winner: Roman Van Uden (Land Rover-Orbea) in 1:35.56
Stage winner’s average speed: 27.0 mph (43.5 kph)
GC leader: Levi Leipheimer (Mellow Johnny’s)
Team GC leader: Bissell
Stage 1 winner: Leipheimer
Stage 2 winner: Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Colavita-Sutter Home)
Stage 3 winner: Leipheimer

Women: 27 miles (43.5 km)
Stage winner: Carla Swart (Team Lip Smackers) in 1:07:20
Stage winner’s average speed: 24.1 mph (38.72 kph)
GC leader: Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo TestTeam)
Team GC leader: ValueAct
Stage 1 winner: Armstrong
Stage 2 winner: Gina Grain (Webcor Builders)
Stage 3 winner: Armstrong

Up next: Stage 5
Sunday’s Gila Monster stage is the “queen stage” of the SRAM Tour of the Gila. Much of the route is the reverse of stage 2′s Inner Loop course, except that men do an additional 18-mile jog out to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. That jog includes one second-category climb and then a first-category climb back up and makes for a 106-mile day. It was the descent to the Cliff Dwellings where Bissell’s Tom Zirbel and Tecos’ Fausto Esparza crashed last year. The crash cost Zirbel a broken collarbone and the race lead. Esparza was partially paralyzed from the crash. Women do 72 miles, including three categorized climbs. All the categories finish with a long, twisty, narrow undulating climb to the old town of Pinos Altos.