Krista Dobel Hickok (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) returned home and won the first day of the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico to claim her first 2022 victory in her first year as a Women's World Tour team.

Dobel Hickok, who is competing in her ninth professional season, ran away with the final kilometer of the Mogollon category 1 climb on Wednesday to win a hard-fought battle.

The victory came a week after Dobel Hickok finished in the top 10 at La Flèche Wallonne. While the other US World teams, Human Powered Health and Trek-Segafredo, skipped the 30-year-old Tour of the Gila, a UCI 2.2-ranked event, Dobel Hickok won the only two UCI He stressed the importance of competing the Tour of the Gila, one of only two UCI stage races held in the U.S. after the pandemic's cancellation, on his home turf.

"Everyone says road racing in the US is tough. We are an American team. The only thing we can do is support the UCI events that are still being held here," Dobel-Hickok said.

Her EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team, which spends most of its season in Europe, has four North American riders for the five-day stage race.

"I really wanted to go to Europe for the World Tour race, but I'm American. But I'm American and I want to see the race go on here."

"It was really hard to come here and take the race seriously and perform, partly because I was home for two days because of jet lag.

"In the end, I gave everything I had to my sponsors, my team, my teammates, my staff, and my family. This team wanted to see me happy from the beginning, and then the results followed."

Monday's 114-km stage finished with a staircase climb to Mogollon, a historic ghost town named for its prehistoric inhabitants. It was a special day for the team and for the American climber, who took victory on the eve of his 34th birthday.

"Tomorrow is my birthday and the next day is my father's birthday. He's very supportive. I thought about him a lot today. I know how happy my parents were when I finished eighth in the Fresh. I knew a stage win would really make them happy."

Dobel-Hickok said Emily Newsom, Sarah Poitevin, and Emma Langley helped position her for the final climb to the top of the podium.

"I knew there were a lot of strong girls and I really believe we are the strongest team here and one of us can win this race.

"The girls positioned themselves perfectly. Poidevin left just enough room for me to get on her wheel. She selflessly pulled me to the base of the climb."

"I literally passed Sarah [Poidevin] and asked her, 'Empty? ' I looked back so many times, but I knew I had to go without looking back."

She wanted to avoid the déjà vu of the Mogollon climb two years earlier, when she had ridden the first stage alone and was passed by two riders with 500 meters to go. She finished fourth overall.

The American rider began her professional career in 2014 with Team TIBCO, which has operated as a UCI Continental program for the past 15 years. After racing for other UCI teams based in the U.S. for the past six years, she returned to her roots.

Last year with Rally Cycling, she crashed and retired at the Giro d'Italia Donnay, but was eager to add U.S. races to her calendar and make her debut on the Women's World Tour.

She revealed how the pressure of having to deliver results while suffering from jet lag and the support of her family helped.

"My dad sent me a message last night and told me I was feeling terrible and that everyone was expecting me to win. My dad doesn't care what everyone expects. "

Dobel Hickok will wear the race leader's jersey in Thursday's Tour of the Gila inner loop road race.

Rebecca Reza contributed to Cycling News.