DOUGLAS — Dan McGehee rolled to yet another win in the Cochise County Cycling Classic on Saturday.

It was his sixth consecutive victory, and ninth of his career, completing the 252-mile main ride of the event in 12 hours and 27 minutes.

“Every year is so different. Compared to the last few years, the wind in general was so much more pleasant,” McGehee said. “It’s just a great event. I love coming down because the people are so nice.”

McGehee said he wasn’t even committed to the race until Monday. Between last year’s win in 12:45.45 and Saturday, the Mesa optometrist had spent the his time away from working and watching his kids in recitals or sporting events training to break the 100-mile world track record, 3:47:26, set by Rod Evans in 1994 in the Australia indoor velodrome.

He missed it by nine seconds when he attempted it in June at the LA Velodrome, a 250-meter indoor wood bicycle racing track.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve done in my life,” McGehee said. “I got into the last 10 miles and just started losing a half a second, three-quarters of a second. You get near the end of it, and you think, ‘I’m pushing as hard as I can, I’ve gotta be going faster than I was a half hour ago.’ You’re actually going slower, and you don’t realize it. You lose perspective, you lose power. You go as hard as you can, and that’s it. And that’s how it came out.”

Yes, McGehee is planning on attempting it again. The 47-year-old said he doesn’t have much time left, though.

“I’m getting old,” he said. “You don’t see anybody at 48 or 50 breaking those records.”

At the end of Saturday’s ride, McGehee stopped short of the finish line, hopped off his bike and put his arms around two members of his crew, Al Schott and Marty Ryerson, as race officials pointed to the finish line just a few feet ahead.

McGehee never takes sole credit for his victories.

“Without them taking handoffs, doing bike switches, everything you can imagine you need out there,” he said. “Trying to do this on my own, it would be so hard. To me, it’s a team event. I’m just the one riding. We have fun, tell some jokes, just keep it in perspective that it’s just a bike ride. It’s not the Tour de France.”

Sheila Foraker, the event director, said the Classic brought 366 riders to the four-race event this year, which also added a four-mile fun ride to the mix for the first time.

“It’s the 22nd year we’ve done this, and we come to town, we import these riders and we leave,” Foraker said. “It’s not a community event. It’s high time there was something for the local riders.”

The majority of the cyclists who come out for the 45-, 92-, 157- and 252-mile rides are from Tucson or the Phoenix area, with a few from Sierra Vista, northern Arizona and from out of state.

Foraker said another reason to add the short fun ride was to encourage younger cyclists to get involved in the sport. A few BMX riders from the Bicipartes bike shop came to Castro Park to show off a few stunts for spectators while they waited for the road riders to hit the finish line.

“It was completely different, and I think a lot of people were entertained,” Foraker said. “The freestyle things are different, but the kids out doing the BMX racing on dirt tracks, lots of them go on to mountain biking and some of those cross into road riding as they grow into adults. It’s a way to get them onto a bike and doing something active.”

Jessica Walker, 31, of Tucson, was the first woman to finish the 252-mile race on Saturday, crossing in 17 hours, six minutes.

In the 157-mile race, it was a photo finish between three Tucson cyclists who came in at 7 hours, 25 minutes. Jame Carney, an Olympic track cyclist, finished first for the men, followed by Kurt Garbe and Richard Horn. Beth Utley of Oro Valley finished first for the women in 9:04.19.

In the 92-mile race, Eric Stephen of Simi Valley took first for the men with 3:56.58 just in front of Taylor Hansen of Queen Creek in 3:56.59. Bora Leonard won the women’s race in 4:05.15, crossing the finish line along with her dad, Mike Leonard.

Peter Fry of Tucson won the 45-mile men’s race in 2:03.15, just ahead of Hereford’s Craig Liming in 2:03.16. Kimberly Truitt of Tucson finished in 2:04.17 to take first for the women.

Douglas had several riders compete Saturday. Randall Meek of Elfrida placed 23rd in the 45-mile race with a time of 2:24.30; Jesse Bruner of Douglas was  27th with a time of 2”32.05; Moses Dominguez was 35th with a time of 2:45.45; Kerry Forsythe was 60th with a time of 3:48; Arnold Romero, 68th, 4:38.30.

In the 92 mile raceRichard Bruce finished 96th with a time of 5:24.28;  Ruben Teran finished 129th with a time of 6:10.48 and Jose Ceja was 130th with a time of 6:13.

There were no local riders in the 157 or 252 mile race.