Building on Wednesday night's second place finish in the opening stage of Minnesota’s Nature Valley Grand Prix, Kirk O'Bee launched a perfectly timed attack on a long uphill finish in Thursday's Cannon Falls road race, putting his Health Net team back where its riders are most comfortable - on the top of the podium and in the yellow jersey.

With a 15-second time bonus for first place, O’Bee managed to bump Toyota-United's Ivan Stevic out of the lead.

Stage 2 Video Highlights

There was no wind or weather to speak of on this normally tumultuous Cannon Falls road course through the rolling corn fields southeast of the Twin Cities. There was a mid-race report of a tornado touchdown, but that was 80 miles to the south and it caused nary a ripple on Thursday’s 60-mile route.

"We were really planning for strong crosswinds, hoping to take advantage of the elements, but it never materialized," said O'Bee.

For the first half of the stage, the only drama was a massive mid-field crash just two miles out that forced the retirement of Jonathan Page - the 2007 world cyclo-cross championship silver medalist who trains here, and who took third in stage one. After recovering and regrouping, the action heated up with Jaior Perez of the Columbian National team jumping out of the field at mile 32. Navigator's Phil Zajicek bridged up right away and he was soon joined by another Columbian, Jose Serpa. The trio worked together amicably, taking regular pulls without interruption, and they built a 1:45 gap at 45 miles. But it never really grew beyond that and the break lasted just 25 miles after Toyota-United drove a chase. The effort reeled in the outliers to within 40 seconds by the time the race descended on a short section of gravel road into the village of Cannon Falls. Toyota-United may have paid too much too early. In the technical 1.5 mile finishing circuit, the team had trouble contacting the three leaders, and by the time the escapees were caught - on the third of five laps - the team fell apart. Stevic blamed the failure on injuries he sustained in a pileup in stage one, as well as illness in a key team member.

"My hip was hurting, and Chris Wherry was not feeling well for the last 20 miles," he said. "Last night, he was feeling a little bit off too, and that's a big engine that we really needed." With the leaders absorbed, Health Net, Navigators and a scrappy BMC domestic team shuffled the deck, but no team drew a flush - it was every man for himself to the line. The finish was a power sprinter's delight: A 400 meter shallow upward slope with no relief in the run out.

O'Bee timed his jump decisively, followed by Martin Gilbert of Kelley Services and BMC's Daniel Schmatz. Stivec followed in fourth, and thus lost his shirt.

The Jelly Belly boys get a bit of motor pacing in after a large crash in the peloton.

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

"I'm not sad to lose the jersey," he said. "Now I can attack again!" The women stick together
Without help or hindrance from the weather, which remained a rumor over the horizon, Kristin Amrstrong and her TEAm Lipton squad were happy to control all attacks, and the pack held together for the entire race.

When the peloton entered the finishing circuit, its steep residential streets and tight turns didn’t really favor anyone who tried to organize at the front. In other words, the course provided a perfect opportunity for a scrappy attacker from a small team.

Zajicek suffers to stay in the break

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Lipton and Cheerwine shadowboxed. Armstrong was well positioned for a lead out, but it never happened. At the line, Brooke Miller laid down her cards; she'd drawn the winning hand, despite feeling "a little off."

Behind Miller, Ryan Collegiate's Erica Allar placed second, while Laura Van Gilder and the rest of the Cheerwine team cleared the air for race leader Catherine Cheatley.

With a razor thin margin, she took third over Armstrong.

"I have to say Cheerwine did a great job today, they were really strong and they played it just right," said Armstrong graciously.

Cheatley remains in yellow, but her 21-second advantage is in grave danger for Friday morning's time trial against the world champion time trialist, who is undoubtedly ready to uncork.

Men
1. Kirk O'Bee, Health Net 2:21:31
2. Martin Gilbert (Can), Kelly Benefit Strategies, sametime
3. Daniel Schmatz BMC, at 0:01
4. Ivan Stevic (Srb),Toyota-United
5. Evan Elken, Jittery Joe's
6. Richard England (Aus), Priority Health
7. Frank Pipp, Health Net
8. James Meadley, (Aus), Jelly Belly
9. Steve Tilford, HRRC-Trek Stores, all s.t.
10.Cesar Grajales (Col,) Jittery Joe's, at 0:02 Women
1.Brooke Miller, TIBCO, 2:47:00
2.Erica Allar, Ryan Collegiate
3.Catherine Cheatley, Cheerwine
4.Kristin Armstrong, TEAm Lipton
5.Katie Mactier (Aus), ValueAct Capital
6.Laura Yoisten (Can), Webcor Builders
7.Alex Wrubleski (Can), Colavita-Sutter
8.Kori Seehafer, TEAm Lipton
9.Helen Kelly (Aus), Webcor Builders
10.Nichole Wangsgard, Group Health, all s.t.