Rally Cycling captured its second straight win today at the Tour of the Gila with Eric Young sprinting to victory in the race’s second stage. In addition to making it two straight wins for the team, it was the third time Young has won the Inner Loop Road Race. Stage one winner Matteo Dal-Cin finished in the peloton and maintained his overall lead. The men's squad continues to lead the Team Classification while the women's team kept Sara Bergen within striking distance of the final podium.

“It was a good day,” said Young after taking the stage victory. “The guys rode well all day, managing the break and keeping Matteo’s leader’s jersey safe. I felt decent all day and wanted to go for the win. Danny (Pate), Colin (Joyce), and Sepp (Kuss) made sure the breakaway stayed close, and in the final few kilometers, Adam (de Vos) made some tremendous efforts to keep me in a good position. I’m euphoric to win the Inner Loop Road Race again. It is one of my favorites, and it's even more special today as it comes the day after Matteo’s excellent performance yesterday. The time trial is tomorrow, which will be critical for the overall. Hopefully, we can continue our success!”

Matteo Dal-Cin kept his overall lead and looks to gain time in tomorrow's time trial

The Inner Loop Road Race is a longstanding tradition at the Tour of the Gila, beginning and ending in Ft. Bayard, just outside of Silver City. The stage saw a strong four-man breakaway go clear early on the Category 1 climb of Pinos Altos. Despite the harsh terrain, the peloton was aggressive throughout the day, and the breakaway never gained a large advantage. With a sprint finish inevitable, most riders in the breakaway laid down arms with only one rider pushing forward. With Young a likely candidate for his third stage victory, Rally Cycling pushed on to reel in the move in time for the finishing sprint.

“Things again went well for us today," said Team Director Pat McCarty. “The guys were on point from the beginning, and we took responsibility when needed. It was a fast start, and eventually there was a pretty active group of four off the front about halfway through the stage. We pulled it back close enough so the major general classification threats sat up and came back to the peloton. We kept it controlled over the final climb and at a reasonable pace for Eric. UnitedHealthcare put together a good final lead out, but Eric was able to come around everyone before the line.”

Sara Bergen maintained her position in the top five

In the women’s race, Sara Bergen nearly continued her incredible streak of podium finishes ultimately coming home with a solid fifth-place. The result maintained her position in the top five overall, and she is only 20 seconds off the lead and well within striking distance. Emma White continued her rise through the ranks with a solid 16th place. The result moved her into second place in the best young rider competition. A noted time trialist, having earned a silver medal in the discipline in the Junior World Championships, White could find herself leading the competition after tomorrow’s race against the clock.

Next for the riders is the notorious 26-kilometer Tyrone time trial. A tough test against the clock sees the riders battle desert winds and over 1000 ft of elevation gain. A recent trip to the A2 Wind Tunnel in North Carolina, should provide Dal-Cin, Joyce, and Kuss an advantage and help keep the red jersey in the hands of Rally Cycling.

Tour of Gila Stage 2 | Men
1. Eric Young (Rally Cycling)
2. Travis McCabe (UnitedHealthcare)
3. Jose Alfredo Aguirre Infante (Canel's Specialized)
4. Michael Rice (Axeon Hagens Berman)
5. Michael Hernandez (Aevolo)
6. Francisco Mancebo (Canyon Bicycles)
7. Robin Carpenter (Holowesko / Citadel)
8. Alexander Cowan (Silber Pro Cycling)
9. Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto (Belly p/b Maxxis)
10. Robert Squire (Canyon Bicycles)

General Classification After Stage 2 | Men
1. Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling)
2. Travis McCabe (UnitedHealthcare)
3. Daniel Jaramillo (UnitedHealthcare)
4. Jose Alfredo Aguirre Infante (Canel's Specialized)
5. Stephen Bassett (Silber Pro Cycling)
6. Chad Beyer (Canyon Bicycles)
7. Taylor Shelden (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis)
8. Adam De Vos (Rally Cycling)
9. Francisco Mancebo (Canyon Bicycles)
10. Robert Britton (Rally Cycling)

Tour of Gila Stage 2 | Women
1. Lex Albrecht (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank)
2. Tayler Wiles (UnitedHealthcare)
3. Scotti Lechuga (Hagens Berman Supermint)
5. Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling)
6. Lizzie Williams (Hagens Berman / Supermint)
7. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (Cylance Pro Cycling)
8. Ruth Winder (UnitedHealthcare)
9. Katherine Hall (UnitedHealthcare)
10. Lauren Stephens (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank)

General Classification After Stage 2 | Women
1. Tayler Wiles (UnitedHealthcare)
2. Scotti Lechuga ((Hagens Berman Supermint)
3. Katherine Hall (UnitedHealthcare)
4. Ruth Winder (UnitedHealthcare)
5. Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling)
6. Lauren Stephens (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank)
7. Emma Grant (Colavita/Bianchi)
8. Lex Albrecht (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank)
9. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (Cylance Pro Cycling)
10. Megan Alderete (Hagens Berman Supermint)