Berger finished the 92-mile Ironhorse-A Brooks Resources Development Prineville Road Race 5 minutes and 3 seconds behind Toyota-United's Chris Wherry, who won the stage in 3 hours and 32 seconds. Sergey Lagutin of Navigators Insurance was second, 15 seconds back, while Jeff Louder of Health Net-Maxxis was 19 seconds behind in third.

A cumulative effort between Navigators, Toyota-United and Health Net shattered the field in the last half of the stage. The three teams organized themselves independently at the front when the race turned into the wind.

"I had no idea what was coming," Berger said. "I was in the back of the group when we took a left hand turn into the wind. I looked up and saw these big gaps starting to form so I hit it and kept jumping from group to group, but there were too many gaps."

Only 19 riders remained in the front group by the time the race reached the final one-mile climb up Pilot Butte to the finish.

"There was that breakaway, then another group of about the same size and then the group I was in," Berger said. "Unfortunatelly, nobody in my group wanted to work to catch up. So that kind of screwed me overall."

Berger's Vitamin-Cottage teammate Jonathan Baker, who rode for Team Kaos in the 2005 Tour of Puerto Rico, was the team's best-placed finisher in 29th, 2:52 behind.

Speaking on "The Big Show with Matt Perrault," Weide admitted it is a difficult time for the sport.

"The real unfortunate thing about the attention this situation raises is the trickle-down effect it has here in the United States," Weide said. "When you are dealing with sponsors or potential sponsors, the question about doping always comes up."

On the flip side, Weide said, the sport is taking the necessary measures to assure that its most famous competition is not tainted by allegations of drug use.

"This Tour will certainly have an asterick by it," Weide said. "But it certainly puts the Americans in a position to do well - possibly even sweep the podium places."

Competing in the Cat. I-II division, Berger finished 40 seconds behind Rio Grande/Sports Garage’s Scott Nydam in the 10-mile test that is billed as the “highest ‘flat’ time trial in the United States.” The course starts and finishes at 8,888 feet and includes two small undulations with a maximum grade of four percent.

Gray was second in the Cat. IV division of the time trial, just seven seconds off the winning time of Cory Sova of Team Einstein. He went on to finish second overall.

Farnham broke away with Trek-VW Midwest’s Adam Mills with five miles remaining in the 83-mile race. Mills outsprinted Farnham for the win, but Farnham picked up 17 points to climb one spot on the final general classification.

Team Kaos’ Chris Spence was third in the field sprint to finish in fifth place. Team President Marco Vasquez, who was tied with Farnham for sixth overall going into the race, finished ninth.

Nick Frey of the Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team won the overall Cat. I-II-III crown, while Dallas Burnum of Trek VW-Midwest was second. Team Mack Racing Association’s Clark Priebe finished third overall.

In the women’s open division, Team Kaos’ Marie Neville finished sixth in the 59-mile road race and was fourth overall. Teammate Morgan Chaffin was seventh in the road race and fifth overall.