Team Kaos' Tim Farnham (right) competed at the Infineon Raceway Cougar Mountain Classic Circuit Race Sunday. Although he did not finish the 120-minute race, Farnham hung tough in the fast-paced race that featured some top professionals from Successfulliving.com, BMC Racing, Priority Health and Toyota-United.

Meanwhile, Ian Gray and Matt Landen are in Oregon, preparing for this week's Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Classic. It is the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the country and has attracted most of North America's top cyclists and teams over the years. The race also has ties to the Midwest with the late Sue Hefle of Lincoln and Team Kaos Public Relations Director Sean Weide of Omaha having previously served as chief judges for the race in 1997 and 2004, respectively.

For Gray, it will be the second time he has tackled the five-day, six-stage event. As a Cat. III last year, the Lincolnite finished seventh overall in what he refers to as a "rude awakening" in his first race in that category.

This will be the first time Gray and Landen have competed in a stage race with professionals.

"It's going to be fast, fast, fast," Gray said as he sat in a coffee shop in Eugene, Ore., Monday morning. "Since we are going to be unknown, we can sit in the peloton and do no work. Of course, that statement provokes a thought that we actually have the ability to do the work with these guys."

Gray and Landen have each set a goal of being in the top third of the field when the climbing begins. (Stages 1, 2, 5 and 6 all feature mountain climbs.)

"This way when it separates we can try to sit on some wheels," Gray said.

Landen hopes to finish in the top half overall while Gray said he would like to be in the top 50.

"Regardless of place it's going to be an excellent learning experience," Gray said.

The two will compete in the Mount Evans hill climb before returning to Nebraska for the Dave Babcook Memorial Stage Race.