The pair completed the 91.2-mile Ironhorse-Brooks Resources Prineville Road Race within two minutes of stage winner Ricardo Escuela (Successfulliving.com presented by ParkPre). Gray finished one minute and 20 seconds behind with a group of nine riders that also included former Team Kaos rider Jarred Berger (Team Einstein’s Cycling). Landen rolled across the finish line at the summit of Pilot Butte in a group of five riders who were 1:57 behind.

“It was actually surprising how comfortable the first day was,” Gray said. “Despite the final 1.2-mile uphill finish, there was only one climb and while the field separated a bit, it came back together.”

About six miles into the stage, seven riders escaped the field. The breakaway included two riders from Successfulliving.com, plus Doug Ollerenshaw (Health Net presented by Maxxis), Ben Day (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team), Scott Zwizanski (Priority Health Cycling Team presented by Bissell), Heath Blackgrove (Toyota-United Pro Cycling) and Scott Nydam (BMC Professional Cycling Team).

Their lead reached a maximum gap of seven minutes and 45 seconds before the pack began chasing on the way up the stage’s other climb, which came about 30 miles (48 km) from the finish.

When Day, who had been the primary driver of the break, began to fade with about 10 kilometers remaining, his Navigators team massed at the front and reeled in the escapees about a third of the way up the final climb.

“Entering the final climb, neither of us were in the best position, but we really motored up the final ascent,” Gray said.

Thursday’s stage is the 79.5-mile (127.9 km) Meridian Realty McKenzie Pass Road Race, which travels through the Dechutes National Forest past jagged lava fields featuring spectacular mountain views. It finishes with a gradual, 35-mile ascent of McKenzie pass to one of Central Oregon's favorite attractions, the Dee Wright Observatory, which sits at an elevation of 5,187 feet.

“Tomorrow is going to be another challenging day with another uphill finish,” Gray said. “If we stay toward the front we will be ready when the attacks come, particularly in the final 10 miles.”