Springfield, MO (September 12, 2007) Dominique Rollin of the Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling Team, presented by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. finished third in Stage 2 of the Tour of Missouri, showing the world that he truly is among best riders in professional cycling. Rollin spent most of the day in a breakaway that dominated the field before notching his podium finish behind Frank Pipp and stage winner, George Hincapie.

Stage-2 was an odd day that saw several crashes in the field and a pace at the front that slashed the number of riders vying for the Tour win to only a few. Just seven miles into the stage, Missouri native Dan Schmatz of Team BMC struck an armadillo that wandered on to the course. The rodent triggered a brutal crash that resulted in Schmatz withdrawing from the race and being taken to the hospital for treatment of facial injuries and a broken collarbone. Kodak Gallery’s Cody O’Reilly was also involved in the crash and despite hitting the ground so hard he broke his bike, O’Reilly was able to rejoin the field with only a bruised hip.

Not long thereafter, a 12 rider breakaway formed that featured riders from eleven of the race’s fifteen teams. With Toyota United the only high ranked team not represented, the majority of the field was content to let them get away. Working well together, the group opened a gap that grew to more than 15 minutes as the miles ticked by.

Back in the field, Kodak Gallery’s Ben Raby suffered a fleeting mechanical problem that caused him to catapult over his handlebars and onto the road. Raby suffered a serious laceration to his chin, but showed great courage in resuming the race. After treatment by the race medic while still riding, Raby rejoined the field and finished the day with the peloton.

The breakaway group entered the final 2-mile finishing circuit more than 14 minutes ahead of the charging field. Coming into the final meters, Tour de France veteran Hincapie showed his strength and experience launching his final sprint for the line a split second ahead of his competitors, edging out Frank Pipp and Dominique Rollin by a narrow margin. The high placing moved Rollin into 2nd place in the general classification just four seconds behind Hincapie. Rollin also now sits in second in the prestigious points leader contest. On the day, the breakaway riders established a fourteen minute advantage on the remainder of the field all but assuring the podium at the end of the race will be filled with riders who made today’s crucial move.

Up next for the racers is the stage tree time trial in showtune capital of America, Branson, Missouri.