Health Net/Maxxis demonstrated its remarkable depth with a sixth stage showing that did not include two of their best riders, Karl Menzies, who won last year’s Nature Valley Grand Prix’s overall GC or overall standings, and Nathan O’Neill, who was sitting second in the race’s overall standings this year before a stomach bug forced him to sit out today’s race.

South African phenom Darren Lill (Navigators) placed second in Stillwater, and expressed disappointment at missing the stage win. “The uphill finish it really suits me, but Frank [Pipp] was really strong and he managed to stay on top of the gear and he won it.”

The field shook out on the penultimate climb–the seventeenth of the stage–when Cesar Grajales (Jittery Joe’s) shot out in front, only to be followed by Pipp. On a false flat at the top of Chilkoot, what might have been a decisive lead lost valuable time as Grajales hesitated when Pipp refused to let him rest by taking the front. The situation was the reverse of one Grajales found himself in yesterday’s Mankato Road Race with an impatient Health Net/Maxxis rider, Nathan O’Neill. The two were soon caught by Lill.

”The situation was with Rory [Sutherland] and Kirk [O’Bee] behind me, I knew that the GC [overall standing] was gone to Ivan [Stevic] and then we just went for the win,” Pipp said. “I just sat on Cesar the whole lap, even though he wanted me to work. I still had him the benefit of Rory and Kirk at the back, and I knew could sprint up the hill on the last time around.”

“I went hard off the last climb. I was thinking I could launch Rory or Kirk, and it ended up that Darren went with me, Cesar went with me,” Pipp said. “Our team proved to be the strongest out here; we all rode pretty much together, we all got a little piece of the pie; today I just was working for mine.”

Stage-winner Pipp tipped his helmet to Stevic, saying, “He’s really strong, he had a great time trial and you can’t drop him. Our team was killing it, but individually he was the strongest of the race.”

Ivan Stevic will be the first to tell you that his first overall stage race victory in his two-and-a-half seasons as a professional was hardly an individual effort.

Stevic’s Toyota-United Pro Cycling teammates helped the 27-year-old win the opening criterium of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Then they spent the rest of the five-day, six-stage National Race Calendar event chasing down break-aways or controlling the field in the race’s remaining criterium and two road stages.

After losing the lead after Thursday night’s Cannon Falls Road Race, the two-time Serbian National Champion regained it with a stunning third-place in the following morning’s time trial.

Stevic sealed the win – and his victory in the Wheaties sprint points competition – by finishing sixth in Sunday’s criterium in the same time as winner Frank Pipp (Health Net presented by Maxxis).

On the final classification, Stevic finished 27 seconds ahead of Rory Sutherland (Health Net) in a race that covered 251 miles (405 km) in a blazingly fast 29.2 mph.

Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said the team approached the race with the idea that Stevic would win.

“He had the best odds,” Jansen said. “If you limit mistakes, you secure those odds."

“It’s always tough to ride a flawless race but that’s where the state of the team comes in. This group of guys can really pull together and make it happen. If you have a concise, clear plan in place, everyone can visualize that win and that’s they did this week.”

Henk Vogels said the timing of the victory was also good. “This was the most valuable race of the year for us as far as the NRC is concerned,” he said.

In addition to his Nature Valley Grand Prix yellow jersey, Stevic also earned the Wheaties Sprint jersey. Michael Cody (Jelly Belly) earned the Jelly Belly King of the Mountain jersey, Scott Stewart (VMG Racing) the Boost Best Young Rider jersey, and Corey Collier (Team Einstein’s Cycling) the Great River Energy Best Amateur jersey.