O'Neill is enjoying his return to the podium after a tough early season

Photo: Tom Spross

Mara Abbott (Webcor) rode into the lead of the Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila on Thursday after winning the Silver City-Mogollon Road Race.

Nathan O’Neill (Health Net-Maxxis), meanwhile, solidified his grip on the overall by finishing second on the stage, 10 seconds behind winner Colombian Hernan Munoz (P&S Halcones), putting more distance between himself and his primary rivals, defending Gila champ Chris Baldwin (Toyota-United) and Scott Moninger (BMC).

Women raced 73.1 miles, and men 94.1 miles. But both finished with the grinding, steep Mogollon climb — a switchback-laden stretch of road soaring 1500 feet in just under three miles. The ascent, 19 percent at its steepest, proved decisive in both races.

O’Neill, winner of Wednesday’s opening Tyrone Time Trial, enjoyed a fairly routine day. A six-man break containing danger man Ivan Stevic (Toyota-United) separated itself from the peloton early, but O’Neill used strongmen Ryder Hesjedal, Doug Ollerenshaw and Roman Kilun to reel the break in by the beginning of the final climb.

“I think Jelly Belly was trying to set up [Andy] Bajadali up the climb, but I took over and just hit it,” the Aussie said. “I didn’t attack, I just wound it up. I looked back and there were only two guys behind.”

Only Baldwin and Munoz were able to match O’Neill. Munoz attacked at the top of the crest and went on to claim the victory, 10 seconds ahead of O’Neill. The race leader let him go, first marking Baldwin, then dropping him, leaving the American to finish third, 25 seconds behind.

After the stage, Baldwin sat in second place overall, 1:59 down on O’Neill. Munoz is third at 2:49 with Moninger fourth at 2:58.

For O’Neill, whose early season was wracked by a series of crashes and mishaps, the strong performance comes not a minute too soon. He missed the Amgen Tour of California after doctors found a hairline fracture in his hip, the result of being hit by a car on a training ride in Australia. Two months later, while returning from a press function for the Tour of Georgia, O’Neill was involved in an auto accident that left him with 17 stitches in his left arm. Next was a staph infection in the wound, just in time for the Tour de Georgia, where he placed third overall.

“I was disappointed for sure. I turned up to Georgia and said to my teammates, ‘I’m an angry man. I am frustrated and I want to cut loose,’” O’Neill said. “What I’m doing now is what everyone expects of me. It feels good to deliver.”

Abbott cranks up the volume
Like O’Neill, Abbott simply dialed up the pace on the Mogollon climb and dropped the women’s field. The stage win vaulted the U23 national road and time-trial champ ahead of teammate Rachel Heal and into the pink leader’s jersey.

Brooke Ourada (Cheerwine) crossed second at 1:04 with Dotsie Bausch (Colavita-Sutter Home) third at 1:31.

America’s top women stage racers skipped this year’s Gila — both Kristin Armstrong (Team Lipton) and Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) are competing in Europe — but Abbott’s accomplishment bears weight nonetheless. It’s the first time the 21-year-old junior at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, has ever led a major stage race.

“It’s a bummer not having to race against them, but not having [Armstrong and Neben] here gives us an opportunity to have more responsibility in the race,” Abbott said. “They’re our mentors, and not having them here we have to figure things out ourselves.”

The Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila continues on Friday with the Fort Bayard Inner Loop Road Race.

2007 Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila Stage Race
Stage 2 — Mogollon Road Race
Men
1. Hernan Munoz (Col), P&S-Halcones, 94.1mi in 3:57:02
2. Nathan O’Neill (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, at 0:10
3. Chris Baldwin, Toyota-United, at 0:35
4. Scott Moninger, BMC, at 0:45
5. Anthony Colby, Colavita-Sutter Home, at 0:49
6. Justin England, Toyota-United, at 0:53
7. Andy Bajadali (Jelly Belly), at 1:00
8. David Solomon, P&S-Halcones, at 1:03
9. Burke Swindlehurst, Toyota-United, at 1:16

Women
1. Mara Abbott, Webcor, 73.1mi in 3:44:09
2. Brooke Ourada, Cheerwine, at 1:04
3. Dotsie Bausch, Colavita-Sutter Home, at 1:31
4. Rachel Heal, Webcor, at 1:33
5. Anne Samplonius (Can), Expresscopy.com, at 1:40
6. Nicole Evans, Team Lipton, at 1:47
7. Leigh Hobson, Cheerwine, at 1:57
8. Amber Rais, Webcor, at 2:20
9. Marisa Asplund, Tibco, at 2:41
10. Betina Hold, Cheerwine, at 2:50

Overall (fter two stages)
Men
1. Nathan O’Neill (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, 4:30:15
2. Chris Baldwin, Toyota-United, at 1:59
3. Hernan Munoz (Col), P&S-Halcones, at 2:49
4. Scott Moninger, BMC, at 2:58
5. Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Health Net-Maxxis, at 3:24
6. Ben Jacques-Maynes, Priority Health, at 3:35
7. Tom Peterson, Slipstream-Chipotle, at 3:45
8. Burke Swindlehurst, Toyota-United, at 3:45
9. Anthony Colby, Colavita-Sutter Home, at 3:48
10. Justin England, Toyota-United, at 3:56

Women
1. Mara Abbott, Webcor, 4:24:11
2. Rachel Heal, Webcor, at 0:58
3. Dotsie Bausch, Colavita-Sutter Home, at 1:26
4. Anne Samplonius (Can), Expresscopy.com, at 2:33
5. Amber Rais, Webcor, at 3:08
6. Brooke Ourada, Cheerwine, at 3:10
7. Leigh Hobson, Cheerwine, at 3:24
8. Nicole Evans, Team Lipton, at 3:40
9. Leah Goldstein (Can), Symmetrics, at 4:05
10. Betina Hold, Cheerwine, at 5:37