Columbia, MO - Jeff Louder of the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented Maxxis took one more step toward sewing up the Michelob Ultra King of the Mountains competition at the Tour of Missouri Friday.

Louder took the maximum points in the one and only KoM on today's 214 km run from Lebanon to Columbia. Louder opened up a six-point lead over Darren Lill (Navigators) in the competition.

Louder was part of a 10-man break that departed the front of the peloton 80 km into the stage. He was joined by teammate Ryder Hesjedal in the break. The break achieved a maximum gap of about five minutes, with the Discovery team of race leader George Hincapie keeping the front group on a fairly short leash.

"Today was a hard day, being in the break all day," Louder said. "The course was really undulating with a lot of headwind."

As the kilometers ticked off, the sprinters' teams took over pacemaking at the front of the bunch and the gap gradually began to erode. As the peloton got within 30 seconds, Louder took one last dig with Lill in tow, but they were absorbed in the last few kilometers. The work of Prodir-Saunier Duval paid off as they delivered their Brazilian sprinter Luciano Pagliarini to the line for the stage win ahead of Andrew Pinfold (Symmetrics).

Louder will look to sew up the competition tomorrow, another long stage at 204 km, with three KoMs on offer. "I'm pretty tired after today, so maybe a break without any danger guys will get up the road to take up the points," Louder said. "Maybe it will have one of our guys. But otherwise, I'm prepared to defend the jersey and wrap it up tomorrow."

Bonus for Louder's efforts

In addition to the one KoM on the road today, there were two bonus sprints on the road, including one worth $1,500. Louder scooped up the cash with a well timed move.

"(Steven) Cozza (Slipstream) went with about 800 meters to go to the line," Louder explained. "The Tecos guy (Hector Rangel) reacted and I just followed and caught their wheels and stayed there. 800 meters was way too far out to go on that section. It was a long, uphill drag with a headwind. When we hit 175 meters to go, I took off and won it pretty easily. I had the fresher legs."

And while Louder isn't known as a sprinter, he is considered an opportunist, he said. "I take 'em when I can get them. I was in good position for this one. I'm not slow, but I've always been on teams with faster guys. But I'm pretty good out of a small group like this one."

Notes

Karl Menzies of Health Net Presented by Maxxis took 9th in the bunch sprint finish.

With the main bunch all finishing together, there was no change in the overall classification.