Oakland, CA - The Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis is bringing a strong five-man roster to grueling Sea Otter circuit race, run on the legendary Laguna Seca Racetrack on the Monterey Peninsula.

But as team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo notes, "Sea Otter is a race of luck. Because of the course and the competition, it's a very hard race to predict."

The team will be led by 2007 NRC individual points champion Rory Sutherland. The 26-year-old Australian is already showing top form this year, with a 2nd place in the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California, as well as a stage win and 4th overall at the Redlands Classic.

"It's my first time doing Sea Otter so I'm not sure what to expect," he says. "Part of my reason for racing here is to open my legs up a bit for the Tour de Georgia next week. But we have a really strong team here."

Rolling with Sutherland will be Kyle Gritters, who won a stage of the Tour of Taiwan in March and the Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix last weekend, as well as John Murphy, who finished second at Lemire and won the overall title and points competition at the Tour of Taiwan.

The trio will be joined by veteran strong man Kirk O'Bee and former Sea Otter podium finisher Roman Kilun.

"Any one of these guys has the capacity to win Sea Otter," Tamayo said. "John and Kyle have been going really well since Taiwan. Kirk is always solid and Rory is Rory. For us, with this roster, the harder the race, the better."

As has been the case every year since Health Net began sponsoring the team, a large contingent of Health Net representatives and brokers will be in attendance to watch the race.

"All the California races are important to our title sponsor," Sutherland notes. "We want to have a good showing for them."

Health Net Presented by Maxxis for the Sea Otter Classic, April 19: