Day two of the Sea Otter mountain bike events featured more fast action at Laguna Seca Raceway with the dirt crit, the second stage of the XC event.

	Leaders

Laurence Leboucher (FRA, GT) and Michael Rasmussen (DEN, Haro/Lee Dungarees) both have the sport's top titles as the '98 women's and current men's World Champions, and Saturday they showed exactly why they're worthy of those rainbow stripes, each winning their dirt crits in sunny Monterey.

Leboucher did it first in the women's race, putting a huge gap of 42 seconds on Elisabeth Vink (NED, Subaru-Specialized) by the end of the short-track event. Racing for the stage win, as well as the overall time (determined by the general classification standings), Leboucher's strong performance surprised even herself.

"I understand nothing these past two days," the smiling Frenchwoman said after the win. "I'm leading, but am surprised. I've started this season slowly — I just want to be good in the World Cup. So it's good that I'm leading, especially after such a bad year last year."

Leboucher says that her doctors discovered a thyroid problem, which she now regulates with drugs, and she says her fitness has improved dramatically. "There's no pressure, and tomorrow's another day," she added.

Rasmussen was equally surprised to win the men's event, just an hour later, after he out-sprinted Bas Van Dooren (NED, Be One) for the stage win. Van Dooren came into the stage as the overall leader from the time trial, as he and Rasmussen went way off the front of a chase group to set up the sprint finish.

"I prolonged my winter because the Olympics are in September this year, and have been training for the flats — I'm 3 kilos overweight right now...."

Van Dooren led the men's crit until the final yards, when Rasmussen passed him on the right, through a grassy area, beating Van Dooren by a slim half second. Thomas Frischknecht (SUI, Ritchey) was 3rd after leading a chase group for most of the race.

"I wanted to start hard and get out front alone today," said Van Dooren. "I wanted to keep the jersey, but I think Michael took it today."

	Leboucher

"I'm surprised I'm going this well," confirmed Rasmussen. "I prolonged my winter because the Olympics are in September this year, and have been training for the flats – I'm 3 kilos overweight right now."

Regardless of his surprise, Rasmussen knows he's in good shape right now. "I got 4th in a big race in Milan a few weeks ago, and racing in Italy gives you a good idea of how fast you're going."

Rasmussen is now in 1st place in the general classification overall, with Van Dooren just one second behind him. In the women's overall, Leboucher is more than a second ahead of Alison Sydor (CAN, Volvo-Cannondale). Sydor was tied with Caroline Alexander (GBR, Ritchey-Yahoo!) for 2nd, until Alexander DNF'd (Did Not Finish) in the crit.

— Ari "Calamari" Cheren, headed for Cannery Row, for MountainZone.com