Larsen, a member of the National Mountain Bike 'A' Team, was part of a lead pack that took charge from the start of the race. Trek-Volkswagen's Travis Brown, and Canada's Chris Sheppard (Catera) kept pace with Larsen for the first two laps, putting a sizable gap on the rest of the field. By the third lap, Brown and Sheppard couldn't keep up to the '97 national cross-country champion.

"It was a little early to go out, but I had good legs," said Larsen. "I had a little extra in me, so I punched it out on the climbs. It's good to know I can ride so well two days in a row."

By the seventh lap, Larsen put the hammer down and extended his lead over the chase group to 30 seconds. Behind him, a trio of Canadians -- Sheppard, Roland Green (Team GT) and Andreas Hestler (RLX Polo Sport) -- began the battle for second.

"After it became apparent we weren't going to catch Larsen, Roland (Green), Andreas (Hestler) and I worked hard to lose the rest of the pack," said Sheppard.

The three Canadians went back and forth before Sheppard sped away on the last lap, earning second. Last week's winner, Green, finished third. Larsen, who took over the leaders' jersey Sunday, crossed the line more than 40 seconds ahead of the field. "I always ride well in Minnesota, but I didn't expect this. I'm surprised by my performance today," said Larsen.

The women's race played out much like the men's event, with Dunlap taking the lead by the fourth lap. Behind the GT rider, the field broke into two major chase groups, with the first being led by three-time national champion Ruthie Matthes (Trek-Volkswagen) and Jimena Juarez (Polo Sport). Juarez dropped Matthes by the middle of the race, securing second place and her best-ever national series race finish.

"It's a great feeling to finally earn my first NORBA podium. I felt great throughout the race, but cramped a little toward the end," Juarez said. "I'm coming off a string of World Cups, but I'm not physically tired. I wasn't going to worry about this weekend. I just stayed positive and everything worked out well."

Though Juarez and Dunlap rode virtually unchallenged, the race for third was tight, with Matthes and Shari Kain (RLX Polo Sport) sprinting for the line. Kain edged out Matthes and moved into second overall in the standings, while Dunlap became the first woman to win both events in one weekend.

"After my race yesterday, I knew I was going to do well today," said Dunlap, who is currently ranked third in World Cup standings. "It was a fast race, and I had a lot of fun. This weekend has been fantastic."

— Courtesy, USA Cycling