April 17/07 11:04 am - Tour de Georgia: Stage 2 report, results & photos

Posted by Editoress on 04/17/07
 

Tour de Georgia Georgia USA
Report by Amy Smolens

Coverage sponsored by: Maxxis

Stage 2 of the Tour de Georgia was going to be a long one, even for those of us who weren't riding. I made sure to fuel up at La Quinta with some waffles hot off the presses - I figured if they were good enough for Alex Stieda, who's driving VIPs around all week, they were good enough for me!

Cameraman/producer Kent Gordis and I drove around all day getting beautiful pass-by shots for the Versus television shows (shameless plug: airing in the U.S. April 28 & 29 - I don't know the programs' status on OLN Canada but feel free to clamour for the race...) We got some nice ones during the 134.9 miles so I've sent a few of the photos I took while in those pastoral locations. Ryder Hesjedal, Charles Dionne, Tim Johnson (Lyne Bessette might be looking here, right?)

The Rome circuit has a short but super-steep climb up Clocktower Hill - three times up the "wall" has made the difference in this stage in the past. It's tough enough walking up it with a backpack filled with papers, let alone riding up after 130+ miles in your legs already. Cameraman Gene Moffett and I were assigned to shoot the KOM (the first pass up Clocktower Hill) so we did. I was lucky enough to see Ryder Hesjedal of HealthNet presented by Maxxis up at the front looking strong, behind only Ben Jacques-Maynes and HealthNet teammate Nathan O'Neill. He finished in the first group, 2 seconds behind the winner, Ivan Stevic. Since I'd witnessed his powerful display up close I figured I'd ask him about it:

I was up there at the KOM and saw you putting the hammer down - you felt pretty good?

"Yeah, I was in the front going up that first time and maybe got a little excited but it was easier just to do that and get over and see what was happening. That wasn't even really the plan at the beginning, I just wanted to go up it at a good effort to see what it was all about for later, I just happened to roll through the front but then Ben must have sling-shoted from somewhere, he came through me, he had the front line there so...no big deal, it wasn't really an objective but yeah, hard little circuit after a long day but I finished in the front so, another day done."

How you felt today, how you felt yesterday winning the field sprint, does that give you optimism for tomorrow when the tougher stages begin?

"Oh yeah, I mean these two days aren't even anything for me, it was just by chance and a good feeling to get in the mix and the next couple of days I should be able to do become more in the race."

And Doug Ollerenshaw (HealthNet teammate) hung on to second place overall?

"I'm not sure, you would think so. (Note: indeed he did.) But three hard days are coming so the GC's gonna be shuffling all over the place I think."

What was going on at the beginning? I was listening to race radio and there were crashes in the neutral zone.

"I don't know what that was about. There's always something going on so I guess there was a bit of commotion at the start, a good way to start off almost six hours of riding (laughs.")

Fortunately, both he and Charles Dionne of Colavita stayed out of trouble and no one was hurt. Tomorrow should be a fun one - 118.2 miles from Rome, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee with four categorized climbs.

Photos by Jonathan Devich