Canadian Cyclist - Georgia Stage 1 News, Notes & Results

Daily News

April 20/05 12:18 pm - Georgia Stage 1 News, Notes & Results

Posted by Editor on 04/20/05

Tour de Georgia Georgia, USA

Stage 1: Augusta to Macon, 207.4km

1. Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak Hearing Systems	5.47:52
2. Benjamin Brooks (AUS) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
3. Michele Maccanti (ITA) Team L.P.R.
4. Danilo Napolitano (ITA) Team L.P.R.
5. Gregory Henderson (NZL) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
6. David Canada Gracia (ESP) Prodir - Saunier Duval
7. Caleb Manion (AUS) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
8. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
9. Aurelien Clerc (SUI) Phonak Hearing Systems
10. Rene Haselbacher (AUT) Gerolsteiner
11. Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) Team L.P.R.
12. Geoff Kabush (CAN) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team
13. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
14. Glen Mitchell (NZL) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro
15. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
16. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems
17. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
18. Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
19. Mark Walters (CAN) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
20. Elia Aggiano (ITA) Team L.P.R.
21. Daniele Contrini (ITA) Team L.P.R.
22. Saul Raisin (USA) Credit Agricole
23. Jose Azevedo (POR) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
24. Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
25. Michael Blaudzun (DEN) Team CSC
26. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (ESP) Prodir - Saunier Duval
27. Cesar Augusto Grajales (COL) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
28. Alessandro Maserati (ITA) Team L.P.R.
29. Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
30. Nicolas Fritsch (FRA) Prodir - Saunier Duval
31. Nathan O'Neill (AUS) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
32. Dominique Perras (CAN) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro
33. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
34. Manuel Quinziato (ITA) Prodir - Saunier Duval
35. Tomasz Nose (SLO) Phonak Hearing Systems
36. Danny Pate (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
37. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (ESP) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
38. Michael Barry (CAN) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
39. Chris Wherry (USA) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
40. Matthew Rice (AUS) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
41. Enrique Gutierrez Cataluna (ESP) Phonak Hearing Systems
42. Geoffroy Lequatre (FRA) Credit Agricole
43. William Frischkorn (USA) Team TIAA - CREF
44. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
45. Russell Hamby (USA) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro
46. Eric Wohlberg (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team
47. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
48. Andrea Tafi (ITA) Prodir - Saunier Duval
49. Andy Schleck (LUX) Team CSC
50. Peter Wrolich (AUT) Gerolsteiner
51. Svein Tuft (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team
52. Trent Lowe (AUS) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team
53. Brian Vandborg (DEN) Team CSC
54. Marco Pinotti (ITA) Prodir - Saunier Duval
55. Mads Kaggestad (NOR) Credit Agricole
56. Timothy Johnson (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team	all s.t.
57. Edward King (USA) USA National Team	0:22
58. Nick Waite (USA) USA National Team
59. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro
60. Christian Meier (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team
61. Michael Rich (GER) Gerolsteiner
62. Bruno Langlois (CAN) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team
63. Mike Sayers (USA) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
64. Cyril Lemoine (FRA) Credit Agricole
65. Matthias Russ (GER) Gerolsteiner
66. Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
67. Timothy Duggan (USA) Team TIAA - CREF
68. Jason McCartney (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
69. Hayden Godfrey (NZL) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro
70. Sebastien Portal (FRA) Credit Agricole
71. Jonathan Sundt (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team
72. Gustavo Artacho (ARG) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team
73. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro
74. Rafael Casero Moreno (ESP) Prodir - Saunier Duval
75. Jacob Erker (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team
76. Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
77. Craig Lewis (USA) Team TIAA - CREF	all s.t.
78. Chad Hartley (USA) Team TIAA - CREF	0:36
79. Jeff Louder (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
80. Andrew Pinfold (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team	both s.t.
81. Jackson Stewart (USA) Kodak Easyshare Gallery - Sierra Nevada Pro	0:55
82. Justin England (USA) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
83. John Lieswyn (USA) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
84. John Devine (USA) USA National Team	1:03
85. Ian Macgregor (USA) Team TIAA - CREF
86. Christian MÃ¼ller (GER) Team CSC
87. Gord Fraser (CAN) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
88. David O'Loughlin (IRL) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
89. Scott Moninger (USA) Health Net Presented by Maxxis
90. Sascha Urweider (SUI) Phonak Hearing Systems
91. Vassili Davidenko (RUS) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
92. Ivan Fanelli (ITA) Team L.P.R.
93. Ivan Dominguez (CUB) Health Net Presented by Maxxis	all s.t.
94. Kevin Bouchard-Hall (USA) USA National Team	1:49
95. John Murphy (USA) USA National Team	s.t.
96. Will Routley (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team	2:14
97. Christian Foster (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team
98. Michael Lange (USA) Team TIAA - CREF
99. Todd Herriot (USA) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team
100. David Robinson (USA) Team TIAA - CREF	all s.t.
101. Niki Aebersold (SUI) Phonak Hearing Systems	2:36
102. Sven Krauss (GER) Gerolsteiner
103. Daniele Masolino (ITA) Team L.P.R.
104. Cory Lange (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team
105. Aaron Olsen (USA) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team	all s.t.
106. Andy Guptill (USA) USA National Team	2:46
107. Craig Wilcox (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team	3:11
108. Marsh Cooper (CAN) Symmetrics Cycling Team	3:28
109. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
110. Derek Wilkerson (USA) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team	both s.t.
111. Kilian Patour (FRA) Credit Agricole	4:19
112. Dan Bowman (USA) Team TIAA - CREF	4:36
113. Michael Wolf (USA) USA National Team
114. Lars Ytting Bak (DEN) Team CSC
115. Davide Frattini (ITA) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team
116. Juan Jose Haedo (ARG) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team	all s.t.
117. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari Pro Cycling Team	6:57
118. Steven Cozza (USA) USA National Team	7:38
119. Mark Mccormack (USA) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team
120. Jonathan Page (USA) Colavita Olive Oil - Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team
121. Mariano Friedick (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel	all s.t.

Updates from Georgia

Amy Smolens is providing daily updates from the Tour de Georgia, in addition to her duties with the TV crew producing the coverage of the race. below are her notes from Day 1.

This morning before the start of the Dodge Tour de Georgia in Augusta I was able to talk to a fairly relaxed Gord Fraser (Health Net-Maxxis). Last year he had bookended the race with victories, winning the 1st and 7th stages here, so I asked him about the goals for both him and his team in this year's edition: "I think the first 2 stages are the best for Health Net - Maxxis. Hopefully we can repeat what we did last year, win the first stage to take the pressure off the team and race a little looser throughout the week. You know the level here is just so high, it's hard to be too confident, but we have a great chance between myself, Greg Henderson and Ivan Dominguez. I think one of us hopefully will be feeling good. The finishing circuits in Macon are very, very tough. Last year I had to pull out everything I had to come through (Stage 1 was from Macon to Milledgeville and back to Macon) so it's gonna be a tough day for sure."

He talked about the addition of Cuban sprinter Dominguez (from the Colavita team) to Health Net-Maxxis: "I think what it is, it's more insurance. If I'm not feeling well we can easily go to Ivan and have as good a chance to win, maybe even better. So it's just insurance. We get along really well, we're honest with each other so if one of us is feeling better than the other we'll reverse roles. It's a great insurance policy."

Mario Cipollini, whom Gord beat mano a mano in last year's final stage, isn't here in Georgia, so who are the sprinters to watch out for? "There are a few good European guys. René Haselbacher from Gerolsteiner, (Danilo) Napolitano from LPR and Robbie Hunter especially from Phonak - he's won a couple of big races this year. Any one of those guys can win today, of course Juan José Haedo from Colavita, so we have our hands full, for sure."

Gord knows his stuff - the man he tipped as the favourite, South African Robbie Hunter, won the field sprint over Jelly Belly-Pool Gel's Ben Brooks and the LPR duo of Michele Maccanti and Napolitano. Fraser finished in 1:03 down )in a group of 10 including Dominguez) in 87th place, but his Kiwi teammate Henderson finished 5th and is tied for 3rd in the points competition. Gord talked about his day in the saddle: "It was a hard day, I wasn't feeling well at the start. I did the first bonus sprint, but after winning (the field sprint for 2nd - TIAA-CREF's Dan Bowman was out on a solo break) it was clear I was really suffering pretty bad gastro. Anytime I'd go hard I'd fight to keep it down. So we switched tactics after the first sprint to ride for Greg Henderson. Greg was 2nd in the next two sprints, using me as a decoy, and we tried setting him up for the finale. It was his first road race after being on the track so this was pretty much uncharted territory. We were pretty close to getting the leadout together but at this level you've got to be pretty close to perfect to win. If Ivan or I feel good we have a chance tomorrow. This was one of the longer days I've had on the bike - some serious health issues - hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow."

Geoff Kabush - yes, Geoff Kabush - was the top Canadian finisher today, placing 12th. After winning the Sea Otter Classic Mountain Bike Stage Race Sunday, he's teaming up with MTB rival Trent Lowe along with 6 roadies on the Jittery Joe's - Kalahari squad here at the Dodge Tour de Georgia. I asked him about the transition from off-road to road and his expectations here: "We'll I've had a lot of success so far on the mountain bike but I've really been looking forward to this race all year with Jittery Joe's-Kalahari. Yeah, Sea Otter was great, I was really happy with the win there coming from behind. Me and Trent both caught the redeye out Sunday night so we were both a bit tired yesterday but got some sleep and it was nice today, we just kind of rolled through most of the day. A nice hard finishing circuit with cobbles kind of suited me so I was able to roll up to the front and stay out of trouble, so it was a nice day."

What stages is he looking forward to? "We had a training camp out here at the end of February so we got to check out the mountains and I'm obviously looking forward to that, riding in the mountains, along with Trent. You know I haven't done a big road race like this for a long time so I really have no idea how it's gonna go but I think the time trial (Thursday) will be a good check to see how I stack up and obviously the mountains will be good for me."

What will it be like duking it out in the mountains with the likes of Lance Armstrong, Bobby Julich and the others who have been over in Europe, the best in the world? "Yeah, it's exciting, it's definitely gonna challenge me and hopefully that takes my riding to the next level."

Wednesday's Stage 2 should be another stage for Gord Fraser and the sprinters, 122.7 miles from Fayetteville to Rome. Last year's stage to Rome ended with the same finishing circuits as this year will and, surprisingly, was won in a field sprint by Armstrong. Dominguez, now Fraser's teammate, placed second and took the Yellow Leader's jersey.

Extra added tidbit: In a bit of undesirable excitement our crew car (NOT a Dodge) had a mechanical (unfortunately, unlike the cyclists, we have neither mechanics traveling with us nor spare vehicles,) so cameraman Nat and I were stranded on the road south of Thomson, Georgia. We weren't on the route and not near the finish...not near anywhere we needed to be. We got the car towed to Enterprise and said "good riddance" to that. After sitting at the side of the road for over an hour, a kindly Sheriff took us in and we spent time in the McDuffie County Law Enforcement Center in Thomson - not everyone can say they've been there: Photo. We were still 106 miles from the finish in Macon and getting to the finish on time wasn't looking promising. But the Sheriff drove us 45 miles west where we were met by a Dodge Tour de Georgia volunteer who ferried us to Macon. We managed to make it to the finish by the skin of our teeth, literally arriving as the peloton entered the first of three finishing circuits!

Navigators Stage 1 Report
Courtesy Navigators

The long awaited 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia kicked off today under warm sunshine and a slight breeze. The 6-day, 6-stage tour takes the racers to 10 cities throughout the northern regions of The Peach State. Today's stage from Augusta to Macon was a fairly straight shot of 208 kilometre (129 mile) over mostly flat terrain. The 158 racers representing 16 teams treated the large, and loud crowds in Augusta to 3 laps of a short circuit that afforded the many fans an opportunity to see and cheer for their favorite athletes, before heading out on the road to Macon.

The peloton must have missed out on the Jittery Joe's espresso café in the start village, since the first few hours of racing were covered at a snail's pace. The only real action was an attack by Dan Bowman (TIAA-CREF) at mile marker #9. His long solo escape was the news of the day as he stretched his lead to over 12:15 during his 110 mile breakaway. The uninterested pack was finally brought to life by Navigators' Jeff Louder shortly after the 3rd and final bonus sprint, when Jeff attacked and quickly gained 15-seconds. The subsequent chase resulted in a group of 16 riders breaking clear for a short stretch of freedom. The potentially dangerous break was soon reeled back in as the teams that wanted to see a sprint finish in Macon, began to mass at the front of the peloton.

As the speed increased, and the distance to the finish decreased, the gap to Bowman rapidly diminished. Along the way, he won all three bonus sprints before succumbing to the peloton with about 12-miles of racing remaining. More large crowds of cheering fans awaited the riders as they raced into Macon and completed three laps of a 2.1 mile circuit. Although several tried, they were unable to escape the charge and the finish was a blazing fast bunch gallop to the line. In a close finish, it was Robert Hunter (Phonak) taking the top spot followed by Ben Brooks (Jelly Belly-Pool Gel) and Michele Maccanti (Team LPR). The Navigators squad finished safely in the bunch with Chris Baldwin at the top of the list in 13th.

Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top