Canadian Cyclist Tour de Georgia: Stage 5 report, results

Daily News

April 20/07 11:05 am - Tour de Georgia: Stage 5 report, results & photos

Posted by Editoress on 04/20/07

Tour de Georgia Georgia USA

Coverage sponsored by: Maxxis

Photos by Jonathan Devich

Report by Amy Smolens

When you last heard from me from the Tour de Georgia, Ryder Hesjedal had kept his and Team HealthNet's plans close to the chest for today, the race's Queen Stage up the mountain called Brasstown Bald.

Well, Ryder didn't disappoint. He was one of the initiators of the day's main breakaway that began 20 miles into the 107 mile stage, finished 7th on the day, and earned the United Community Bank King of the Mountains Jersey on the most mountainous stage of the race. There were 3 KOMs, with the final one being to the finish at Brasstown Bald. Brasstown Bald climbs 1650 feet in 3 miles... the average grade is 10.84%, with the steepest section having a grade of 24%, just before the 2km to go mark... the final kilometer has a 400 meter section with a 20% grade which "flattens out" (yeah, right) to 15 to 17% for the finish. I walked that final K, and with a backpack full of paperwork and other stuff while eating a barbecue sandwich it was quite a challenge. Even with a triple, riding up it would be misery for any tourist!

I spoke to a tired, but happy, Ryder Hesjedal while he was waiting in the "green room" tent for the podium presentations to begin.

AS: You were so secretive yesterday about your plan - was this the perfect
plan for HealthNet?

RH: Yeah, I don't know the total outcome of the results with our GC and stuff at the moment, but I just wanted to have a day like today and for sure needed to have a head start on the climb to have something close to a win or something like that. A long, hard day for the break and the first time up that climb, definitely steep and I was feeling it. I'm skinny but I'm still 70+ kilos, so I wasn't surprised to see the little guys come from behind and a with few K to go it was just kinda damage control.

AS: You raced in Europe last year, how tough is this climb, how does this compare?

RH: Pretty hard, I mean normally I haven't been in the aggressive position in trying to get to the base of a big climb finish via breakaway so you know it was kind of the first time with that experience. Usually it's be quiet and try and start fresh with the big guys. It was nice to be able to have hope with just a few guys going up there and just try to hang on.

AS: You stayed with every acceleration and then Alexandre Moos attacked - what happened there?

RH: That one was (shakes his head)...in my mind I said he could do that? We still had a couple of guys together and, that was just the difference on those steep, steep grades. I couldn't quite hold with a few other guys and the last couple Ks are just sort of a blur.

AS: You picked up the KOM from your teammate Jeff Louder, how big is that for you and Team HealthNet?

RH: Yeah it's always good to be on the podium and be representing. It was clear that if I was in the break I was going to try and get those points on a big day like today, a consolation prize.

A pretty good consolation prize! I've sent a photo of Ryder on the podium. It's a nice jersey, a variation on the usual KOM jersey, with Georgia's state fruit, peaches, instead of the traditional polka dots.

Stages 6 and 7 are flat with no KOM points available, so Ryder is guaranteed to wear the jersey on the final podium Sunday in Atlanta.

I've also sent a photo of Victoria's Mike Shea, the UCI's Chief Commissaire of this race, giving pre-race instructions to two of his fellow Comms, Matt Moses and Dot Abbott. He's done a great job here, and the moto cameramen and drivers I'm working with on the Versus show really like working with him. He doled out quite a few fines today to riders and directors, and four riders were even disqualfied - on a tough stage like this that tends to happen.

FYI, I didn't run into our friends from yesterday, Canmore's Tom Omstead and Scott Mortimer, today up on the mountain so I don't know if they fulfilled their promise of riding up, down and up Brasstown Bald today... Guys, if you read this come find me in the next few days!

Stage 5: Dalton to Brasstown Bald, 172.1km

11. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

4:33:33

2. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

at 0:38

3. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light

1.00

4. Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Health Net presented by Maxxis

1.06

5. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir

1.19

6. Alexandre Moos (Sui) BMC Racing Team

1.25

7. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net presented by Maxxis

1.29

8. John Devine (USA) USA National Development Team

1.30

9. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC

1.38

10. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

s.t.

11. Glen Alan Chadwick (NZl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team

2.07

12. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC

2.17

13. David Canada Gracia (Esp) Saunier Duval - Prodir

2.20

14. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step - Innergetic

2.26

15. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step - Innergetic

2.28

16. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team

2.32

17. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team

2.46

18. Scott Moninger (USA) BMC Racing Team

s.t.

19. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC

2.52

20. Hubert Schwab (Sui) Quick Step - Innergetic

3.03

21. Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems

3.05

22. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream

3.09

23. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

3.14

24. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

3.18

25. Rubens Bertogliati (Sui) Saunier Duval - Prodir

3.22

26. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis

3.28

27. Justin England (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team

s.t.

28. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream

3.36

29. Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Predictor-Lotto

3.53

30. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream

4.20

31. Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team

4.32

32. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC

4.40

33. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team

4.50

34. Craig Lewis (USA) Team Slipstream

4.52

35. Ivan Santaromita (Sui) Quick Step - Innergetic

4.55

36. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light

5.00

37. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light

s.t.

38. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team

5.15

39. Jeffry Louder (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis

5.18

40. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net presented by Maxxis

s.t.

41. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream

5.30

42. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team

5.33

44. Ian Mckissick (USA) BMC Racing Team

5.38

45. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step - Innergetic

6.03

46. Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team

6.09

47. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team presented by Bissell

6.31

48. David McCann (Irl) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light

7.05

49. Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

7.13

50. Geert Steurs (Bel) Predictor-Lotto

51. Nick Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto

both s.t.

52. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Predictor-Lotto

7.21

53. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC

s.t.

54. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team

7.33

55. Timothy Duggan (USA) Team Slipstream

56. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team

57. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream

all s.t.

58. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team