April 27/08 9:57 am - Tour de Georgia: Stage 7 report, results and photos

Posted by Editoress on 04/27/08
 

Tour de Georgia
Photos

report by Amy Smolens

After his 6th, 5th and 4th place finishes earlier in the week, Symmetrics' sprinter Andrew Pinfold told me "as long as I keep banging my head against the wall, eventually it'll break." He clarified that he meant that the wall would break, not his head... and Sunday's circuit race in downtown Atlanta would be the final chance for the man they call "Pinner" to end his frustration. It was raining steadily before the start, so I thought maybe that would create somewhat of a home field advantage for the boys from British Columbia.

Prerace, Andrew Pinfold - Symmetrics

Amy Smolens: So you brought the weather down from BC, right?

Andrew Pinfold: It's not cold enough yet!! I think some guys hopefully don't like racing in the wet, I don't really mind so it doesn't really bother me.

AS: Today's a circuit race, could it be an opportunity for the podium for you?

AP: Yeah, we'll see. If it comes to a bunch. It'll be interesting though because I think today of all the days, there is that chance, better than the other days for a breakaway to work because there are a lot of guys who are significantly down on GC. We'll have to see what High Road wants to do and see if CSC see wants to control for JJ (Juan Jose Haedo,) Toyota the same thing, maybe they want a bunch (sprint for Dominguez) but if (Dominique) Rollin sneaks away in a move, I'm sure they'll be happy with that.


For the third straight stage, Team Symmetrics was prominent in the day's major break. In Friday's Stage 5 from Suwanee to Dahlonega, Canadian National Champion Cameron Evans was away in a 4-man break for almost 100 miles, only to be swallowed up by the pack on the last KOM. In Saturday's Queen Stage from Gainesville to Brasstown Bald, Svein Tuft was one of the strongest men in a break that lasted approximately 60 miles. Sunday it was Jacob Erker joining Evans and 10 others in a breakaway that looked destined to succeed...until the peloton engulfed them with less than two miles to the finish, after more than two hours out in front. In the ensuing bunch sprint, Pinfold finally got the podium spot he'd been coveting all week, a third place behind ProTour sprinters Greg Henderson and Juan Jose Haedo. And he broke through in a big way, on the final day of the Tour de Georgia in front of a huge crowd in Centennial Olympic Park. His podium spot moved him up to 3rd in the race's Points Competition. Christian Meier and Cam Evans wound up 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the Best Young Rider competition behind Slipstream-Chipotle's Trent Lowe. And Symmetrics ranked 6th out of 15 squads in Team GC. It was quite a successful week for the S-Team, and I caught up with an excited Pinner behind the podium minutes before the ceremonies were about to start.

Postrace, Andrew Pinfold - Symmetrics, 3rd place in the stage

Amy Smolens: When you came back here you looked at me and said "finally!!"

Andrew Pinfold: Yeaaaahhhhh!! It's about time!!! I've been knocking on the door for a while and it finally paid out so I'm pretty happy about it!

AS: And you guys were in a perfect position with both Cam Evans and Jacob Erker in the break most of the stage.

AP: It was beautiful. You know, it just seems as though everyone else in the race, the edge has been taking off those guys and we're just able to... Cam, he just doesn't get tired and Jake, this morning he said "every day I'm getting faster" so that just proved it.

AS" Did you think that break would stay away? I sure did.

AP:" Yeah, I really did, actually, because it didn't look like High Road really cared and I think what happened was probably a little combination of Rock Racing came to the front and then they probably started attacking each other and that was it.

AS: How did the last kilometre set up for the final sprint?

AP: Well, I knew I had to be pretty far back because it's a headwind and uphill, which suited me well so I just continued to drifted around and watched the lines and knew, I kept saying to myself "just be patient, be patient." And I saw Hendy (Henderson) and JJ (Haedo) out of the corner of my eye and I knew that was where to be and unfortunately I got gapped off their wheel so I had to make up some ground and I think I just came around (Fred) Rodriguez to get third.

AS: What does it mean to beat guys like Rodriguez to finish on the podium in a race like this?

AP: It's pretty funny, you know a couple of years ago I would have never considered myself a bunch sprinter. I think the difference is that my fitness has just improved so much, just getting older, you know, and being able to ride with this team at so many high level events and tours, it's just been a process of building. When we're riding, racing so many days a year and being able to be competitive and in races that we're competitive in it's just improved my level so much.

AS: How would you sum up the experience here at the Tour de Georgia for Symmetrics?

AP: Well, I think we came here really to prove a point, to say that in spite of our budgetary problems we're going to be able to pull together and ride properly and ride competitively. The riders on this team, you know, we love each other and if we can stay together then that's the most important thing and hopefully someone's going to come along and is going to give us a bit of money so we can keep going through the year. But if this is kind of the end of the road for this team, it's a real shame and it makes me really sad, but at the same time I think we're ending it here on a real high note.

AS: And personally, you have some business to attend to now, right?

AP: Fly back to Vancouver, drive to Victoria and defend my Master's Thesis on Tuesday (laughs!) so I gotta switch gears here pretty quick but hopefully my defense goes as well as my sprinting this week!

Report courtesy Tour de Georgia

Thousands of fans lining the streets along Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta witnessed a rising star get his first victory on American soil today. Belarusian rider Kanstantin Sivtsov of Team High Road was crowned the champion of the 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T, holding on to his four second lead from Saturday. Trent Lowe (AUS) of Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30 finished second in the General Classification, followed by American Levi Leipheimer of Astana in third. Sivtsov's four-second lead ties the lowest margin of victory at the Tour de Georgia, matching Tom Danielson's (USA) victory in 2005 and Floyd Landis' victory in 2006.

High Road scored big in Atlanta with the sprinter Greg Henderson (NZL) winning Stage Seven. It was Henderson's second stage victory at the Tour, as he also won Stage Three in Gainesville. Second on the stage was Juan Jose Haedo (ARG) of Team CSC and third place went to Andrew Pinfold (CAN) of Symmetrics. Henderson, who also won Stage Three in Gainesville, had the points necessary to take home the sprint crown as the Georgia Power Sprint jersey winner.

"Out team is all about trying to find the top young international talent, bringing them into a good environment, giving them good, experienced riders to work with and management, and then seeing what they can do. And Kasta (Kanstantin) really showed everyone that he's a real force to be reckoned with in the sport," said Team High Road owner Bob Stapleton. "This is a great event (Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T). We look for chances to race some high caliber events in the U.S. Events like this are a big international draw. You had a lot of really good talent here. We're happy to be a part of that."

Jason McCartney (USA) of Team CSC won the United Community Bank King of the Mountain (KOM) competition for the Tour. He also won the KOM jersey as the best climber of the week at the 2006 Tour de Georgia. Lowe, who wore the yellow jersey one day, won the GE Best Young Rider jersey for the week. Fellow Australian Rory Sutherland was voted the overall Georgia Lottery Most Aggressive Rider.

A total of 106 riders began the day just after a midday rain dampened roads and made conditions difficult for the riders on a twisty six-mile circuit in Atlanta. After 10 full laps for a total of 62.7 miles (100.9 km) through downtown Atlanta and its surrounding neighborhoods, 98 riders crossed the finish line. High Road riders, including 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie, surrounded Sivtsov throughout the race to protect the AT&T Overall Leaders jersey.

"It's not mine, it's Team High Road," said Sitvsov about capturing his first victory in the U.S. "It is very good preparation for Giro (d'Italia)." Sitvsov, 25, who was the 2004 Under-23 World Champion and finished 32nd at the 2007 Tour de France, will race in the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) next month, one of the three Grand Tours of professional cycling.

Race Note: Rock Racing fans who were among the thousands on hand for the race at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park were treated to a surprise when the team rolled out for the start in special uniforms. The kits, designed by Ball himself, featured a depiction of Georgia peaches on the jersey and shorts in a blending orange and yellow motif. They commemorated the team's participation in the longest-running international-level stage race in the United States.

The special 'kits' were showcased after the race during Rock Racing's presentation of a $250,000 donation to the official beneficiaries of the event ˆ Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the Georgia Cancer Coalition. Ball presented checks to Eugene Hayes, Foundation President of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and to Bill Todd, President and CEO of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

The donations will directly benefit pediatric cancer and blood disorders research through the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service, as well as support the Georgia Cancer Coalition's efforts to strengthen cancer prevention, research and treatment in Georgia, with the ultimate goal of making Georgia one of the nation's premier states for cancer care.