Ford Tour de Georgia
GeorgiaStage 4: Dalton to Dahlonega
April 21, 2006
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"Fast Freddie" Rodriguez Wins Stage Four of the 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia
Landis Retains the Ford Overall Leader Jersey
Sprinter Fred Rodriguez (USA) of Davitamon-Lotto out-sprinted a field of 53 riders to strike it rich for his second mountain stage victory in Georgia in four years, today winning Stage Four in Dahlonega, site of the first gold rush in America. Italian Matteo Tosatto of Quick Step-Innergetic finished second in the "Gold City", followed by third place Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine) of Discovery Channel.
Stage Four today covered 118.9 miles/ 191.4 km from Dalton to Dahlonega, beginning with overcast skies, fog and rain. Rodriguez, who finished with a time of 4:49:29, won on a similar stage that covered hilly terrain from Dalton to Gainesville in 2003.
Floyd Landis (USA) of Phonak Hearing Systems finished in the lead group and retained the Ford Overall Leader jersey. The United Community Bank King of the Mountain jersey now sits on the back of 22-year-old Lucas Euser (USA) of Team TIAA-CREF, who won the first two climbs of the day at Fort Mountain and Hicks Gap.
"We went in to today, thinking (the) one jersey we had a good chance of getting was the (United Community Bank) KOM. I was told it was my job to be in the breakaway. I had a teammate leading out on the first KOM, and I got that. After that we just kept rolling," said Euser. "The mountains here in Georgia are definitely real mountains. I've never done this race, so I wasn't expecting such a big climb at the beginning."
American Jason McCartney of Discovery Channel, who won this same stage in 2005 with a long solo break, tried to escape again in the mountains, and this time came away with the Aaron's Most Aggressive Rider jersey. Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia) of Discovery Channel retained the GE Best Young Rider jersey. Rodriguez continues to wear the MAXXIS Sprint Leader jersey for a fourth consecutive day.
The start was notable today for special recognition of Dalton native and Credit Agricole rider Saul Raisin, who is in France recovering from injuries sustained in a crash earlier this month. The professional cyclists placed green tape on their handlebars to show support for their fellow competitor, and thousands of spectators wore green ribbons (the color of Raisin's team jersey) showing love and support for their hometown hero.
"Saul has turned into a world class rider. He's a great ambassador for the city of Dalton. He graduated from Dalton High School, and he's a very popular young man. Everybody is praying for him and praying for his recovery," Dalton Mayor Ray Lerod said at the start of the race today.
Stage Five will remain in the north Georgia mountains, starting at 11:30 a.m. in Blairsville, Ga. in Towns County. The race will span 94.5 miles/ 152.1 km with United Community Bank climbs over Hogpen Gap (Category 1), Union Gap (Category 2) and ending on top of Brasstown Bald Mountain (Hors Category) in Union County. The first riders are expected to finish between 3:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Brasstown Bald is the highest point in Georgia, at an elevation of 4,784 feet/ 1458 meters.
UNITED COMMUNITY BANK KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
EUSER, Lucas TIAMAXXIS SPRINT LEADER
Fred Rodriguez DVLAARON'S CORPORATE FURNISHINGS MOST AGGRESSIVE RIDER
MCCARTNEY, Jason DSCSTAGE 4 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Rider RODRIGUEZ Fred TOSATTO Matteo POPOVYCH Yaroslav MANION Caleb GUTIERREZ CATALUNA José Enrique JACQUES-MAYNES Ben MAZUR Peter MARTINEZ DE ESTEBAN Egoi LOUDER Jeffry COLBY Anthony GRAJALES Cesar Augusto LANDIS Floyd ANTHONY Jesse PINOTTI Marco RICE Matthew VERHEYEN Geert VANDBORG Brian WILSON Trent LAGUTIN Sergey BALDWIN Christopher FRISCHKORN William GUTIERREZ CATALUNA Ignacio ZABRISKIE David BRAJKOVIC Janez VAN DE WALLE Jurgen FERNANDEZ DE LA PUEBLA RAMOS Alberto DANIELSON Thomas BAJADALI Andrew ZAJICEK Phil PATE Danny DOMINGUEZ Ivan FRATTINI Davide PIIL Jakob CUESTA LOPEZ DE CASTRO Inigo KOBZARENKO Valery VOGELS Henk RINERO Christophe O'NEILL Nathan RAPINSKI Viktor WELLS Todd SWINDLEHURST Burke GATES Nick HERRIOTT Todd BROOKS Benjamin PETERSON Thomas WIELINGA Remmert TSCHOPP Johann ENGLAND Justin NOVAL Benjamin HATTON Peter EKIMOV Viatcheslav VAN HECKE Preben ROSSELER Sébastien LOWE Trent LANGE Michael MCCARTNEY Jason EUSER Lucas CRUZ Antonio KUYCKX Jan MERTENS Pieter SCARSELLI Leonardo STALDER Florian JENSEN Brian KAISEN Olivier PIPP Frank MACBURNIE Dustin HARTMAN Wesley DAVIDENKO Vassili OLLERENSHAW Doug SHIRLEY Neil JOHNSON Tim BLACKGROVE Heath VENTOSO Francisco STEWART Jackson JOHANSEN Allan WREN Tyler WONG Philip PERRAS Dominique ALBERS Kirk MCCORMACK Mark REISTAD Nick MACGREGOR Ian BOWMAN Dan FRIEDICK Mariano LEWIS Craig O'BEE Kirk FRASER Gordon BRAMATI Davide ZWIZANSKI Scott HAEDO Juan José SAYERS Michael MENZIES Karl JONES Brice OLSON Aaron SULLIVAN Sean ELKEN Evan HUNTER Robert OLIVEIRA FERNANDEZ Luis DIETRICH Michael INGELS Nic KING Austin BLICKEM Ryan ACTON Alejandro CANDELARIO Alex CLERC Aurélien ARTACHO Gustavo KLOSTERGAARD LARSEN Kasper WILCOX Craig GRISHKINE Oleg GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 4
Rider LANDIS Floyd DANIELSON Thomas ZABRISKIE David O'NEILL Nathan GUTIERREZ CATALUNA José Enrique POPOVYCH Yaroslav BALDWIN Christopher BRAJKOVIC Janez PINOTTI Marco VANDBORG Brian MCCARTNEY Jason ENGLAND Justin MAZUR Peter EKIMOV Viatcheslav MARTINEZ DE ESTEBAN Egoi KOBZARENKO Valery LOUDER Jeffry GRAJALES Cesar Augusto VAN DE WALLE Jurgen PATE Danny CUESTA LOPEZ DE CASTRO Inigo GUTIERREZ CATALUNA Ignacio WIELINGA Remmert NOVAL Benjamin BAJADALI Andrew WELLS Todd HERRIOTT Todd JACQUES-MAYNES Ben TSCHOPP Johann ZAJICEK Phil WILSON Trent KUYCKX Jan SWINDLEHURST Burke MANION Caleb HATTON Peter RICE Matthew VAN HECKE Preben ANTHONY Jesse FRATTINI Davide GATES Nick ROSSELER Sébastien COLBY Anthony RAPINSKI Viktor DOMINGUEZ Ivan FERNANDEZ DE LA PUEBLA RAMOS Alberto VOGELS Henk PETERSON Thomas LANGE Michael EUSER Lucas TOSATTO Matteo RODRIGUEZ Fred LOWE Trent SCARSELLI Leonardo VERHEYEN Geert BROOKS Benjamin STALDER Florian LAGUTIN Sergey CRUZ Antonio FRISCHKORN William RINERO Christophe PIIL Jakob MENZIES Karl JOHANSEN Allan MERTENS Pieter JENSEN Brian LEWIS Craig OLLERENSHAW Doug BLACKGROVE Heath JOHNSON Tim WONG Philip PERRAS Dominique PIPP Frank SULLIVAN Sean HUNTER Robert MCCORMACK Mark ZWIZANSKI Scott MACBURNIE Dustin DAVIDENKO Vassili WREN Tyler HAEDO Juan José BRAMATI Davide FRIEDICK Mariano ALBERS Kirk JONES Brice REISTAD Nick VENTOSO Francisco SAYERS Michael O'BEE Kirk SHIRLEY Neil FRASER Gordon DIETRICH Michael ELKEN Evan BOWMAN Dan OLSON Aaron HARTMAN Wesley OLIVEIRA FERNANDEZ Luis MACGREGOR Ian KAISEN Olivier STEWART Jackson INGELS Nic CLERC Aurélien CANDELARIO Alex ARTACHO Gustavo GRISHKINE Oleg BLICKEM Ryan KING Austin KLOSTERGAARD LARSEN Kasper WILCOX Craig ACTON Alejandro TEAM RESULTS AFTER STAGE 4
Team Phonak Hearing Systems Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Team CSC Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team Prodir-Saunier Duval Navigators Insurance Cycling Team Quick Step-Innergetic Team TIAA-CREF Davitamon-Lotto Jelly Belly Cycling Team Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home Wines Health Net Presented by Maxxis The Jittery Joe's-Zero Gravity Pro KodakGallery.Com-Sierra Nevada Pro Targetraining Cycling Team YOUNG RIDER RESULTS AFTER STAGE 4
Rider BRAJKOVIC Janez MAZUR Peter TSCHOPP Johann HATTON Peter VAN HECKE Preben ANTHONY Jesse FERNANDEZ DE LA PUEBLA RAMOS Alberto PETERSON Thomas LANGE Michael EUSER Lucas LOWE Trent STALDER Florian LEWIS Craig MACBURNIE Dustin REISTAD Nick VENTOSO Francisco BOWMAN Dan HARTMAN Wesley MACGREGOR Ian KAISEN Olivier INGELS Nic KLOSTERGAARD LARSEN Kasper WILCOX Craig