Ford Tour de Georgia
GeorgiaStage 6: Cumming to Alpharetta
April 23, 2006
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LANDIS CLAIMS TITLE AT 2006 FORD TOUR DE GEORGIA
Sprint Finish Thrills Packed Course In Alpharetta For Stage Six Grand Finale
The day belonged to G.C. (general classification) leader Floyd Landis (USA) of Phonak Hearing Systems, who maintained his four-second advantage over second place finisher and fellow American champion Tom Danielson of Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team, winning the 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia. Third place went to Danielson’s teammate Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine). Danielson won last year’s event by four seconds over Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Gerolsteiner, and Landis finished just nine seconds back.
This year, Landis takes home the yellow Ford Overall Leader jersey and the Fräbel glass trophy, created by Fräbel Artists Hans Godo Fräbel and Tung Bui. Landis flatted with four laps to go in Alpharetta, but lost no time in the end with a wheel change from teammate Ignacio Gutierrez (Spain). This was the third major victory of the year for Landis, previously winning the Amgen Tour of California and Paris-Nice.
"It feels very good. I don't think it was any easier, or harder than the other races. They were all very difficult. Obviously, our team is one of the favorites when we come here (to Georgia), so nobody made it easy on us,” Landis said at the post-race press conference. “It was a very good race. It was close, but we pulled it off."
The grand finale of the Ford Tour de Georgia came down to a field sprint after 118.2 miles/190.2 km and six furious circuits in historic Alpharetta, won by Juan Jose “JJ” Haedo (Argentina) of Toyota-United Pro cycling team. Gord Fraser (Canada) of Health Net presented by MAXXIS, who has won the Alpharetta stage the past two years, finished second. Third place went to Swiss rider Aurelien Clerc of Phonak Hearing Systems.
“I put all my heart into the last 150 meters to pull it off. My team did a big, big effort and I wanted to pay (them) back,” said Stage Six winner Haedo, who won two stages earlier this year at the Amgen Tour of California. “I’m happy for me, for my team and all the people who came out here to watch the race.”
Of the 119 original riders 100 finished the Ford Tour de Georgia on Sunday, completing the 601.5-mile stage race. The Aaron’s Most Aggressive Rider jersey changed hands again today, going to American Will Frischkorn of Team TIAA-CREF. Today’s final stage included one United Community Bank King of the Mountain climb, over Burnt Mountain. Jason McCartney (USA) of Discovery Channel had enough points from Stage Four and Five to win the United Community Bank King of the Mountain jersey, which he also won in 2004.
Speedsters thrilled spectators with MAXXIS sprint lines in Cumming and Alpharetta. American “Fast Freddie” Rodriguez of Davitamon-Lotto wore the MAXXIS Sprint jersey all week and will take it home for
keeps. The GE Best Young Rider jersey was awarded to 22-year-old Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia) of Discovery Channel.“From the turn out of the crowds, to the level of excitement we saw here today (in Alpharetta), it was pretty extraordinary. I heard the cyclists talk about tradition, and coming back next year. It's exciting for us. It's continuing to grow and as long as it grows, we're excited,” said Craig Lesser, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the marketing arm of the state of Georgia which is a presenting sponsor of the Tour.
UNITED COMMUNITY BANK KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
MCCARTNEY, Jason DSCMAXXIS SPRINT LEADER
Fred Rodriguez DVLAARON'S CORPORATE FURNISHINGS MOST AGGRESSIVE RIDER
FRISCHKORN, Will TIASTAGE 6 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Rider HAEDO Juan José FRASER Gordon CLERC Aurélien RODRIGUEZ Fred POPOVYCH Yaroslav JACQUES-MAYNES Ben CANDELARIO Alex ACTON Alejandro RICE Matthew ANTHONY Jesse TOSATTO Matteo CRUZ Antonio RAPINSKI Viktor GRAJALES Cesar Augusto DAVIDENKO Vassili ARTACHO Gustavo HARTMAN Wesley PIIL Jakob KOBZARENKO Valery BOWMAN Dan GUTIERREZ CATALUNA José Enrique BRAJKOVIC Janez ELKEN Evan DANIELSON Thomas VAN HECKE Preben LANDIS Floyd KING Austin RINERO Christophe SHIRLEY Neil GATES Nick MACGREGOR Ian PETERSON Thomas VAN DE WALLE Jurgen VANDBORG Brian MCCORMACK Mark JENSEN Brian ROSSELER Sébastien EUSER Lucas MARTINEZ DE ESTEBAN Egoi HUNTER Robert KLOSTERGAARD LARSEN Kasper BAJADALI Andrew FERNANDEZ DE LA PUEBLA RAMOS Alberto JONES Brice STALDER Florian WONG Philip MAZUR Peter FRATTINI Davide BALDWIN Christopher MENZIES Karl LOWE Trent ENGLAND Justin WELLS Todd COLBY Anthony PINOTTI Marco ZABRISKIE David O'NEILL Nathan WIELINGA Remmert PERRAS Dominique CUESTA LOPEZ DE CASTRO Inigo WILSON Trent HATTON Peter MACBURNIE Dustin EKIMOV Viatcheslav OLIVEIRA FERNANDEZ Luis HERRIOTT Todd VERHEYEN Geert PATE Danny MANION Caleb SWINDLEHURST Burke PIPP Frank TSCHOPP Johann OLSON Aaron KUYCKX Jan DOMINGUEZ Ivan MERTENS Pieter NOVAL Benjamin MCCARTNEY Jason SAYERS Michael FRISCHKORN William JOHANSEN Allan SCARSELLI Leonardo GRISHKINE Oleg O'BEE Kirk LANGE Michael KAISEN Olivier BLACKGROVE Heath JOHNSON Tim WREN Tyler BROOKS Benjamin LAGUTIN Sergey BRAMATI Davide OLLERENSHAW Doug LOUDER Jeffry ALBERS Kirk ZAJICEK Phil SULLIVAN Sean REISTAD Nick ZWIZANSKI Scott WILCOX Craig GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 6
Rider LANDIS Floyd DANIELSON Thomas POPOVYCH Yaroslav GUTIERREZ CATALUNA José Enrique BRAJKOVIC Janez ZABRISKIE David O'NEILL Nathan PINOTTI Marco BALDWIN Christopher GRAJALES Cesar Augusto ENGLAND Justin WIELINGA Remmert MARTINEZ DE ESTEBAN Egoi VANDBORG Brian EKIMOV Viatcheslav VAN DE WALLE Jurgen TSCHOPP Johann CUESTA LOPEZ DE CASTRO Inigo WELLS Todd WILSON Trent COLBY Anthony FERNANDEZ DE LA PUEBLA RAMOS Alberto KOBZARENKO Valery BAJADALI Andrew MANION Caleb VAN HECKE Preben HERRIOTT Todd MAZUR Peter LOWE Trent JACQUES-MAYNES Ben HATTON Peter SWINDLEHURST Burke NOVAL Benjamin PATE Danny RAPINSKI Viktor LOUDER Jeffry VERHEYEN Geert PETERSON Thomas MCCARTNEY Jason ANTHONY Jesse RICE Matthew RINERO Christophe STALDER Florian GATES Nick ZAJICEK Phil LAGUTIN Sergey CRUZ Antonio SCARSELLI Leonardo RODRIGUEZ Fred KUYCKX Jan FRATTINI Davide TOSATTO Matteo EUSER Lucas JOHANSEN Allan LANGE Michael MERTENS Pieter MENZIES Karl ROSSELER Sébastien PIIL Jakob OLLERENSHAW Doug BROOKS Benjamin FRISCHKORN William JENSEN Brian MCCORMACK Mark DOMINGUEZ Ivan JOHNSON Tim WONG Philip PERRAS Dominique BLACKGROVE Heath DAVIDENKO Vassili HUNTER Robert WREN Tyler PIPP Frank FRASER Gordon BRAMATI Davide JONES Brice HAEDO Juan José SHIRLEY Neil HARTMAN Wesley SAYERS Michael BOWMAN Dan ELKEN Evan MACGREGOR Ian REISTAD Nick OLSON Aaron ALBERS Kirk OLIVEIRA FERNANDEZ Luis O'BEE Kirk KAISEN Olivier MACBURNIE Dustin ZWIZANSKI Scott SULLIVAN Sean CLERC Aurélien CANDELARIO Alex KLOSTERGAARD LARSEN Kasper GRISHKINE Oleg ARTACHO Gustavo KING Austin ACTON Alejandro WILCOX Craig TEAM RESULTS AFTER STAGE 6
Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Phonak Hearing Systems Team CSC Prodir-Saunier Duval Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team Quick Step-Innergetic Navigators Insurance Cycling Team Jelly Belly Cycling Team Davitamon-Lotto Health Net Presented by Maxxis Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home Wines Team TIAA-CREF Targetraining Cycling Team The Jittery Joe's-Zero Gravity Pro KodakGallery.Com-Sierra Nevada Pro YOUNG RIDER RESULTS AFTER STAGE 6
Rider BRAJKOVIC Janez TSCHOPP Johann FERNANDEZ DE LA PUEBLA RAMOS Alberto VAN HECKE Preben MAZUR Peter LOWE Trent HATTON Peter PETERSON Thomas ANTHONY Jesse STALDER Florian EUSER Lucas LANGE Michael HARTMAN Wesley BOWMAN Dan MACGREGOR Ian REISTAD Nick KAISEN Olivier MACBURNIE Dustin KLOSTERGAARD LARSEN Kasper WILCOX Craig