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Tour of Georgia - 2.3
Georgia, USA, April 22-27, 2003
Main Page Results Previous stage
Stage 5 - April 27: Atlanta Circuit Race, 142km
Chris Horner & Team Saturn dominate Tour de Georgia
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Rodriguez comes close; Clinger grabs great stage win in Atlanta
By Tim Maloney, European Editor in Atlanta, Georgia
In his biggest win to date, Chris Horner and his Saturn team battled with Henk Vogel's Navigators team and Fred Rodriguez's Vini Caldirola-Sidermec squad all through the inaugural edition of the Tour de Georgia and came out on top. Although they are registered with the UCI as a Division III squad, Saturn rode like a Division I team all week, making all the right moves at just the right times and confirming their domination of the US racing scene this season.
For Tour de Georgia GC winner and best climber Chris Horner, the satisfaction today was doubly sweet. Not only did Horner power to the biggest win of his career, the outspoken freckle-faced 31 year old rider from Bend, Oregon was able to finally exorcise the ghosts left over from the 1996 Olympic trials. "The Tour de Georgia was really a great race to win; I was finally able to show what kind of a rider I really am." Horner said that he was still bitter after his superb performance at the 1996 Olympic trials in Seattle and his non-selection for the squad. The controversial decision to select Greg Randolph over Horner has stuck in his craw ever since. "I learned then that there were politics in sport just like in life and since then, every race I win, every time I top the national rankings, I'm trying to prove a point." Today, despite a tough battle with Vini Caldirola-Sidermec's Fred Rodriguez, Horner did prove once and for all that he's the premier pro bike racer on the American domestic scene.
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But Horner couldn't do it alone. His Saturn team provided superb back-up all through the Tour de Georgia. Aussie Nathan O'Neill, like Horner and Tom Danielson newcomers on Team Saturn this year told Cyclingnews, "Today's final stage was a nervous day for us; we did the calculations about how far Fred Rodriguez was behind Chris and our game plan was to defend for Chris all the way." O'Neill also paid credit to Saturn's new director Anje Bek. "I can't explain how Anje has brought our team together exactly... he is so easy-going and a great guy; but he commands so much respect too. Anje is approachable but we know he's the boss."
Standing next to the 28 year old O'Neill in the post-race melee was 23 year old Tom Danielson, who was soaking all the new experiences in. "This is a big build-up for the Peace Race for me. I came here to learn and this was not a race for me; it was fast and flat, everything I'm absolutely not good at! The climbs here were not very hard so I'm looking forward to the Peace Race. There are some big climbs there and I want to race them really well." Based on Danielson's climbing on Saturday's Stage 4, the will be little peace in the Peace Race this when the road begins to ascend.
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GC runner-up, sprint leader and double stage winner Fred Rodriguez clearly lived up to his nickname Fast Freddy this week. Rodriguez finished just 7 seconds behind Horner on GC thanks to time bonuses, after being penalized 20 seconds for briefly motor-pacing in stage 1 while trying to regain the bunch after a crash and wheel change on the Atlanta starting circuit. Fast Freddy was certainly happy with his performance at the Tour de Georgia but disappointed at the way the situation worked out. "If I hadn't gotten the time bonus and was closer on GC, I'm sure Saturn would have attacked me all over the place. But it's too bad that the race officials don't understand that this penalty was not appropriate. The crash happened in the first two miles of the stage and it didn't affect the outcome of the race at all. I hope that these officials can get some experience in Europe someday so they understand what bike racing is all about."
Rodriguez's direttore sportivo Vittorio Algeri echoed his rider's remarks, saying, "This was a great race; so well organized and managed. However, the penalty that was given to Fred was an exaggeration. He crashed on the non-neutral circuits and since the peloton was moving at 50km/h, he might have had to chase all day to get back on. It's normal in European racing to pace your riders back in this situation; you get a fine but not a penalty." With such a close race, Rodriguez's 20 second penalty did effect the final outcome of the Tour de Georgia; had this not occurred, the four-way racing between Saturn, Navigators, Vini Caldirola and USPS would have been a more exciting, closer race.
Navigator's Henk Vogels was positive after we spoke to him post-race, saying, "I've been going flat out for three months now. Today maybe I was a little tired; the team gave me a perfect lead-out and it was a perfect sprint for me." The Georgia tour wrapped up a relatively successful spring season for the ambitious American squad which will now focus on the USPRO championships in June. "We would like to go back to Europe again this year," explained team director Ed Beamon. "It depends on our budget so we'll see if August works for us."
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USPS had a respectable performance at the Tour de Georgia; Roland Green crashed out and abandoned, but Michael Barry and Dave Zabriskie were fourth and fifth respectively. Barry's dynamic attacking at the end of Stage 4 and Zabriskie's consistency were notable, while Floyd Landis is clearly on the comeback trail in only his second race of the season. Landis was 28th on GC and ended up powering a break on Stage 4 for 100km before being caught by Saturn's onslaught.
Dave Clinger's big win in today's final in Atlanta was a much needed break for the Prime Alliance squad. Clinger is great in uphill sprints and his squad put it down today with a perfect lead-out train that propelled the Woodland Hills, CA rider to victory. "I've been behind this season a bit," said Clinger. "I had knee surgery in the off season, and I've been a little slow to come around. But everything went perfectly for us today." Both Fred Rodriguez and third place Moreno Di Biase of the Formaggio Pinzolo Fiave' team were boxed until the final meters of the sprint, but Clinger would have been hard to beat in any case.
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Kudos to Flanders-Iteamnova, a small team that rode big in the Tour de Georgia. With two riders in the top 10 on GC (seventh-placed Alan Iacuone and Scott Guyton in tenth), this squad rode smart, stayed out of trouble and got the job done. John Lieswyn and his 7-Up / Maxxis team also cracked the top 10 on GC, as the cagy, experienced Lieswyn was always there except for the key break on Stage 4.
Rabobank may have underestimated the competition at the Tour de Georgia; directeur sportif Frans Maassen was very impressed with the competition at the American race. More props to consistent Ofoto-Lombardi Sports team that finished fourth in the teams competition. Tim Larkin, Irishman David O'Loughlin and best young rider Saul Raisin were all in the top 20 for a surprising, consistent performance at the Georgia tour.
Seven years after the Tour DuPont disappeared from the scene, the Tour de Georgia has emerged as an international stage race with a future. Despite some expected minor problems, the race went very smoothly for a first year event of this magnitude. The tour brought big-time bike racing to Georgia for the first time since the 1996 Olympics and promises much for 2004.
Photography
Images by Jonathan Devich/thefastrack.com
- Best young rider of the Tour Saul Raisin gets introduced to the line.
- Roland Green was all smiles on the line. Half way through the race however Green hit the deck hard and was rushed to hospital.
- Riders leave the line in Atlanta.
- The Vini Calderola/Sidermec team of Freddy Rodriguez went straight to the front on the first lap.
- The Ofoto team fought hard today ending up with a top 12 finish.
- After riding over 600 miles many riders were ready for Miller time.
- The pack emerges from an underpass with Floyd Landis (USPS) on the front.
- For some folks road rash would get very expensive
- The peloton rides under the zebra striped shadows of highway overpass.
- The break that almost stayed away passes the 1km mark.
- Saturn leads the chase to bring back the break.
- Michael Barry (USPS) hammers into the finish and comes in fourth overall.
- The break that got reeled in with one to go.
- With three to go it was time to go to work for Saturn.
- Downtown Atlanta looms in the distance as the field passes the 1km to go mark.
- One to go and the break is getting swallowed up.
- The peloton passes through the thousands of fans along the course.
- David Clinger (Prime Alliance) on the right just beats out Freddy Rodrigeuz (Sidermec) and Moreno Di Biase (Formaggi Pinzolo) to the left.
- Top three on the podium: David Clinger (Prime Alliance), Freddy Rodrigeuz (Sidermec) and Moreno Di Biase (Formaggi Pinzolo).
- Chris Horner (Saturn) was clearly happy with the artwork he won for his mantle.
- Team Saturn celebrates their victory in the team competition.
- Sprint jersey winner Freddy Rodrigeuz (Sidermec), overall and mountain jersey winner Chris Horner (Saturn) and Saul Raisin (Ofoto-Lombardi Sports) with the best young rider jersey.
Results
1 David Clinger (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 3.03.40 2 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 3 Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 4 Miguel Angel Meza Flores (Mex) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 5 Henk Vogels (Aus) Navigators Cycling Team 6 Scott Guyton (NZl) Flanders-IteamNova.com 7 Alex Candelario (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 8 Troy White (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 9 Uros Murn (Slo) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 10 Chris Horner (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 11 Brice Jones (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 12 Erik Saunders (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 13 Chris Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly 14 Todd Littlehales (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 15 Shawn Willard (USA) Colavita Bolla 16 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Rabobank 17 Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank 18 Kevin Monahan (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 19 Conor Hurley (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 20 Chad Hartley (USA) Jittery Joe's Cycling Team 21 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 22 Matt Dubberley (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 23 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 24 Dion Murk (Ned) Dutch National Team 25 David McKenzie (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 26 Brent Dawson (Aus) Jelly Belly 27 Jürgen Landrie (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova.com 28 Scottie Weiss (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 29 Niko Biskner (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 30 Christopher Pic (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 31 Jon Erdelyi (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 32 Vincent Van Rijn (Ned) Dutch National Team 33 Michael Barry (Can) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 34 Derek Wilkerson (USA) Jelly Belly 35 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 36 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank 37 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team 38 Antonio Cruz (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 39 Matt Decanio (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 40 Jeff Angermann (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 41 Jacob Erker (Can) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 42 Mauro Gerosa (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 43 Mark Fitzgerald (USA) Jelly Belly 44 Gregory Henderson (NZl) 7UP / Maxxis 45 Saul Raisin (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 46 Phil Zajicek (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 47 Tim Larkin (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 48 Jonathan Hamblen (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 49 Chann McRae (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 50 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank 51 James Mattis (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 52 Jake Rosenbarger (USA) Jittery Joe's Cycling Team 53 Alan Iacuone (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 54 John Lieswyn (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 55 Brian Forbes (USA) Jelly Belly 56 Tom Danielson (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 57 Steve Larsen (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 58 David Zabriskie (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 59 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 60 Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly 61 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank 62 Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Bolla 63 Adam Livingston (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 64 Floyd Landis (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 65 Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita Bolla 66 Danny Pate (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 67 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Dutch National Team 68 Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Jelly Belly 69 Andy Bajadali (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 70 Adham Sbeih (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 71 Jeff Louder (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 72 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 73 David De La Fuente (Spa) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 74 Patrick Heaney (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 75 John Peters (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 76 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 77 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 78 Mariano Friedick (USA) Jelly Belly 79 Dane Jankowiak (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 80 Tim Johnson (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 81 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 82 Svein Tuft (Can) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 83 Dominique Perras (Can) Flanders-IteamNova.com 84 Douglas Ziewacz (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 0.25 85 Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 0.28 86 Mark McCormack (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 87 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 88 Pete Knudsen (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 89 Jos Pronk (Ned) Dutch National Team 0.46 90 Chris Baumann (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 0.51 91 Dirk Peetoom (Ned) Dutch National Team 1.09 92 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Cycling Team 1.14 93 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 94 Jason Bausch (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 1.20 95 Wouters Mol (Ned) Dutch National Team 1.33 96 David Wenger (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 1.41 97 Aaron Olsen (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 98 Marco Gilli (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 1.50 99 Markus Wimmer (Aut) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 100 Trent Wilson (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 6.46 101 Jason McCartney (USA) 7UP / Maxxis Teams 1 Sierra Nevada Clif Bar 9.11.00 2 Prime Alliance 3 Rabobank 4 Flanders Iteamnova 5 7 Up Maxxis 6 Jelly Belly Carlsbad Clothing 7 Saturn 8 OFOTO Lombardi Sports 9 Formaggi Pinzolo 10 Schroeder Iron 11 West Virginia Pro Cycling 12 Navigators 13 Vini Caldiroal Sidermec 14 Dutch National 15 US Postal Service 16 Colavita Bolla 17 Webcor General classification after stage 5 1 Chris Horner (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 23.01.36 2 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 0.07 3 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 0.13 4 Michael Barry (Can) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 0.22 5 David Zabriskie (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 0.25 6 Tom Danielson (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 0.26 7 Alan Iacuone (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 0.28 8 David Clinger (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 1.29 9 John Lieswyn (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 1.38 10 Scott Guyton (NZl) Flanders-IteamNova.com 11 Danny Pate (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 1.41 12 Phil Zajicek (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 1.42 13 Jeff Louder (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 1.45 14 Tim Larkin (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 15 Jacob Erker (Can) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 1.47 16 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 17 Chann McRae (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 1.50 18 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 19 Saul Raisin (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 1.52 20 Uros Murn (Slo) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 1.54 21 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 22 Chad Hartley (USA) Jittery Joe's Cycling Team 1.57 23 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Rabobank 1.59 24 Steve Larsen (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 25 Mauro Gerosa (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 26 Vincent Van Rijn (Ned) Dutch National Team 2.09 27 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 2.10 28 Floyd Landis (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 2.13 29 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank 2.16 30 Andy Bajadali (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 2.19 31 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank 2.59 32 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 3.03 33 Jonathan Hamblen (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 3.25 34 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 9.32 35 Henk Vogels (Aus) Navigators Cycling Team 12.28 36 Matt Decanio (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 12.50 37 Antonio Cruz (USA) US Postal presented by Berry Floor 12.55 38 Adam Livingston (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 12.59 39 Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Jelly Belly 13.00 40 Svein Tuft (Can) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 13.07 41 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 14.09 42 David De La Fuente (Spa) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 14.22 43 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 16.35 44 Adham Sbeih (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 20.06 45 Miguel Angel Meza Flores (Mex) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 21.18 46 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 21.26 47 Alex Candelario (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 21.29 48 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team 21.30 49 Dane Jankowiak (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 21.35 50 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank 51 Derek Wilkerson (USA) Jelly Belly 21.36 52 Kevin Monahan (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 21.37 53 Erik Saunders (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 54 John Peters (USA) Prime Alliance Cycling Team 21.39 55 Mark Fitzgerald (USA) Jelly Belly 21.41 56 Scottie Weiss (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 21.42 57 Christopher Pic (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 21.44 58 Brice Jones (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 21.48 59 Douglas Ziewacz (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 22.00 60 Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 22.09 61 Mariano Friedick (USA) Jelly Belly 22.12 62 Pete Knudsen (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 22.19 63 Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita Bolla 22.47 64 Mark McCormack (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 22.51 65 Jason Bausch (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 22.58 66 Matt Dubberley (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 23.04 67 Todd Littlehales (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 23.12 68 Conor Hurley (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 23.14 69 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Dutch National Team 23.25 70 Jake Rosenbarger (USA) Jittery Joe's Cycling Team 23.43 71 Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly 23.47 72 Patrick Heaney (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 23.50 73 Dion Murk (Ned) Dutch National Team 74 James Mattis (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 24.14 75 Brent Dawson (Aus) Jelly Belly 24.17 76 Jeff Angermann (USA) Webcor Cycling Team 77 Chris Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly 24.22 78 Shawn Willard (USA) Colavita Bolla 24.28 79 Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank 24.33 80 Dominique Perras (Can) Flanders-IteamNova.com 24.35 81 Jon Erdelyi (USA) Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 25.06 82 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Cycling Team 25.19 83 Jürgen Landrie (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova.com 25.32 84 Gregory Henderson (NZl) 7UP / Maxxis 25.42 85 Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Bolla 25.49 86 Jos Pronk (Ned) Dutch National Team 26.00 87 Tim Johnson (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 26.21 88 David McKenzie (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 26.29 89 Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 27.05 90 Marco Gilli (Ita) Caldirola-Sidermec-Saunier Duval 27.24 91 David Wenger (USA) West Virginia Cycling Team 27.28 92 Wouters Mol (Ned) Dutch National Team 27.37 93 Aaron Olsen (USA) Schroeder Iron Cycling Team 27.49 94 Markus Wimmer (Aut) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé 28.42 95 Niko Biskner (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 29.42 96 Trent Wilson (Aus) Flanders-IteamNova.com 32.42 97 Jason McCartney (USA) 7UP / Maxxis 41.24 98 Troy White (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 43.13 99 Dirk Peetoom (Ned) Dutch National Team 51.13 100 Brian Forbes (USA) Jelly Belly 52.21 101 Chris Baumann (USA) Sierra Nevada-Clif Bar 1.06.28
