2008tourgeorgiastage3

2008 TOUR DE GEORGIA

STAGE THREE

April 23, Still late in the PM...

When I saw the placement of the finish line for this stage I was a tad surprised. I was second guessing the course designer until the finish actually happened. The down hill drop to the line after a good straight section to get the bikes pumped up to speed made for one of the more exciting finishes I have seen in years. This was a really cool stage. With three laps through town so that all the spectators got to see the riders more than once and the speed at which it all happened was a real gas.

This stage started in Washington Georgia and meandered across rolling terrain into Gainesville. Out on the course there was an accident involving two riders which put Tim Duggan in the hospital and out of the race. Once the peloton arrived in Gainesville the course sent them on three fast circuits of our fair city in which Team High Road managed to control the front of the peloton. In the end it came down to a shoot out between Greg Henderson and Andre Greipel both of Team High Road. Greg was able to out horsepower Andre to the finish line and Tyler Farrar pushed through behind them for third.

THE PELOTON MAKES THEIR FIRST LAP