April 21, 2007 — A bit of comeuppance was imparted today on stage 6 of the Tour De Georgia, as “Fast” Freddie Rodriguez (Predictor-Lotto) paid back CSC’s J.J. Haedo for the loss the Argentine sprinter dealt him on stage 6 (ironically enough…) at this year’s Amgen Tour of California. Rodriguez beat Haedo today by half a wheel length at the end of 183 km race (113.5-mile) from Lake Lanier Islands to just outside of Atlanta at Stone Mountain Park.

“It felt good. It was a little bit of payback,” said Rodriguez at the finish.

Rodriguez stayed on top of his race and played his cards right as the race closed over a 7.7 finishing circuit around the majestic Confederate war memorial that is carved into Stone Mountain. With 200 meters to go, Rodriguez jumped an impressive field that contained serious sprint contender Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United), Haedo, fast-man David Millar of Saunier Duval-Prodir. George Hincapie also had a dig, proving that the American classics rider for the Discovery Channel is in fairly reasonable form after his west coast accident back in February.

Prior to the photo finish, Freddie’s fellow Predictor-Lotto Belgian teammate Olivier Kaisen was up the road as part of a long-standing breakaway that started some forty plus miles into the day’s stage. Along with him was Navigator’s Glen Alan Chadwick and Quickstep’s Maarten Wynants.

The young Belgian for Quickstep walked away with the Most Agressive Rider’s jersey for the day, but together the trio could not get enough distance on the main field for a serious shot at the stage win. With less than two minutes to their credit, the three riders roared into Stone Mountain Park, but that small lead was predictably swallowed by the peloton as the finish drew nearer. Wynants was the last to be absorbed, once the field dropped the hammer and stepped up the pace to over 40 mph.

Rodriguez sealed the deal in a classic fashion and by doing so got his fourth win here at the Tour; a record. Canadians Charles Dionne (Colavita/Sutter Home), and Ryder Hesjedal (Health Net p/b Maxxis) placed 19th and 42nd respectively.

Tomorrow the riders zoom around downtown Atlanta in a 107.2km (67-mile) circuit race that should see similar fireworks. Janez Brajkovic (Discovery) retains the yellow jersey, and unless tragedy strikes, will be the overall winner when all is said and done.

Results

1. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto 4.04.00
2. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC
3. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
4. David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval-Prodir
5. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
6. Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
7. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
8. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
9. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
10. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
11. Richard England (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
12. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
13. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
14. Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
15. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
16. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream
17. Elio Aggiano (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
18. Daniele Contrini (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
19. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
20. Sheldon Deeny (USA) USA National Development Team
21. Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
22. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
23. Geert Steurs (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
24. Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
25. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
26. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team
27. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
28. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
29. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir
30. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
31. Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
32. David Canada Gracia (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
33. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
34. Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic
35. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
36. Steffen Weigold (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems
37. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
38. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
39. Jacob Rosenbarger (USA) BMC Racing Team
40. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
41. John Devine (USA) USA National Development Team
42. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net p/b Maxxis
43. Dominique Cornu (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
44. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
45. Timothy Duggan (USA) Team Slipstream
46. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
47. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic
48. Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
49. Ivan Stevic (SCG) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
50. Nathan O’neill (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
51. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
52. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
53. Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
54. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
55. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
56. Nick Reistad (USA) USA National Development Team
57. Scott Moninger (USA) BMC Racing Team
58. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
59. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream
60. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
61. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team
62. Matt Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
63. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
64. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
65. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Tinkoff Credit Systems
66. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Predictor-Lotto
67. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Saunier Duval-Prodir
68. Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
69. Craig Lewis (USA) Team Slipstream
70. Eric Keim (USA) USA National Development Team
71. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC
72. Guido Trentin (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
73. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream
74. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC
75. Ian Mckissick (USA) BMC Racing Team
76. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
77. Nick Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
78. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
79. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream
80. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
81. Austin King (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
82. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
83. Michael Lange (USA) Team Slipstream
84. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
85. Adam Bergman (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
86. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
87. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream
88. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
89. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
90. Glen Alan Chadwick (NZl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
91. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
92. Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC
93. Chad Beyer (USA) USA National Development Team
94. Jeffry Louder (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
95. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
96. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
97. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 0.28
98. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 0.39
99. Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 3.23
100. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 4.52
101. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National Development Team
102. Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 6.05
103. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team CSC
104. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
105. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC
106. Omer Kem (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
107. Justin England (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
108. Eric Riggs (USA) USA National Development Team

GC after Stage 6

1. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 23.01.03
2. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC 0.12
3. David Canada Gracia (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3.04
4. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3.06
5. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic 4.22
6. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team 5.35
7. Jeffry Louder (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 6
8. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 6.59
9. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream 10.08
10. Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic 12.15
11. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 12.26
12. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 24.48
13. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 26.57
14. Nathan O’neill (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis 27.15
15. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 28.21
16. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 28.55
17. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net p/b Maxxis 29.09
18. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream 29.55
19. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 30
20. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 30.13
21. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC 30.37
22. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 30.49
23. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team 30.5
24. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic 31.3
25. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 31.35
26. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream 32.37
27. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis 32.59
28. John Devine (USA) USA National Development Team 33.06
29. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic 33.2
30. Glen Alan Chadwick (NZl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 33.44
31. Craig Lewis (USA) Team Slipstream 33.53
32. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream 34.06
33. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 34.08
34. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 34.16
35. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 34.17
36. Scott Moninger (USA) BMC Racing Team 35.07
37. Timothy Duggan (USA) Team Slipstream 35.47
38. Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 36.05
39. Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 36.06
40. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 36.17
41. Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 36.44
42. Ian Mckissick (USA) BMC Racing Team 36.53
43. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b