June 3, 2004 – Fred Rodriguez (Aqua y Sapone), one of America’s top
cyclists and among the best in the world, sprinted to victory in the
Wachovia Cycling Series-Trenton race on Thursday, June 3, 2004. Rodriguez
won with a time of
3:00.03, just hundredths of a second ahead of second place finisher Gord
Fraser of Health Net-Maxxis and a dozen other cyclists.

A crowd of 15,000 cheered the cyclists amidst perfect weather as they sped
91 miles on a 6.5-mile loop through the streets of New Jersey’s Capitol
Complex. It was the second event in the Wachovia Cycling Series, which
culminates this Sunday (June 6) with the 20th Annual Wachovia USPRO
Championship in Philadelphia. It was the 15th Annual New Jersey pro cycling
event and the 12th in Trenton.

Rodriguez, who also won Trenton in 2000, edged Fraser and the rest of the
cluster in a frantic race over the last 300 yards. He is coming off a huge
international accomplishment, winning a ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia
this past May. He finished third in the Wachovia Cycling Series-Lancaster
race on Tuesday despite a stomach ailment. He is a two-time winner of the
Wachovia USPRO Championship in Philadelphia and a U.S. Olympic Team hopeful.

“My team did a good job of keeping me fresh through the race,” said
Rodriguez, who is hoping to be selected for the USA Olympic Team heading to
Athens in August. “In the sprint, I tried to get the speed as high as I
could and it worked. My legs are strong. I’m confident I can do well in
Philadelphia.”

A late two-man breakaway of John Lieswyn of Healthnet Maxxis and Rodoslaw
Romanik of Hoop CCC Polstat was reeled in on the second to last lap and
Rodriguez outgunned the peleton. Lieswyn was the Sprint Champion for the
second consecutive race (Lancaster on Tuesday). Lars Michaelsen of CSC
finished third behind Rodriguez and Fraser.

The season-opening event of the Pro Cycling Tour on Tuesday in Lancaster,
PA, was won by Max Van Heeswijk of Holland, a member of the U.S. Postal
Service Team. However, with his win today, Rodriguez takes the lead in the
2004 Pro Cycling Tour Point Standings. The Pro Cycling Tour links the
nation’s biggest professional road cycling races featuring world-class
athletes.