April 17, 2007 – After a day that saw a somewhat unpredictable finish, stage 2 of the 2007 Tour De Georgia followed a more familiar and routine pattern on its way into to the northern town of Rome. Toyota-United quite handily corrected their stage 1 flubs and were able to launch Serbian rider, Ivan Stevic, to take the win in today’s sprint finish.

There was no really action in the field during the 217km stage until Austin King (Jittery Joe’s ) got away just after the 25 km mark. He was quickly joined by Glen Chadwick (Navigator’s Insurance) and Garrett Peltonen (Priority Health), and eventually the trio built up a nearly nine-minute advantage over the peloton. But unlike stage 1, the breakaway was slowly reeled back in as the riders got closer to the three tough finishing circuits.

Ben Jacques-Maynes capitalized on some good placement up the short, steep climb to Clocktower Hill and took the King of The Mountains jersey as a result. But then the sprinter’s squads began to smell blood. CSC’s Dave Zabriskie nearly got away on the final lap, but it was Stevic who was given the go ahead to do what he could to shut down the competition. Tinkoff rider Daniele Contrini retained the race leader’s jersey for another day, but the tough climbing stages ahead don’t bode well for him to hang on to it for long.

Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal (Health Net p/b Maxxis) dropped only a few places in the overall classification thanks to a concerted effort by his Health Net team members as the race entered the final circuits in downtown Rome. Colavita/Sutter Home’ Charles Dionne moved into 14th place after today’s long and windy stage, and is encouraged by his performance so far.

“I felt really good (today),” Dionne said from the finishing comfort of his team car once the race was done. “We’re going to win at some point, and everything seems positive. Tomorrow is going to be a lot of suffering. It’s going to be hard. I haven’t trained as much as I would have liked, because last month I had pneumonia, but right now I feel good.”

Dionne is right about what lies ahead for him and Hesjedal. Four serious climbs (two cat 3, two cat 4) stand between the riders and their destination of Chattanooga, Tennesee. A fairly good chance of showers later on the day, promise to make things particularly challenging on stage 3.

Results

1. Ivan Stevic (SCG) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 5.35.27
2. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 0.02
3. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto
4. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
5. Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
7. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
8. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
9. David Canada Gracia (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
10. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
11. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
12. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream
13. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net p/b Maxxis
14. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
15. David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.05
16. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir
17. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
18. John Devine (USA) USA National Development Team
19. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
20. Nathan O’neill (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
21. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic
22. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
23. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
24. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
25. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream
26. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
27. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream
28. Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
29. Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
30. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
31. Dominique Cornu (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
32. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
33. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
34. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
35. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
36. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC
37. Geert Steurs (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
38. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
39. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
40. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Tinkoff Credit Systems
41. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
42. Jeffry Louder (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
43. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream
44. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Saunier Duval-Prodir
45. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
46. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
47. Craig Lewis (USA) Team Slipstream
48. Guido Trentin (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
49. Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
50. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
51. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
52. Scott Moninger (USA) BMC Racing Team
53. Sheldon Deeny (USA) USA National Development Team
54. Daniele Contrini (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
55. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream
56. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
57. Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
58. Justin England (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
59. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
60. Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
60. Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
61. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
62. Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
63. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
64. Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.21
65. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 0.25
66. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
67. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team
68. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
69. Timothy Duggan (USA) Team Slipstream
70. Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Quick Step – Innergetic
71. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
72. Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
73. Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
74. Matt Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
75. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 0.34
76. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
77. Chad Beyer (USA) USA National Development Team
78. Jacob Rosenbarger (USA) BMC Racing Team
79. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 0.44
80. Adam Bergman (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
81. Michael Lange (USA) Team Slipstream
82. Nick Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto 0.47
83. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team CSC
84. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team
85. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
86. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 0.54
87. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
88. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
89. Viktor Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.58
90. Gianni Meersman (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 1.01
91. Eric Keim (USA) USA National Development Team
92. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 1.14
93. Eric Riggs (USA) USA National Development Team
94. Ian Mckissick (USA) BMC Racing Team 0.05
95. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 2.44
96. Richard England (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
97. Brian Dziewa (USA) USA National Development Team 2.5
98. Nick Reistad (USA) USA National Development Team
99. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 3.2
100. Steffen Weigold (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems
101. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step – Innergetic
102. Glen Alan Chadwick (NZl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
103. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC 3.3
104. Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC
105. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
106. Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
107. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National Development Team
108. Omer Kem (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
109. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 5.07
110. Elio Aggiano (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 6.06
111. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Predictor-Lotto
112. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
113. Emile Abraham (Tri) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 0.05
114. Austin King (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 6.06

GC after Stage 2

1. Daniele Contrini (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 8.59.43
2. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 0.29
3. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.38
4. Ivan Stevic (SCG) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 1.07
5. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 1.13
6. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto 1.15
7. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.19
8. Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
9. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net p/b Maxxis
10. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
11. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
12. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
13. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
14. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
15. David Canada Gracia (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
16. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream
17. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
18. Emile Abraham (Tri) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 1.2
19. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic 1.21
20. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream 1.22
21. David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval-Prodir
22. John Devine (USA) USA National Development Team
23. Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
24. Nathan O’neill (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
25. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
26. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
27. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC
28. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
29. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream
30. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
31. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
32. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
33. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
34. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
35. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic
36. Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
37. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
38. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
39. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
40. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir
41. Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
42. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
43. Dominique Cornu (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
44. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Saunier Duval-Prodir
45. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
46. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Tinkoff Credit Systems
47. Sheldon Deeny (USA) USA National Development Team
48. Geert Steurs (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
49. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step-Innergetic
50. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
51. Justin England (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
52. Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
53. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
54. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
55. Guido Trentin (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
56. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream
57. Craig Lewis (USA) Team Slipstream
58. Jeffry Louder (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
59. Scott Moninger (USA) BMC Racing Team
60. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream
61. Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
62. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
63. Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
64. Ian Mckissick (USA) BMC Racing Team
65. Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.38
66. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team 1.42
67. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
68. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
69. Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
70. Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Quick Step-Innergetic
71. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
72. Timothy Duggan (USA) Team Slipstream
73. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
74. Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
75. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 1.51
76. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
77. Jacob Rosenbarger (USA) BMC Racing Team
78. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 2.01
79. Michael Lange (USA) Team Slipstream
80. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team 2.04
81. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team CSC
82. Nick Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
83. Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 2.09
84. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 2.11
85. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
86. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
87. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2.31
88. Chad Beyer (USA) USA National Development Team 2.33
89. Eric Keim (USA) USA National Development Team 3
90. Viktor Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 3.15
91. Eric Riggs (USA) USA National Development Team 4.08
92. Glen Alan Chadwick (NZl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 4.31
93. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 4.37
94. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
95. Steffen Weigold (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems
96. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC 4.47
97. Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC
98. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
99. Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
100. Matt Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 5.31
101. Adam Bergman (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 5.5
102. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 5.53
103. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 6.24
104. Austin King (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 7.2
105. Elio Aggiano (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 7.23
106. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 7.5
107. Gianni Meersman (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 7.51
108. Brian Dziewa (USA) USA National Development Team 7.56
109. Richard England (Aus) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 9.34
110. Nick Reistad (USA) USA National Development Team 9.4
111. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National Development Team 10.2
112. Omer Kem (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell
113. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Predictor-Lotto 12
114. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team p/b Bissell 13.14