April 24, 2008 (Atlanta, Georgia) – The long-awaited 16.1km/10mi Team Time Trial event at this year’s Tour de Georgia finally arrived just outside of metro Atlanta today, and Team Slipstream-Chipotle proved beyond a doubt that they have serious designs on the overall general classification. The big dog American squad put a full two seconds into their nearest competitors over four spins around the 4km/2.5-mile Road Atlanta motor raceway.

Prior to the event Canadian rider Svein Tuft pre-rode the course with the rest of the Symmetrics squad to get the lay of the land. “It’s a tough course, for sure. It’s tricky because there’s really no place where you can just go at a steady pace, because it’s so twisty and turn-y.” Symmetrics was the 11th team out on the course due to the squad’s 7th place position in the team standings.

The riders were not allowed to ride time trial bikes because race organizers felt that the course was too technical to guarantee the safety of the competitors. Riders were also made to ride the course in the reverse direction that race cars normally travel on the course, due to the significant incline of the finishing stretch. That meant that two-tenths of a mile into each lap the riders would be faced with a punch-in-the-gut climb, that might threaten some of the weaker riders on each team. With such a short distance (16.1km) on offer today though, it would be unlikely that teams would wait for any dropped riders unless they were in contention for the general classification. Teams would be given the time of the fourth rider across the finish line.

As riders headed out for their four laps, various teams experienced mechanicals including several dropped chains on that initial wall of the climb. The course took its toll on a number of squads, and several stragglers were left behind by their team. The day’s heat may have also played a factor in the stage. Temperatures were somewhere near 25C but out on the tarmac it reached a smoking 38C.

The Symmetrics’ boys plan of riding a conservative first lap might have worked against them in the final analysis. As team director Kevin Cunningham said post-race: “What you leave out there on a time trial, you can’t get back.” Their time of 20:29 was the 11th fastest on the day.

As the day wore on the race for the general classification wound down to the most likely suspects. A three-way struggle between Slipstream-Chipotle (who posted the best time for most of the day”¦), Team Astana, and High Road played out in high drama. Astana gave it their all right out of the start gate, and in fact turned in the fastest first lap time. But as the laps wore on, their grip on the stage slipped. Astan’s final time of 19:40.57 was not enough to unseat the men in argyle. High Road was next up, and while it was a nail biter all the way to the line, George Hincapie’s men could only turn in a time 19:42, which ultimately was only good enough for third place.

But High Road’s solid effort was enough to keep their sprinter Greg Henderson in the leader’s jersey for one more day. Henderson will have to savor it, because tomorrow’s ride into the North Georgia mountains may be where he and the top prize become estranged.

Results

1. Trent Lowe (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 19.36.86 (49.285 km/h)
2. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
4. Thomas Danielson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
5. Chris Horner (USA) Astana 0.03.41
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
7. Antonio Colom Mas (Spa) Astana
8. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana
9. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
10. George Hincapie (USA) Team High Road 0.05.20
11. André Greipel (Ger) Team High Road
12. Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team High Road
13. Craig Lewis (USA) Team High Road
14. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road
15. Kanstantin Siutsou (Blr) Team High Road
16. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC 0.12.72
17. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
18. Bradley McGee (Aus) Team CSC
19. Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Team CSC
20. Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC
21. Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 0.21.69
22. Ben Day (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.23.43
23. Justin England (USA) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
24. Ivan Stevic (Srb) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
25. Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
26. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.27.19
27. Darren Lill (RSA) BMC Racing Team 0.31.65
28. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team
29. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
30. Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
31. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.32.67
32. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
33. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
34. Stephan Schreck (Ger) Gerolsteiner
35. Tim Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 0.40.86
36. Kari Menzies (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
37. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
38. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
39. Kirk O’Bee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
40. Matt Cooke (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
41. Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
42. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 0.41.20
43. Richard England (Aus) Bissell Pro Cycling
44. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
45. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
46. Edward King (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
47. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.43.44
48. Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing 0.52.35
49. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing
50. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
51. Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Rock Racing
52. Jacob Erker (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 0.52.81
53. Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
54. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
55. Francois Parisien (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
56. Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
57. Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
58. Christian Meier (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
59. Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
60. Glen Chadwick (Aus) Team Type 1 0.55.56
61. Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1
62. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1
63. Ian MacGregor (USA) Team Type 1
64. Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1
65. Emile Abraham (Tri) Team Type 1
66. Moises Aldape Chavez (Mex) Team Type 1
67. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 1.08.94
68. Michael Lange (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.10.26
69. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
70. Nicholas Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
71. Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
72. Aaron Tuckerman (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
73. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 1.10.58
74. Aaron Olson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
75. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.16.14
76. Matt Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.19.14
77. Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 1.20.71
78. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
79. Matthew Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
80. Jared Barrilleaux (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
81. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 1.20.97
82. Leon Van Bon (Ned) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 1.22.55
83. Jai Crawford (Aus) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team
84. Serguei Koudentsov (Rus) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team
85. Yilin Liu (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team
86. Rhys Pollock (Aus) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team
87. Yan Dong Xing (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team
88. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 1.27.43
89. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.28.14
90. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing 1.29.52
91. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team 1.37.45
92. David Galvin (USA) BMC Racing Team
93. Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) Astana 1.43.81
94. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 1.46.09
95. Lucas Euser (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 1.54.63
96. Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
97. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.58.10
98. Matthias Russ (Ger) Gerolsteiner
99. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 2.02.61
100. Roman Kireyev (Kaz) Astana 2.04.29
101. Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2.08.35
102. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 2.13.18
103. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC 2.35.85
104. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2.51.22
105. Fuyu Li (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 2.54.21
106. Loh Sea Keong (Mas) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 3.03.96
107. Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team High Road 3.08.12
108. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing 3.13.64
109. Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Rock Racing
110. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 3.37.64
111. Corey Collier (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 3.58.00
112. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 3.59.38
113. Mike Sayers (USA) BMC Racing Team 4.07.46
114. Kayle Leogrande (USA) Rock Racing 4.08.61
115. Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.35.35
116. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
DNF Michael Schär (Swi) Astana

Teams

1. Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 19.36.86
2. Astana 0.03.41
3. Team High Road 0.05.20
4. Team CSC 0.12.72
5. Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.23.43
6. BMC Racing Team 0.31.65
7. Gerolsteiner 0.32.67
8. Health Net presented by Maxxis 0.40.86
9. Bissell Pro Cycling 0.41.20
10. Rock Racing 0.52.35
11. Symmetrics Cycling Team 0.52.81
12. Team Type 1 0.55.56
13. Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.10.26
14. The Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 1.20.71
15. GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 1.22.55

GC after Stage 4

1. Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team High Road 11.17.59
2. André Greipel (Ger) Team High Road 0.15
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
4. Thomas Danielson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
5. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
6. Trent Lowe (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
7. Antonio Colom Mas (Spa) Astana 0.19
8. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
9. Chris Horner (USA) Astana
10. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
11. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana
12. George Hincapie (USA) Team High Road 0.21
13. Kanstantin Siutsou (Blr) Team High Road
14. Craig Lewis (USA) Team High Road
15. Bradley McGee (Aus) Team CSC 0.28
16. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
17. Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Team CSC
18. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC
19. Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC
20. Ivan Stevic (Srb) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.35
21. Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 0.37
22. Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.39
23. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.43
24. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team 0.46
25. Darren Lill (RSA) BMC Racing Team 0.47
26. Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
27. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team
28. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.48
29. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
30. Stephan Schreck (Ger) Gerolsteiner
31. Kari Menzies (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis 0.56
32. Matt Cooke (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
33. Tim Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
34. Richard England (Aus) Bissell Pro Cycling 0.57
35. Edward King (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
36. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling
37. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
38. Moises Aldape Chavez (Mex) Team Type 1 1.04
39. Christian Meier (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 1.05
40. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing 1.08
41. Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Rock Racing
42. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing
43. Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing
44. Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
45. Francois Parisien (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
46. Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
47. Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
48. Jacob Erker (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
49. Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
50. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
51. Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1 1.11
52. Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1
53. Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1
54. Ian MacGregor (USA) Team Type 1
55. Emile Abraham (Tri) Team Type 1
56. Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.18
57. Michael Lange (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.26
58. Nicholas Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
59. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
60. Aaron Olson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
61. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.32
62. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 1.36
63. Matthew Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
64. Jai Crawford (Aus) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 1.38
65. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing 1.45
66. Glen Chadwick (Aus) Team Type 1 1.5
67. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis 1.56
68. Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
69. Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 1.58
70. Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) Astana 1.59
71. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2.01
72. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 2.12
73. Matthias Russ (Ger) Gerolsteiner 2.13
74. Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2.15
75. Jared Barrilleaux (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
76. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 2.18
77. Roman Kireyev (Kaz) Astana 2.2
78. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Gerolsteiner
79. Neil Shirley (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2.24
80. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 2.25
81. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 2.35
82. Yilin Liu (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 2.48
83. Aaron Tuckerman (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 2.51
84. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 3.03
85. Fuyu Li (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 3.1
86. Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Rock Racing 3.29
87. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing
88. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 3.43
89. Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team High Road 4.1
90. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.13
91. Mike Sayers (USA) BMC Racing Team 4.23
92. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 4.38
93. Matt Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 4.49
94. Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.51
95. Leon Van Bon (Ned) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 4.52
96. Kirk O’Bee (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 5.18
97. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner 5.19
98. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 5.21
99. Yan Dong Xing (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team
100. Lucas Euser (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 5.24
101. Ben Day (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 5.39
102. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 5.44
103. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 5.48
104. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC 6.05
105. Kayle Leogrande (USA) Rock Racing 6.32
106. Rhys Pollock (Aus) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 6.35
107. Serguei Koudentsov (Rus) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 6.38
108. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team 6.53
109. David Galvin (USA) BMC Racing Team
110. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 7.29
111. Corey Collier (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 7.37
112. Loh Sea Keong (Mas) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 8.18
113. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 9.15
114. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 9.41
115. Justin England (USA) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 14.4
116. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 15.46

Young Rider Classification

1. Trent Lowe (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 11.18.14
2. Craig Lewis (USA) Team High Road 0.06
3. Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team 0.32
4. Christian Meier (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 0.5
5. Cameron Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team 0.53
6. Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 0.56
7. Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.03
8. Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis 1.41
9. Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 1.43
10. Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 2
11. Jared Barrilleaux (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team
12. Roman Kireyev (Kaz) Astana 2.05
13. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Gerolsteiner
14. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 2.1
15. Yilin Liu (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 2.33
16. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 2.48
17. Yan Dong Xing (Chn) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 5.06
18. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC 5.5
19. Loh Sea Keong (Mas) GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 8.03

Teams

1. Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 33.54.42
2. Astana 0.12
3. Team High Road 0.18
4. Team CSC 0.39
5. Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 1.12
6. BMC Racing Team 1.36
7. Gerolsteiner 1.39
8. Health Net presented by Maxxis 2.03
9. Bissell Pro Cycling 2.06
10. Symmetrics Cycling Team 2.39
11. Rock Racing
12. Team Type 1 2.48
13. Jelly Belly Cycling Team 3.33
14. The Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team 4.03
15. GE Trek – Marco Polo Cycling Team 5.19