LANDIS CLAIMS TITLE AT 2006 FORD TOUR DE GEORGIA

Posted Monday, April 24, 2006

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. (April 23, 2006) – The day belonged to G.C. (general classification) leader Floyd Landis (USA) of Phonak Hearing Systems, who maintained his four-second advantage over second place finisher and fellow American champion Tom Danielson of Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team, winning the 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia. Third place went to Danielson’s teammate Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine). Danielson won last year’s event by four seconds over Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Gerolsteiner, and Landis finished just nine seconds back.

This year, Landis takes home the yellow Ford Overall Leader jersey and the Fräbel glass trophy, created by Fräbel Artists Hans Godo Fräbel and Tung Bui. Landis flatted with four laps to go in Alpharetta, but lost no time in the end with a wheel change from teammate Ignacio Gutierrez (Spain). This was the third major victory of the year for Landis, previously winning the Amgen Tour of California and Paris-Nice.

"It feels very good. I don't think it was any easier, or harder than the other races. They were all very difficult. Obviously, our team is one of the favorites when we come here (to Georgia), so nobody made it easy on us," Landis said at the post-race press conference. "It was a very good race. It was close, but we pulled it off."

The grand finale of the Ford Tour de Georgia came down to a field sprint after 118.2 miles/190.2 km and six furious circuits in historic Alpharetta, won by Juan Jose "JJ" Haedo (Argentina) of Toyota-United Pro cycling team. Gord Fraser (Canada) of Health Net presented by MAXXIS, who has won the Alpharetta stage the past two years, finished second. Third place went to Swiss rider Aurelien Clerc of Phonak Hearing Systems.

"I put all my heart into the last 150 meters to pull it off. My team did a big, big effort and I wanted to pay (them) back," said Stage Six winner Haedo, who won two stages earlier this year at the Amgen Tour of California. "I’m happy for me, for my team and all the people who came out here to watch the race."

Of the 119 original riders 100 finished the Ford Tour de Georgia on Sunday, completing the 601.5-mile stage race. The Aaron’s Most Aggressive Rider jersey changed hands again today, going to American Will Frischkorn of Team TIAA-CREF. Today’s final stage included one United Community Bank King of the Mountain climb, over Burnt Mountain. Jason McCartney (USA) of Discovery Channel had enough points from Stage Four and Five to win the United Community Bank King of the Mountain jersey, which he also won in 2004.

Speedsters thrilled spectators with MAXXIS sprint lines in Cumming and Alpharetta. American "Fast Freddie" Rodriguez of Davitamon-Lotto wore the MAXXIS Sprint jersey all week and will take it home for

 

keeps. The GE Best Young Rider jersey was awarded to 22-year-old Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia) of Discovery Channel.

"From the turn out of the crowds, to the level of excitement we saw here today (in Alpharetta), it was pretty extraordinary. I heard the cyclists talk about tradition, and coming back next year. It's exciting for us. It's continuing to grow and as long as it grows, we're excited," said Craig Lesser, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the marketing arm of the state of Georgia which is a presenting sponsor of the Tour.

ABOUT THE FORD TOUR DE GEORGIA

The Ford Tour de Georgia is North America’s premier, professional cycling event and rolling festival of community activities. The Tour is held annually in the spring with a varying route. It is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling (USAC) as a 2.HC rating (highest ranked event in North America), making the event one of the top stage races for elite athletes around the world. The 2005 Tour was won by Tom Danielson (USA) of the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team; champions from previous years include Lance Armstrong (USA) in 2004 and Chris Horner (USA) 2003. The Tour’s official beneficiary is the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC). The Georgia Cancer Coalition and the Georgia Department of Human Resources are teaming up to bring the Live Healthy Georgia Expo to the finish cities of the 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia. The Live Healthy Georgia Expo includes a variety of interactive, health-focused booths, children's activities, food and fun activities for all ages. The Ford Tour de Georgia is owned by The Georgia Partnership for Economic Development (GPED) and is managed by Medalist Sports. Merchandise and the latest updates are available at the official website, www.fordtourdegeorgia.com.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA CANCER COALITION

The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization located in downtown Atlanta. The Coalition was incorporated under the laws of the state of Georgia effective July 27, 2001. Both the Internal Revenue Service and the Georgia Department of Revenue have granted tax-exempt status to the Coalition. The mission of the Georgia Cancer Coalition is to reduce the number of cancer deaths in the state. In so doing, Georgia intends to become a national leader in cancer control by accelerating prevention, early detection, treatment and research. The Georgia Cancer Coalition brings together leading Georgia hospitals, universities, biotech firms, civic groups, non-profits, and government agencies to provide cancer research, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer. The Coalition was created to coordinate cancer-dedicated expenditures from the State’s share of the National Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund. The Coalition is registered as a Charitable Organization with the Secretary of State. The official website is www.georgiacancer.org.

ABOUT GDEcD

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information about visiting Georgia, the state's newly redesigned website is a helpful and interactive resource -- www.georgia.org.

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