Apr 16, 2007
Contrini Win First Stage of Tour de Georgia
(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
The race is lower key than the Tour of California especially as it comes right in the middle of Classics season. But the beauty of cycling is the fact that there is enough talent to go around. So the Tour de Georgia sees George Hincapie (Phil and Paul’s favorite cyclist) appear for his return after suffering a thumb injury at the Tour de California. He has been working hard to stay in form and recover from his injury.
Disco’s Race?
We are not sure which Hincapie we will see at this race as Discovery have quite a few cards to play. First is Hincapie, who can probably climb as well as anyone especially now that he does not have to focus on the Spring Classics this year. Then there is Tom Danielson the winner two years ago and runner up last year. Levi Leipheimer is just coming off a Tour of California victory and would probably like to continue that winning streak. He is now a winner with Discovery Channel where he found the extra push to get to the top step of the podum in California.
Don’t Tick off Tinkoff
Tinkoff are a new team and they are on a mission to win as much as possible. Tinkoff guys have been seen at the front of many races and have also bagged a few wins. The owner Oleg Tinkoff looks like a guy you would not want to mess with.
Even Tyler “formerly baby face” Hamilton now looks like the two years away from cycling might as well have been spent in a Turkish prison. He lost the baby face edge and now looks like he will cut you with a shiv if you are not paying attention.
So I think I am actually scared of Team Tinkoff, they are a bad ass team which goes without saying if you also have Salvatore Commesso on your roster. Which is fitting that Daniele Contrini took the win in the first stage of the Tour de Georgia.
Contrini attacked at the right moments and overhauled his breakaway companions to win the stage solo. Viktor Rapinski was in a breakaway all day long and was later joined by a group containing Contrini. The group worked well together until the finishing circuits in Macon, GA where Contrini’s repeated and well timed attacks shook off his companions one by one starting with Rapinski.