It’s been a long dry spell for the man they call “Fast” Freddie Rodriguez. But on Saturday the American blazed back into the winner’s column, taking a blistering bunch sprint that concluded the Tour de Georgia’s stage 6 run from the Lake Lanier Islands to Stone Mountain Park.

The win was Rodriguez’s first since stage 4 at this same race exactly a year ago to the day. The victory also moved the Predictor-Lotto rider out of a first place tie with Canadian Gord Fraser on the race’s all time stage wins list. Rodriguez now stands alone with four.

This time Rodriguez won a mad scramble to the line, outsprinting J.J. Haedo

2007 Tour de Georgia Stage 6: ACasey Gibson Gallery:

(CSC) and George Hincapie (Discovery Channel), capping off a 113.5-mile haul that ended just outside metro Atlanta in the shadow of Stone Mountain. At the line, it was Rodriguez by half a wheel over Haedo, with Hincapie a bike length back, and a surprising David Millar (Saunier Duval-Prodir) taking fourth in front of Cuban Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United).

“I knew where I had to be because I saw the circuit once on the first lap,” explained Rodriguez about the 7.6-mile finishing circuit, which was negotiated twice at race’s end. “There were a couple little hills. It was my kind of circuit. Those little hills take a little out of the other guys and that helps me.”

Discovery Channel's Janez Brajkovic finished safely in the bunch, to retain his 12-second lead over CSC’s Christian Vande Velde in the chase for the overall crown. With only Sunday’s 66.8-mile Atlanta circuit race left in this seven-day hors categorie event, Brajkovic’s GC win is all but assured.
FULL RESULTS

After the peloton finally reeled in the remnants of the day’s primary breakaway at the beginning of the final circuit lap, the end game began with about a kilometer to go. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Health Net-Maxxis) attacked out of the bunch, but was quickly chased down by the CSC train, which had been working all day to give Haedo a shot at the win. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was surfing his way to the front, latching onto the Heath-Net train and then to Hincapie’s wheel.

“I came around the final corner [at 350 meters to go] and I was probably third wheel at 300 to go,” said Rodriguez. “It didn’t look good at that point. I thought I might be too far forward, so I waited and waited, saw the 200-meters-to-go sign, and then just went. Luckily I was able to get back up to speed and it was my kind of sprint where it was slightly downhill and really fast. I was able to wind it up and hold the speed. Haedo didn’t have enough time to come around.” Early in the race several large attacks launched but failed to stick. Finally the day’s prominent break formed near the feedzone, 47 miles into the stage. The group of three included young Belgian talents Olivier Kaisen (Predictor-Lotto) and Maarten Wynants (Quickstep), plus Navigator's Aussie-Kiwi Glen Chadwick. The trio worked well together over the remainder of the day despite steady pressure from Toyota-United and CSC, who were both chasing in hopes of setting up their sprinters.

Rodriguez takes a close one in Georgia

“I got in both the earlier breaks but they didn’t work out,” explained Chadwick. “In the second big break [that included 19 riders] I was the only guy in there from my team, so [team director] Ed [Beamon] made the guys bring it back. But when everybody sat up in the feedzone, [Wynants and Kaisen] went and I just jumped across. I ended up in all three breaks actually.”

While Chadwick and his fellow escapes rolled their advantage above six minutes at the race’s halfway point, the steady efforts of CSC and Toyota-United kept things just enough under control. With 72 miles covered the gap was down to five minutes, and eight miles later it was down to four.

“It was not easy to be out there so long,” said Wynants. “The road was up and down, twisting and turning all day. When you are in the peloton you don’t feel it as much, but when you are in the breakaway with just three you feel every little hill.”

The margin was down to 1:25 when the field made the turn into Stone Mountain Park, whose main attraction is a monstrous rock dome that is the world's largest exposed piece of granite. It was only a matter of time before the break was done. Chadwick was the first to sit up on the rolling, tree-lined circuit. Then Kaisen was swarmed over just as Wynants made a final fruitless attack.

“When we came on to the circuit, I thought maybe it can stay away,” recalled Wynants. “But it was too difficult. I just attacked on the last climb for this jersey. It’s something.”

The jersey in question was Most Aggressive, but the big prize went Rodriguez who sailed past good friend Hincapie on his way to victory.

“It’s never easy to get in a drag race with Haedo and Freddie,” admitted Hincapie, who is racing for the first time since crashing out of the Tour of California. “Those guys are some of the best sprinters in the world, so third isn’t bad. This is my first race in two months, so today is a sign that I’m feeling stronger everyday. My legs are getting better every day so that’s a good sign for [the Tour de France] and the rest of the year. Today that last hill just wasn’t quite hard enough.”

Of course that’s all a matter of perspective. The hill — and the end result — was perfect for Rodriguez.

Official Results
1. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Predictor-Lotto, 189km in 4:04:00 (44.975kph)
2. Juan José Haedo (ARG), CSC
3. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel
4. David Millar (GB), Saunier Duval
5. Ivan Dominguez (CUB), Toyota United
6. Alessandro Proni (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
7. Karl Menzies (Aus), Health Net Maxxis
8. Andrea Tonti (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
9. Davide Frattini (I), Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home
10. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr), Navigators Insurance, all same time
FULLRESULTS

Overall:
1. Janez Brajkovic (SLO), Discovery Channel, 23:01:03
2. Christian Vande Velde (USA), CSC, at 0:12
3. David Canada Gracia (Sp), Saunier Duval, at 3:04
4. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi), Saunier Duval, at 3:06
5. Kevin Seeldraeyers (B), Quick Step-Innergetic, at 4:22
6. Scott Nydam (USA), BMC, at 5:35
7. Jeff Louder (USA), Health Net Maxxis, at 6:00
8. Timothy Johnson (USA), Health Net Maxxis, at 6:59
9. Lucas Euser (USA), Slipstream-Chipotle, at 10:08
10. Ivan Santaromita (Swi), Quick Step-Innergetic, at 12:15
To see how today's stage developed, simply CLICKHERE to open our Live Update Window.