Tour de Georgia 2008 Stage 4 Live Updates

for live coverage of the Tour de Georgia stage 4 team time trial.

Welcome to VeloNews.com’s Live coverage of the team time trial, stage 4 of the 2008 Tour de Georgia.

A very unusual event. A 16km – 10-mile – team time trial on a race car track. There will be two teams on the 2 1/2-mile course at a time. First two teams: GE Trek Marco Polo and Health Net- Maxxis

The race organizers decided to forbid the use of time trial bikes at this race, in part because some of the European teams wanted to avoid the extra expense of bringing another set of bikes across the pond.

Also, organizers say, the course is technical – short, fast, hilly, twisty and perhaps windy – so it will be safer to be on road bikes, which generally handle better.

It’s a disappointment to some fans, who enjoy seeing the cool bikes and the spectacle of a team of matched riders on them … but this should be an exciting stage in any case.

It could be critical for riders with GC hopes, and the winning team will likely be the one that avoids mistakes and comes up with a strategy to put out the power at the right time, without overcooking any of the corners or frying any team members.

We are hoping to get some split times ASAP from the Marco Polo team and the Health Net.

It looks like Marco Polo is having an issue, one rider has stopped with a mechanical.

The team time is taken from the fourth rider across the line. The remaining members of the 8-man teams get their actual times. There are no time bonuses.

Polo!

They have two riders dropped, working together to get across the line.

The Marco Polo team is on its last lap.

The next two teams will be Bissell and Jittery Joes.

The team is all together, working well.

We see Frank Pipp up there in his KOM jersey, we guess he has something left in his legs after a big week so far.

Pipp’s coach has been providing reports on Pipp’s wattage output recordings. Yesterday’s report has an interesting comparison between Pipp’s output and that of stage winner Greg Henderson.

Health Net has dropped a rider, looks like it’s Corey Collier, who was in that bad crash yesterday

The teams will start in reverse order of their Team GC rankings. We’ll get you that list in a minute.

Health Net has finished, as has Marco Polo. Bissell and Jittery Joe’s are on course.

20:17:72 — Health Net’s time.

Marco Polo
Health Net
Bissell
Jittery Joe’s
Gerolsteiner
CSC
Jelly Belly
Slipstream
Team Type 1
Rock Racing
Symmetrics
BMC
Toyota-United
Astana
Team High Road

20:59:41

has been dropped by the Bissell team, after suffering a mechanical. It’s a tough one for the team. He’s a real talent. Hopefully he’ll be able to catch on.

getting ready to give this little 10-mile jaunt a try.

Meanwhile, we see a Jittery Joe’s rider unable to hang on the 14-percent grade. That little hill reminds us of the rise at Laguna Seca, home to the Sea Otter.

has finished. We’ll try to get a time in a second.

That’s some real horsepower in that group, with Brad McGee, Bobby Julich and Jason McCartney in the mix… and there they go. Jittery Joe’s is coming in to the finish.

Has turned in the fast first lap of any team thus far.

Current Standings
1. Health Net (USA), 20:17.72
2. Bissell (USA), 20:18.06
3. Jittery Joe’s (USA), 20:57.57
4. GE Macro Polo (Chn), 20:59.41

Has set a new top mark for a first lap. They’ve also lost a rider on the hill, though. We have not ID-ed the guy, but it looks like he dropped a chain.

It looks like it was J.J. Haedo who got dropped on the hill. He appears to have dropped a chain.

is ticking along nicely. They are currently the only team to remain intact on this course. Jittery Joe’s finished with the minimum of four riders. We wonder if Gerolsteiner will manage to bring all eight riders to the finish.

Well, Gerolsteiner has lost a guy. That 14-percent grade sure takes its toll on the sprinters. It’s Robert Forster struggling on the climb.

is down to five riders. They need four to finish, which is what Gerolsteiner is down to at this point.

finishes with four, but they have the best time of the day.

The fourth heat of the day is now underway.

1. CSC (Dk), 19:49.58
2. Gerolsteiner (G), 20:09.53
3. Health Net (USA), 20:17.72
4. Bissell (USA), 20:18.06
5. Jittery Joe’s (USA), 20:57.57
6. GE Macro Polo (Chn), 20:59.41

and Slipstream have made it through the first lap without losing anyone on that 14-percent climb.

is riding well, having set a new best mark on that first lap, turning in a 4:54. That’s five seconds faster than CSC.

and Slipstream remain intact over lap two. Slipstream, of course, lost Dugan yesterday in a crash, so they’re down to seven riders.

With a 9:47, they have a 10-second advantage over CSC after two laps.

Lucas Euser has slipped off. They still have six riders. After three laps, the pace is quite good, 14:41. They are smokin’… and Farrar has popped off, now.

Danny Pate has slipped off the back. The Slipstreams are heading to the finish with four riders.

is turning in a huge effort, leading his team into the final kilometer. Long pulls.

19:40 Much faster than CSC.

on the road, we’ll see how the next teams fare today.

Rock is resplendent in those funky black kits with green highlights and powered by a core of some of the world’s most controversial riders.

Kayle Leogrande has slipped off the back of the Rock squad…he’s easy to spot.

Controversy aside, there is some serious talent in that group. It doesn’t look like they will beat Slipstream’s time, though.

They’re down to four, now that Fred Rodriguez has been dropped.

Meanwhile Symetrics is on the road.

Just Toyota-United, Astana and High Road left after that.

finishes with a time of 20:29, the sixth best of the day.

is powering through the course. They’re not super fast, but the team is still together. Let’s see if it makes sense to stay together…

Symmetrics looks good, but they’re already 30 seconds off of Slipstream’s pace.

We spoke with Astana’s Chris Horner this morning. He says today’s stage is more important for the GC than tomorrow’s hilly run into Dahlonega.

He thinks today’s stage is second only to Saturday’s Brasstown Bald climb in importance to the overall.

In chats this morning, Astana’s Chris Horner and High Road’s George Hincapie each said it’s better for the teams to stay together all the way to the finish, rather than sacrifice riders along the way.

The fastest team of the day, Slipstream, did not follow that strategy, so we’ll see what Astana and High Road do when they get going

BMC turned in a strong time, with the third best of the day, so far.
1. Slipstream (USA), 19:38.86
2. CSC (Dk), 19:49.58
3. BMC (Swi), 20:08.51
4. Gerolsteiner (G), 20:09.53
5. Health Net (USA), 20:17.72
6. Bissell (USA), 20:18.06
7. Rock Racing (USA), 20:29.21
8. Symmetrics (Can), 20:29.67
9. TT1, (USA), 20:32.42
10. Jelly Belly (USA), 20:47.12
11. Jittery Joe’s (USA), 20:57.57
12. Marco Polo (Chn), 20:59.41

Word from inside the Symmetrics team car was that their plan was to go conservative on their first lap. Team manager said they went too conservative and probably lost a decent placing right there.

has turned in a 4:49 for that first lap. That’s pretty zippy.

It’s not too bad when the sun goes behind the clouds. But when it comes out, it can be brutal reflecting off all the white concrete at the track. The black track, of course, is making it hotter for the riders.

The Slipstream boys, by the way, were wearing ice vest during the warm up in part because their aero helmet covers are so hot.

On the hill, the team is not working well together. On their second lap, the Astanas are already down to five.

had a super first lap, the fastest of the day, but they are coming apart at the seams. They are going to be hard-pressed as they charge into the finishing kilometer of the third lap. Let’s see how the team holds together on this last lap.

Astana has a 14:47.

is getting ready. They will be the last team off.

Comes in with five riders… and 19:40. Slipstream holds the lead.

1. Slipstream (USA), 19:38.86
2. Astana (Lux), 19:40.57
3. CSC (Dk), 19:49.58
4. BMC (Swi), 20:08.51
5. Gerolsteiner (G), 20:09.53
6. Health Net (USA), 20:17.72
7. Bissell (USA), 20:18.06
8. Toyota United (USA), 20:20.29
9. Rock Racing (USA), 20:29.21
10. Symmetrics (Can), 20:29.67
11. TT1 (USA), 20:32.42
12. Jelly Belly (USA), 20:47.12
13. Jittery Joe’s (USA), 20:57.57
14. GE Marco Polo (Chn), 20:59.41

has turned in a pretty good time, behind only Astana’s opening lap time. They seem to be riding well together. They’ve dropped one rider, which for a team that began the Tour with only seven riders, is a problem. Yellow jersey, Greg Henderson is still there.

has bettered Slipstream’s time by two seconds. They now have the fastest time split. Nice work.

The six remaining High Roaders are doing a phenomenal job out there.

While Henderson is likely to keep the jersey, the top 10 will really be shaken up.

High Road’s time (14:42) after three laps is one second off of Slipstream’s time.

About half the High Road guys are wearing prototype skinsuits, made by
Hincapie Sports. The leg panels feature vents on the backs of the thighs.

Hincapie Sports, co-owned by George and his brother Rich, is not an official
team sponsor, but are working on these prototypes.

still has six riders, most importantly Greg Henderson, and heads to the finish.

With Henderson driving them to the line and they have a time of 19:42… the third best of the day. Slipstream wins the stage.

With a strong finish, it looks like Henderson has kept the jersey.

1. Slipstream (USA), 19:38
2. Astana (Lux), 19:40
3. High Road (USA), 19:42
4. CSC (Dk), 19:49
5. BMC (Swi), 20:08
6. Gerolsteiner (G), 20:09
7. Health Net (USA), 20:17
8. Bissell (USA), 20:18
9. Toyota United (USA), 20:20
10. Rock Racing (USA), 20:29
11. Symmetrics (Can), 20:29
12. TT1 (USA), 20:32
13. Jelly Belly (USA), 20:47
14. Jittery Joe’s (USA), 20:57
15. GE Marco Polo (Chn), 20:59