| 04/23/2004 | It's been quite some time since Lance Armstrong rode victorious through the streets of America. In fact, it was six years ago in the 1998 Cascade Classic in Oregon. But on a clear day in Rome, Georgia, the Texan made a triumphant return not just once, but twice.
Despite having not raced for three weeks, Lance came to Georgia determined to put on a good show for his American fans, and in his usual style, to make a point about his pre-Tour fitness. And despite not being known for his finish sprint skills, Lance made a big point to his competitors by squeaking out the win in a tightly-contested downhill finish in the 77-mile circuit race. Finishing three places behind Lance was trusty U.S. Postal teammate George Hincapie. The win took Lance to fourth overall in the six-day long, seven-stage race that winds through the Peaches state.
"That was no plan," said Armstrong following stage three. "We knew the (three finishing) circuits were hard and we knew we wanted to stay in front, but it was not a plan to try and win the stage. They (the circuits) were harder than we anticipated and more technical, so it just worked out. I found the right wheel and in the last 500 meters I thought, 'Maybe I will get a time bonus,' which, you never know, always could help, and found myself coming around. I was surprised."
Later in the day, Lance returned for the afternoon's 30 km individual time trial along with his OCLV Time Trial bike and Bontrager TT wheel. By race end, the U.S. Postal rider had once again vanquished his opponents, this time by a whopping 22-second margin. Lance's big TT win vaulted him to the top of the points standings. Although Lance was happy to wear the yellow leader's jersey, everyone knew that there's another yellow jersey out there that Lance is most concerned about pulling over his shoulders.
Following Lance home in the time trial were teammates Viatcheslav Ekimov in sixth and George Hincapie in tenth. In the overall classification, the three Postal riders are joined in the top ten overall by Czech teammate, Pavel Padrnos. It was a great day for the U.S. Postal team!
Proceeds from the Dodge Tour de Georgia benefit the Georgia Cancer Coalition. The race wraps up April 25. For more information, go to: www.lancearmstrong.com or www.tourdegeorgia.comwww.bontrager.com
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