Tour de Georgia Stage 5 report & Photos
Discovery Channel "Double Double" for Levi Leipheimer on Brass Town Bald.

Levi Leipheimer wins on Brass Town Bald Photo C. Ben Ross

Dalton to Brasstown Bald 172.1 km
Discovery "double double" for Levi Leipheimer with two wins in two days, with Disco team mate Tom Danielson joining him on the podium at the end of the stage. Anthony Colby of Colavita/Sutter Home finished in third on Brass Town Bald summit.

Catching the break away on the final climb of the stage Levi Leipheimer and team mate Tom Danielson powered passed each of the 8 member break but Anthony Colby.

The race was off to a fast start today, after leaving the neutral zone with the Predictor/Lotto and Toyota/United setting a demanding pace to discourage an early breakaway, no doubt the teams have learned a lesson on stage 3 and weren't ready to let the early escape away today.

A group of a dozen riders got off the front in anticipation of the first mountain points at Fort Mountain but the peloton controlled the gap as David McCann of Colavita took the cash and points, relegating Toyota's Henk Vogels, and serial attacker Glenn Chadwick of Navigators to second and third. A few attempts were made to springboard into breaks but one team or the other chased the riders down. CSC, Discovery and Saunier Duval were active in the chase with others leading the peloton when they missed the break. 

Jittery Joe's in white leads the chase. Photo C. Ben Ross

With the second mountain point looming ahead at Fort Mountain (38.3 km) a group formed and got a gap, and a chase group was off the front trying to bridge up. The group looked strong with former Disco rider Ryder Hesjedal of Health Net/Maxxis, Anthony Colby (Colavita/Sutter Home), Ryder Hesjedal, Tom Danielson (Discovery), Brass Town Bald winner Cesar Grajales (Jittery Joe's), Chris Baldwin (Toyota/United) BMC's Euro vet Alexandre Moos, Nav's Ben Day, the "Red Birds" Gibo Simoni, Slipstreams leader Danny Pate and CSC's Michael Blaudzun. The bunch split as another group including Levi Leipheimer, Phil Zajicek of the Navigators  Insurance squad, and David Zabriskie of CSC chased attempting to join the group.

Over the summit the break shattered and it was Zajicek taking the points, Colby second and Hejsjedal third as the gap increased with the trio attacking on the descent and getting a small gap. Behind the break riders started falling off the end of the peloton on the climb.

Brajkovik shadows his main rival Vandevelde to the finish.

Approaching the second climb of Wofpen Gap the break of eight survivors plowing the road ahead with 5 minutes on the yellow jersey group. Along the way Phil Zajicek had Navigators mate Ben Day make the bridge up to the break to join Ryder Hesjedal, Anthony Colby, Alexander Moos, Chris Baldwin, Danny Pate and Michael Blaudzun. The group gave every indication and enough talent to evade capture.

BMC's Scott Nydam and Scott Moninger finish.

The chase started to have results, and by start of the climb the leaders a three minute gap;  Hesjedal led over the summit with Blaudzun second, and Zajicek third. Alexandre Moos was next and used the descent to launch an attack. What the climb didn't do to the group the attack did as the chase was on for the Swiss veteran and the gap to the yellow jersey group dropped to just over a minute. The chase in earnest, was on as the riders climbed toward the finish on Brass Town Bald with Gilberto Simoni of Saunier Duval/Prodir attacking with the discovery duo of Levi Leipheimer and Tom Danielson. One by the one former break mates started to falter and were passed by the three well palmared climbers.

Nathan O'Neill finishes 4th. Photo C. Ben Ross

With 4kms to go Leipheimer blew by Moos, behind Danielson, Vandevelde, Brajkovik, Hesjedal and Pate fight for the summit. Leipheimer looking fitter than during the tour of California flies up the mountain with the battle for the G.C. being fought out by CSC's Vandevelde and Brajkovik of Discovery. Ryder, Moos and Tony Colby fought  to stay ahead of the battle behind them.

As Levi Leipheimer wins as the drama unfolds down the hills with Colby holding on as Pate, Moos and Hesjedal are passed by the battle for the G.C. by Vandevelde and Brajkovik.

Levi collects two stages in two days, a Discovery Channel "double double" as Janez Brajkovik slips into another day in yellow after defending his lead from Christian Vandevelde of CSC.

Podium Discovery Channel's Tom Danielson and Levi Leipheimer, Anthony Colby of Colavita/Sutter Home. Photo C. Ben Ross

Stage 5 Result
1. 5 USA 19731024 LEIPHEIMER Levi DSC 4.33'33"
2. 2 USA 19780313 DANIELSON Thomas DSC 4.34'11" 38"
3. 91 USA 19790217 COLBY Anthony COL 4.34'33" 1'00"
4. 61 AUS 19741123 O'NEILL Nathan HNM 4.34'39" 1'06"
5. 31 ITA 19710825 SIMONI Gilberto SDV 4.34'52" 1'19"
6. 124 SUI 19721222 MOOS Alexandre BMC 4.34'58" 1'25"
7. 62 CAN 19801209 HESJEDAL Ryder HNM 4.35'02" 1'29"
8. 141 USA 19851102 DEVINE John USA 4.35'03" 1'30"
9. 18 USA 19760522 VANDE VELDE Christian CSC 4.35'11" 1'38"
10. 3 SLO 19831218 BRAJKOVIC Janez DSC 4.35'11" ...
11. 73 NZL 19761017 CHADWICK Glen NIC 4.35'40" 2'07"
12. 13 DEN 19730430 BLAUDZUN Michael CSC 4.35'50" 2'17"
13. 33 ESP 19750311 CANADA GRACIA David SDV 4.35'53" 2'20"
14. 47 ITA 19760216 TONTI Andrea QSI 4.35'59" 2'26"
15. 46 BEL 19860912 SEELDRAEYERS Kevin QSI 4.36'01" 2'28"

Janez Brajkovik another day in the leaders jersey.
Photo C. Ben Ross

General Classification after Stage 5
1. 3 SLO 19831218 BRAJKOVIC Janez DSC 18.57'03"
2. 18 USA 19760522 VANDE VELDE Christian CSC 18.57'15" 12"
3. 33 ESP 19750311 CANADA GRACIA David SDV 19.00'07" 3'04"
4. 32 SUI 19790509 BERTOGLIATI Rubens SDV 19.00'09" 3'06"
5. 46 BEL 19860912 SEELDRAEYERS Kevin QSI 19.01'25" 4'22"
6. 125 USA 19770409 NYDAM Scott BMC 19.02'38" 5'35"
7. 64 USA 19771208 LOUDER Jeff HNM 19.03'03" 6'00"
8. 63 USA 19770805 JOHNSON Timothy HNM 19.04'02" 6'59"
9. 84 USA 19831205 EUSER Lucas TSL 19.07'11" 10'08"
10. 44 SUI 19840430 SANTAROMITA Ivan QSI 19.09'18" 12'15"
More results and photos to follow....