You're never too old to win. Thirty-seven-year-old bicycle racer Lars Michaelsen knows this. The cyclist on Denmark's Team CSC pulled out a sprint win on Day One of the Ford Tour de Georgia bike race.
Following closely behind Michaelsen across the finish line in Macon were US sprinter “Fast” Freddy Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto), Australian Caleb Manion of US team Jelly Belly, and Argentine speedster Juan Jose Haedo, the Toyota-United Pro rider who won two Tour of California stages.
Thirty-seven years old. Hmmm. A year ago Lance Armstrong was 33 when he announced before the start of last year's Tour de Georgia that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2005 Tour de France.
Michaelsen told the media after the win:
“The circuit turned out to be quite good for me. I only saw the race book this morning and had no idea how it was. I was talking to (Mark) McCormack (team director of American team Colavita-Sutter Home) and he said ‘this is just you Lars, good hills and with cobblestones.' And it was. It was a fast circuit.”
More at VeloNews and CyclingNews.
Michaelsen background
Although the Team CSC website calls him Michaelsen, his name is frequently spelled Michaelson — with an “o”. Winning is nothing new to Michaelsen. He won a stage and was overall winner of the tour of Qatar in 2005.
Since turning pro in 1994, he's won Gent-Wevelgem, Grand Prix Van Steenbergen, among other races and has 3 top 10 finishes in Paris-Roubaix.
Other favorites
Among the favorites finishing in the same time — Floyd Landis (12th, Phonak), Tom Danielson (20th, Discovery), David Zabriskie (27th, CSC), Nathan O'Neill (28th, Health Net) and Trent Wilson (67th, Jittery Joes). Because of time bonuses, these five are among 60 riders who are 10 seconds behind Tuesday's winners.
The first stage from Augusta (above) to Macon was all about the sprinters. Day Two — 116 miles from Fayetteville to Rome — is probably more of the same, although a circuit around Rome could split up the field. The hilly terrain starts Thursday in the individual time trial, and grows progressively steeper until Saturday's ascent of Brasstown Bald.
Picture from CDHarrison at flickr.com
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