Deja vu all over again at Tour de Georgia Stage 4

US cyclist Jason McCartney tried to turn back the clock to duplicate his Dahlonega stage win in 2004 on Friday, but it was US sprinter Freddy Rodriguez who was the more successful time traveler to win the stage.

US cyclist Floyd Landis held onto the overall lead in the Ford Tour de Georgia, thanks his Swiss Phonak team cutting into McCartney's lead over Woody Gap, the final climb of the day.

McCartney (Discovery Channel) joined a breakaway in the early part of the 119-mile mountainous stage that began in Dalton. Through occasional rain and fog, the breakaway of about a dozen riders, including overall 3rd place rider David Zabriskie of Team CSC built a lead of up to 4 minutes over the peloton.

McCartney and two others broke away from that 12-man group, and on the steepest climb of the day — the 6-mile Wolf Pen Gap — McCartney attacked again to go it alone.

This is where it appeared McCartney, riding for Health Net at the time, would duplicate his 2004 effort when he joined a breakaway, dropped them, and cycled alone into Dahlonega, reported VeloNews.

But McCartney must have tired on the last climb, Woody Gap, and Phonak and the remaining peloton caught up after the summit within 10 miles from the finish. McCartney attacked again, but it didn't last.

Discovery and Davitamon-Lotto led the surviving peloton into Dahlonega, and Rodriguez, who won this stage in a sprint in 2003, won again, beating Matteo Tosatto (QuickStep) and Yaroslav Popovych (Discovery) at the line.

Two more days

The overall standings look unchanged, with Landis leading by 4 seconds, followed by Tom Danielson, Discovery Channel, (2nd at 24 seconds behind), Zabriskie (3rd, 24 seconds) and Nathan O'Neill, Health Net, (4th, 55 seconds).

Landis has to hope his team can remain intact on Saturday, when Discovery is sure to launch the 2005 winner Danielson up the steep slopes of Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia.

After that, it's a final ride into Alpharetta on Sunday were the sprinters are expected to compete.

Full results at VeloNews and CyclingNews.