GAINESVILLE -- Greg Henderson gave Team High Road an appropriate surge of energy in the third stage of the Tour de Georgia.
Not only did the 31-year-old New Zealander win the stage and take the overall lead on Wednesday, he took first place for a team that wants to wipe out doping in cycling.
``It's always very important to Team High Road to win here in America,'' Henderson said. ``We're an American-based team, so we send a strong team to every American race, and it's important that we race strong and race well.''
Henderson finished the 108.2-mile ride from Washington to Gainesville in 3 hours, 55 minutes, 45 seconds, edging teammate Andre Greipel by four-tenths of a second and Slipstream-Chipotle's Tyler Farrar by six-tenths.
The victory moved Henderson into first place overall with 38 points, eight ahead of Farrar. Cuba's Ivan Dominguez lost the overall lead and dropped to third with 25 points after falling off the peleton pace on Gainesville's hilly course.
Farrar's teammate, Tim Duggan suffered a head injury after a six-man pile-up caused him to crash on a descent about 40 miles into the race at the Broad River. His spokeswoman, Marya Pongrace, said Duggan was listed in stable condition at Athens Regional Medical Center and expected to be discharged on Thursday.
If Team High Road can win the seven-day race that ends in downtown Atlanta, riders like Henderson can claim that professional cycling is cleaning up its drug-riddled image.
General manager Bob Stapleton formed Team High Road from the remains of a squad that lost lead sponsor T-Mobile five months ago. Team High Road says it uses the sport's most stringent testing program for performance-enhancing drugs.
Henderson and Greipel were among the half-dozen of 29 riders Stapleton retained from the T-Mobile team.
Cycling has been rocked by doping scandals, the most prominent of which led to American Floyd Landis having his 2006 Tour de France title stripped.
Henderson might not have won the stage without help from Greipel and teammate George Hincapie. Greipel helped to edge out Farrar as a favor to Henderson, who helped the German win the Tour Down Under earlier this year in Australia.
Hincapie was Team High Road's lead-out rider with less than six-tenths of a mile remaining, which created the space for Henderson to cross the finish line.
``I've come off some pretty good form at the moment,'' Henderson said. ``I showed in the last couple races in Europe that I'm in a pretty good nick. I've sacrificed myself a lot for the team over in Europe, and they've decided it's time to give me a chance to try to win. I'm happy to be able to try to do that.''
Rory Sutherland, who won the jersey for the stage's most aggressive rider, attacked with one lap remaining but Team High road had too good a tempo in the front.
``I kind of expected more to be happening at the front,'' Sutherland said. ``But at that time you kind of forget that there's a long line behind, and with all the corners it slows everybody up. It's one of those things that you take the opportunity as it comes, (but) I just kind of wish somebody had come with me.''
The fourth stage moves to Braselton for a 10-mile time trial that covers four laps at Road Atlanta.
Farrar believes Slipstream still has a chance to move into contention despite holding eighth place.
``I was a replacement in this race, almost an afterthought,'' Farrar said. ``I didn't get put on the schedule 'til about a week before the race started. The team's priority here is to win the overall. That's what we're here to do, so hopefully tomorrow will go well for us and then it will be all about setting up our GC riders.''
-- TOUR DE GEORGIA RESULTS
Wednesday, Gainesville
Third Stage
108.2-mile leg from Washington, Ga.
1. Greg Henderson, New Zealand, 3 hours, 55 minutes, 45 seconds.
2. Andre Greipel, Germany, same time.
3. Tyler Farrar, Wenatchee, Wash., same time.
4. Antonio Colom, Spain, same time.
5. Fred Rodriguez, Emeryville, Calif., same time.
6. Andrew Pinfold, Canada, same time.
7. Dominique Rollin, Canada, same time.
8. Richard England, Australia, same time.
9. Jonathan Cantwell, Australia, same time.
10. Bradley McGee, Australia, same time.
Overall Standings
(After 3 Stages)
1. Henderson, 10 hours, 58 minutes, 17 seconds.
2. Farrar, 10:58.26.
3. Juan Jose Haedo, Argentina, 10:58:28.
4. Nicholas Sanderson, Australia, 10:58:30.
5. Moises Aldape, Mexico, 10:58:31.
6. Greipel, 10:58:32.
7. Ivan Stevic, Serbia, 10:58:34.
8. Christian Meier, Canada, 10:58:35.
9. Scott Nydam, Santa Rosa, Calif., 10:58:37.
10. Pinfold, 10:58:38.
Sunday
May 4th, 2025
3:59PM
