As the Tour de Georgia wound its way through the mountains of Northwest Georgia Wednesday, the steep climbs separated the front runners from the rest of the pack in a dramatic fashion.
The young Belgian cyclist Gianni Meersman won Stage Three, boosting his fellow members of the Discovery Team’s chances at a Tour victory.
But the surprising end of the race was not the exciting sprint to the riverfront of Chattanooga after 118 miles over steep terrain, but the 29-minute gap between the front 13 riders and everyone else.
With the field so narrowed, Thursday’s time trials in Chickamauga and up Lookout Mountain could determine the race’s eventual winner.
Spanish rider David Canada Gracia of the Saunier Duval team is the new race leader, taking the coveted yellow jersey from Italian Daniele Contrini of Tinkoff Credit System’s team.
