Rome, GA - Despite the best efforts of Alejandro Acton (Targetraining), who set off on a long, and ultimately doomed solo effort just 10.5 miles into today's stage, he was caught just 200 meters from the top of the Tour's first King of the Mountains summit, the initial climb up Clocktower Hill. Kirk O'Bee of the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis passed over the top first to earn the KoM leader's jersey.

"Once Acton was caught, we were on the front just trying to hold things together," O'Bee explained. "But the opportunity presented itself, so we took it."

While it may have been a bit of a surprise for O'Bee, who's known more for his sprinting though he is a solid climber, to be in the KoM jersey, the finish of the stage was an even bigger surprise.

The 116-mile run into Rome was expected to end with another bunch sprint, but the final time up the steep Clocktower Hill on the third finishing circuit in Rome, Yaroslav Popovych (Discovery) launched a strong attack and opened a gap while the sprinters hesitated, seeing who would chase first. The moment's hesitation allowed the Ukrainian to hold a six-second gap to the finish. J.J. Haedo (Toyota-United) edged Fred Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto) and Karl Menzies of Health Net Presented by Maxxis in the sprint for second. Menzies is currently sitting sixth overall, 16 seconds behind Popovych.

The Inevitable

Up until the last climb, the stage followed the pattern of the typical sprint stage, with a long break. However, as was the case in the first stage of the 2005 Tour de Georgia, today's break was a one-man show. Acton took off on his own at the 10.5 mile mark, with little reaction from the field. When his gap had extended out to 1:35, Viktor Rapinski (Colavita-Sutter Home) had a go at bridging, but the peloton brought him back.

With bad weather brewing, the peloton was content to let the Argentinean sprinter have his day in the rain. Twenty five miles after taking off, Acton had extended the gap to well over 10 minutes. The gap hovered around that mark until close to 80 miles had passed. But Phonak began the chase in earnest, with the help of Health Net Presented by Maxxis as well as Fred Rodriguez's Davitamon-Lotto team.

The gap fell quickly, and by the time the peloton entered the outskirts of Rome, just past the 100-mile mark, it was at 3:00, and the inevitable catch was approaching, setting the stage for O'Bee to take the KoM and the first leader's jersey in the mountains competition.

The Ford Tour de Georgia continues Thursday with a 24.8-mile individual time trial that, for the first time, will take the Tour outside the state of Georgia into Tennessee. The ITT ends in downtown Chattanooga. Health Net Presented by Maxxis time trial specialist Nathan O'Neill is one of the favorites to win the ITT. Already this season, O'Neill has won the Australian National Time Trial Championship for the seventh time in his career, as well as the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games time trial in March. O'Neill is in 25th place after today's stage, but just :22 behind race leader Popovych.

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