Staunton, VA (April 27, 2007) -- Jonathan Cantwell (Kahala-La Grange) of Australia throttled past the peloton for a last second win in the Tour of Virginia’s 99-mile stage 5 road race from Waynesboro to Staunton, finishing in 4:11:34.

Today was Cantwell’s second podium-worthy sprint this week; the Australian finished third at Wednesday’s stage 2 criterium in Lynchburg.

Despite proving his mettle in stage 2, Cantwell’s win today seemed dubious from the get-go. Cantwell initially planned to help his teammate Jorge Alvarado improve in the general classification. Cantwell also admitted he wanted to save his legs for a shot at winning Saturday’s criterium in Harrisonburg.

About halfway through the stage, Alvarado flatted, forcing Cantwell and his team to drop back to help, a move that expended precious energy as they clawed their way back to the peloton.

It was a tough journey, but with almost the entire field bunched together near the finish, Cantwell dug deep for the win.

“It was gnarly coming into the sprint, said Cantwell. “My team worked hard, and I’m glad to get the win for them,” said Cantwell.

Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid Pro Cycling), 27, of Argentina overcame a broken chain during the race, but still managed to finish with the same time as the stage winner.

Ben Raby (Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada) finished 3rd, same time.

Raby said he was happy with his finish and his team’s performance today, but was still frustrated by the fact that he and his team have had trouble finding the podium this week.

“We’re not getting worse,” laughed Raby. “We’re all capable of getting a stage,” he said. “And sometimes you just need a little luck,” he added.

The stage began in Constitution Park in Waynesboro. Rider’s left in cool, drizzly weather, and downpours soaked the riders for the first half of the race. But conditions gradually improved, and racers finished under partly sunny skies.

Despite being the third consecutive 100+ mile stage of the week, today’s rolling hills—and only one Cat-3 climb—offered racers a relative reprieve after two brutal days in the mountains.

Still, the pace was hard, and racers faced a leg-sapping 100-meter climb to finish the stage on North Augusta Street on a hill above lovely downtown Staunton.

Eddie Hilger (Priority Health), Dan Timmerman (Firodifrutta Cycling Team), and Johny Sunndt (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast) eyed a stage win and formed an early break.

With about 50 km to go in the race, Hilger, Timmerman, and Sunndt held a 1 ½-minute lead, but gradually faded under the tractor-beam pull of the peloton led by a Javier Zapata and his strong CAICO team bent on defending Zapata’s GC jersey.

But with about 20 km to go, the break’s lead dropped to 20 seconds. With approximately 10 km left, the break’s lead dwindled to a mere 7 seconds and continued to shrink as the finish line approached.

“I bridged with a rider from Rock Racing,” said Josh Dillon (Fiordifrutta). Near the end, Dillon and Hilger tried to pull ahead of the lead group without success.

Eventually the rest of the peloton absorbed the lead group, setting the stage for the sprinters to take control during in the race’s final meters.

Javier Zapata (CAICO) started the stage wearing the Natural Bridge Leader Jersey. Before the race, CAICO director Jorge Romero said his team would play it smart and keep an eye on the other riders in contention for the GC.

CAICO appeared to do just that--Zapata finished 15th, only a few seconds behind the lead group to stay atop the GC.

However, Zapata and CAICO’s performance certainly left room for others to vie for the top spot in the remaining two stages—especially for Borrajo, whose second-place sprint earned him a valuable time bonus that puts him only seconds behind Zapata in the GC.

Rite Aid Director Jonathan Wirsing said he was pleased with Borrajo’s time and described today as going “according to plan.”

“We’re ready for tomorrow’s criterium,” Wirsing said, noting Borrajo’s decisive victory in Wednesday’s stage-2 criterium in Lynchburg .

In addition to his GC jersey, Zapata claimed the Augusta Medical Center Mountain Jersey once again.

Borrajo donned the Peaks Coaching Group Sprint Jersey once again.

19-year-old Ryan Baumann (ABD Cycling Team) of Green Bay continued to dazzle by finishing 10 th in 4:11:37 and earned the Bicyclepowermeters.com U-23 Jersey for third consecutive stage.

Adam Switters (Rock Racing) and Kevin Soller (VMG Racing) finished the day 2nd and 3 rd in line, respectively, for the U-23.

With close competition for the GC, anything can happen at tomorrow’s criterium. And with another 100-mile stage in store on Sunday, there’s a lot more racing left at the Tour of Virginia.

Rite Aid's Ian Ayers of Charlottesville, VA fails to finish stage 5, but not before helping teammate Alejandro Borrajo place second and inch closer to the GC leader. Photo by Jim Elliot.

Stage 5 Podium:  Alejandro Borrajo (2nd), Jonathan Cantwell (1st), and Ben Raby (3rd). Photo by Nathan Beck.

Staunton, VA police chief Jim Williams announces GC leader Javier Zapata (CIACO) after stage 5. Photo by Nathan Beck.

Ryan Baumann continued to dominate the U23 category in Stage 5. Photo by Nathan Beck

(for fullsize photos, contact Brock Foreman)

Up Next: Stage 6: Harrisonburg Criterium, Saturday, April 28:
Day five features another criterium (closed-circuit race).  This time it’s 35 miles around a flat 1 mile circuit in downtown Harrisonburg.  Riders will be happy with the shorter distance and a chance to rest their legs a little bit, but the racing should be hot as riders who are placed lower on the overall classification will be trying their best to win the day. Races for all age and levels start at noon; pro/am race starts at 4:45 p.m.

When complete results become available, they will be posted here.

About the Tour of Virginia:

The Tour of Virginia showcases North America’s rising stars, and has a tradition of attracting the sport’s up and coming talent. 2007 marks the fifth edition of this race, which was formerly known as the Tour of Shenandoah. The event comprises seven stages over six days and is held on some of the nation’s most quiet and scenic roads amidst the beautiful landscapes of Virginia . An important mission of the Tour of Virginia is to inform the public about diabetes: how to control - and prevent the onset of - the disease and reduce complications through exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Stage details, maps, and sponsor information can be found at the official website, www.tourofvirginia.com

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