Team High Road’s Kanstantin Sivtsov surprised the field today with an amazing ride up the famous Brasstown Bald, winning the Tour of Georgia’s Queen Stage and taking the yellow jersey by less than a second going into the final stage.

Sivtsov quietly made his way into contention, hanging on to Slipstream’s Trent Lowe and race Levi Leipheimer (Asatana) in the final kilometers of the climb when Leipheimer made his move. With one kilometre to go Sivtsov attacked the trio and opened up a significant gap which he held to the line.

“This is a very important race for my team,” explained the 25 year old Belorussian. “I was waiting for this stage. George [Hincapie] told me that it was very, very steep at the top and that I should wait to make one good attack. With three kilometres to go I felt good but I waited.”

“Of course there was a possibility that I could go for the overall but I was concentrating only on the stage. My team helped with,  a lot. It is a beautiful team. The riders, the management, the staff.  A beautiful team.”

“This is also a present for my Director Allan [Peiper]. It is his birthday today.”