Dionne beats Armstrong in San Francisco

Associated Press, San Francisco

Charles Dionne, an obscure 22-year-old Canadian with the 7UP- NutraFig team, edged a crowded field that included Lance Armstrong to win the 175-kilometer (109-mile) San Francisco Grand Prix bicycle race on Sunday.

In a final, furious sprint, Dionne beat Australian Henk Vogels of the Mercury team by half a bicycle length to win in 4 hours, 18 minutes, 49 seconds.

"I'm just 22, and the race here in San Francisco was my real chance," Dionne said. "I'm so happy. I hope this win can open some doors for me. I hope this proves that I'm a climber, not just a sprinter because I felt just as good in the climbing parts of the race."

Italian Massimo Guinti of the Aqua & Sapone-Cantina Tollo team finished third, Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov of the US Postal Service team was fourth and Australian Tom Leaper of the Navigators team fifth.

Armstrong, the four-time Tour de France winner, made a move at the end but could only finish sixth.

Dionne's victory was a surprise to Armstrong.

"To be honest, I'd never heard of Dionne, but he ran a heck of a race." Armstrong said. "You have to give him credit. The race was very dramatic, especially at the finish. It was a race of attrition."

Defending champion George Hincapie of the United States led much of the race, but faded in the next-to-last lap and finished 15th.

Vogels led going into the final 8-kilometer (5-mile) lap, but Armstrong, Giunti, Ekimov and American Will Frischkom were also in the lead at one point or another during the last lap. Dionne won with a burst from the middle of the pack.