Those rolling peaches are back, as the Tour de Georgia announced the dates and host cities for its 2006 bike race.
Next year's fourth annual bicycle race is scheduled for April 18 – 23 over much of the same routes as previous years' races. The 2006 Tour de Georgia will slip into Tennessee for some cycling, though.
The pro cyclists in this six-day stage race will begin in Augusta and finish 650 miles later in Alpharetta. Other cities that host a stage's start or finish line include veterans Macon, Fayetteville, Rome, Dalton, Dahlonega, Blairsville, Brasstown Bald Mountain and Alpharetta. Chickamauga and Cumming and Chattanooga, Tennessee, are new host cities.
This year the Tour de Georgia has been ranked by the Union Cycliste Internationale as a Hors Classe (2.HC) bike race, the only one in North America.
It's possible that the Georgia bike race could face competition for attention with the new Tour of California, which has its inaugural race in February. However, I think these two will complement each other and bring more interest in bike racing in the US, possibly filling the void left by Lance Armstrong's retirement.
Both are targeting international pro teams and cyclists, including Discovery Channel, Phonak, CSC, and Gerolsteiner, as well as leading US teams. Fans are likely to see world-class US riders such as George Hincapie, Tom Danielson (last year's winner), Floyd Landis and Levi Leipheimer.
Medalist Sports is managing both the Tour de Georgia and the Tour of California. The company still needs to firm up road routes for the Tour de Georgia, although another harrowing climb up Brasstown Bald is planned, as is a first-time individual time trial up Lookout Mountain.
Medalist is also seeking a lead sponsor for this year's Tour de Georgia, says Cycling News, after Dodge pulled out. They signed Amgen, the maker of blood boosting drug EPO, for the Tour of California; who's the leading maker of anabolic steroids?
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