Mark your calendars. The Tour of Georgia bike race returns next spring, offering seven days of bicycle racing from April 16-22, 2007.
The bike race kicks off on a Monday in Peachtree City, located just down the road from Atlanta. After heading south to Macon, the 600-mile race continues its clockwise route toward the mountains in North Georgia, before finishing with a circuit race on Sunday in Atlanta.
Major American and European teams are expected to compete, as the race has a 2.HC rating from the Union Cycliste Internationale, the world cycling governing body. It's one of 15 races on the new USA Cycling Professional Tour.
This is one of the tune-ups for the European cycling season. Former Tours de France winners Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis won in 2004 and 2006, respectively.
Among the 15 professional cycling teams that can compete, Discovery Channel and Predictor-Lotto (formerly Davitamon Lotto) already have announced their intention to join.
The 7 stages and 12 host cities:
Stage 1: April 16 — Peachtree City to Macon
Stage 2: April 17 — Thomaston to Rome
Stage 3: April 18 –Rome to Chattanooga
Stage 4: April 19 — Chickamauga to Lookout Mountain (time trial)
Stage 5: April 20 — Dalton to Brasstown Bald Mountain
Stage 6: April 21 — Lake Lanier Islands to Stone Mountain Park
Stage 7: April 22 — Atlanta (circuit race)
Sports marketing company Medalist Sports is running the event; its main sponsor is the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
See the Tour of Georgia folder for day-by-day updates on last year's race.
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