Team time trial is new
Organizers revealed the general bicycle race route for the 2008 Tour de Georgia on Wednesday morning, and it features some new real estate as well as some old favorites.
Five new towns will be among the 12 host cities to participate as the Tour enters its sixth year. The race features a return to ever-popular Brasstown Bald (at 4,784 feet the highest peak in Georgia) on the next to last stage.
The race, which runs from April 21-27, 2008, begins on Tybee Island on the Georgia coast. Other host cities are Savannah, Statesboro, Augusta, Washington, Gainesville, Braselton, Suwanee, Dahlonega, Blairsville, Brasstown Bald and Atlanta.
Team time trial
Braselton, one of the new host cities in North Georgia, will be the site of the first-ever team time trial in the Tour de Georgia. The team event will be held at the Road Atlanta motor race course, which is located on 750 acres.
The 2008 host cities are:
Stage 1: Monday, April 21 — Tybee Island to Savannah
Stage 2: Tuesday, April 22 — Statesboro to Augusta
Stage 3: Wednesday, April 23 — Washington to Gainesville
Stage 4: Thursday, April 24 — Road Atlanta in Braselton (team time trial)
Stage 5: Friday, April 25 — Suwanne to Dahlonega
Stage 6: Saturday, April 26 — Blairsville to Brasstown Bald
Stage 7: Sunday, April 27 — Atlanta (circuit)
7 stages
2008 will mark the second time that the Tour de Georgia will be a seven-stage race. It will retain its 2.HC rating from the UCI, making it one of the top races in the US. It will be preceded by the Tour of California in February.
The race promoters and managers, Medalist Sports, expect to have a definite route for the 650-mile bicycle race charted by January. Fifteen professional bicycling teams will compete in the event; each team will ride with eight bicyclists.
The host city announcement was originally scheduled three weeks ago, but postponed until Wednesday.
Check out the Tour de Georgia press release (.doc) for more details.
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