Canadian Cyclist

 

November 30/05 2:08 am - Tour de Georgia 2006


Posted by Editor on 11/30/05
 

Tour de Georgia Announces 2006 Route
Courtesy TdG

Six days of world-class, professional bicycle racing and community festivals will place 12 Southeastern cities in two states in the global spotlight next April. Highlights of the fourth edition of the Tour de Georgia, taking place April 18-23, 2006, will include three new host cities, inclusion of Chattanooga, Tennessee and the legendary climb up Brasstown Bald Mountain.

As North America's only Hors Classe (2.HC) professional cycling stage race, the Tour de Georgia will begin in Augusta, Ga. on Tuesday, April 18 and culminate the 650-plus miles of racing with its grand finale in Alpharetta, Ga. on Sunday, April 23. The race will return to the Georgia communities of Macon, Fayetteville, Rome, Dalton, Dahlonega, Blairsville/Union County, Brasstown Bald Mountain/Towns County, and Alpharetta as Host Cities for official stage start and finish lines. New Host Cities for 2006 include Chick-amauga/Walker County, Ga., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Cumming/Forsyth County, Ga.

"The Tour de Georgia is a showcase event for our state and continues to gain momentum each year. For a full week in April, all 11 of the host cities in Georgia, our friends to the north in Chattanooga, and all the communities in between, will partner together for festivals and events which add to the positive economic impact created by the Tour de Georgia," said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.

Competitors in the Tour de Georgia will encounter familiar territory during the first two stages of the race, as they cross the Historic South region and pedal along the rolling terrain of the South Metro Atlanta area. Stages three through five incorporate the mountains of north Georgia, where the beautiful Blue Ridge meets the panoramic Appalachians. The final stage will continue to challenge the professional peloton as it passes through the rolling foothills in the North Metro Atlanta area.

The Individual Time Trial, a race against the clock, will incorporate the imposing plateau of Lookout Mountain. The ITT will start in Chickamauga, Ga. (Walker County), rich in Civil War history, and end in the outdoor playground of Chattanooga, Tenn., the first time the Tour de Georgia has ventured across state borders.

Details for each of the six stages, including mileage, elevation profiles, Sprint lines, and King of the Mountain climbs, are in the final planning process. Links are provided at the current web site, www.tourdegeorgia.com, for individuals to plan trips to the Tour or register to become a volunteer. New information regarding stage details and Host City festivities will be released in the coming weeks.

Fifteen professional cycling teams from around the world, each with eight athletes, will be extended special invitations to participate in the Tour de Georgia. UCI Pro Tour teams that compete in Europe, such as the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team (USA), Team Phonak (Switzerland), Team CSC (Denmark), Team Gerolsteiner (Germany) and others, are expected to receive an invitation to return to the Tour de Georgia. With a field in 2005 of professional athletes from 24 countries, the Tour expects a formal announcement of participating teams in early 2006.


Stages and Host Cities - 2006 Tour de Georgia

Stage 1: Tuesday, April 18 - Augusta, Ga. to Macon, Ga.

Stage 2: Wednesday, April 19 - Fayetteville, Ga. to Rome, Ga.

Stage 3: Thursday, April 20 - Individual Time Trial from Chickamauga/Walker Co., Ga. to Chattanooga,Tenn.

Stage 4: Friday, April 21 - Dalton, Ga. to Dahlonega, Ga.

Stage 5: Saturday, April 22 - Blairsville/Union Co., Ga. to Brasstown Bald Mountain/Towns Co., Ga.

Stage 6: Sunday, April 23 - Cumming/Forsyth Co., Ga. to Alpharetta, Ga.

 

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