March 12/05 4:26 am - 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia

Posted by Editoress on 03/12/05
 

Dodge Tour de Georgia - Race Route Details

It is where the pageantry and drama is set to unfold before thousands of spectators from around the world eager for a front-row view of the ultimate battle of cycling endurance and might on U.S. soil. It is the six stage routes of the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia, North America’s premier professional cycling race, and today officials released on the Dodge Tour’s official website www.dodgetourdegeorgia.com - complete stage details, including comprehensive stage maps, stage start and approximate finish times, and race logs that project where the peloton will be at any given time during a stage. Spectators now have all the information necessary to plan just where and when they will watch the 120 elite cyclists battle it out for the jerseys, prize money and cycling dominance this April 19-24, 2005.

“Spectators can now plan exactly where they want to be during each stage – whether at the start, finish or anywhere in between,” said Stan Holm, executive director of the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia. “We’ve posted detailed maps and race logs to the official website so it will easy for anyone planning to chase the Dodge Tour de Georgia and find a perfect spot to watch, maybe at a Maxxis Spring Line in Milledgeville or Cumming or perhaps at the crest of Woody or Wolfpen Gap. Any finishing circuit like the one through downtown Macon is always a great option.”

On the level of interest from spectators in this year’s Dodge Tour de Georgia, Holm noted, “The excitement from a spectator standpoint-from the moment we first announced this year’s race-is higher than we've ever had for the Dodge Tour, and it continues to build exponentially. Devoted race fans from across the globe as well as those new to pro cycling are excited to see Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team defend his 2004 title and face the challenge from the world’s best, including the top ProTour teams.”

Holm continued, "The cyclists likewise are excited for this year’s race and are preparing for a demanding course. Every year we hear from them about how much they love the race course. Adding Brasstown Bald Mountain in 2004 was an eye-opener for the world, and this year’s course will be the best yet, promising excitement, drama and fierce competition right from the start.”

Dodge Tour de Georgia

The Dodge Tour de Georgia is America's premier, professional cycling event and a rolling festival of community activities. The 2005 world-class event is scheduled for April 19-24. In 2004, nearly 750,000 spectators watched along the roadways as 15 international teams competed across 653 miles of the state of Georgia, having an estimated economic impact of $35-70 million. Won by the U.S. Postal Service's Lance Armstrong, the 2004 race featured world-class cyclists and Tour de France veterans such as American Bobby Julich (a 2004 Olympic Games medalist), Italian Mario Cipollini and German Jens Voigt. The Tour is sanctioned by the UCI (2.1 America Tour-Continental Calendar), the international governing body of cycling, and USA Cycling (2.1) as a premier event for elite athletes around the world. The Tour's official beneficiary is the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC), and the race proactively promotes a healthy lifestyle at its Healthy Georgia Expo. The Dodge Tour de Georgia, which started in 2003, is owned and operated by the Georgia Partnership for Economic Development. For more information, visit www.dodgetourdegeorgia.com.

Georgia Cancer Coalition

The Georgia Cancer Coalition leads Georgia's comprehensive cancer initiative, uniting people and organizations to work together to save lives and reduce suffering from cancer. As a public-private partnership, the Coalition works to strengthen existing cancer related programs and create new initiatives that accelerate cancer prevention, early detection, and research and treatment to make the highest level of care accessible to all Georgians. The Georgia Cancer Coalition provides guidance and assistance for using Georgia's resources in the fight to reverse the cancer mortality and incidence rates. The Coalition is the first of its kind in the nation and is fast becoming a national model. Mobilizing Georgia. Immobilizing Cancer.

SUMMARY OF EACH STAGE OF THE 2005 DODGE TOUR DE GEORGIA

Stage 1 – Augusta to Macon (128.9 miles/207.4 kilometers)

Start: 11:30 a.m./Finish: 4:14 – 5:02 p.m.
• Stage begins in Augusta and goes through Grovetown, Harlem and Dearing before reaching the first Maxxis Sprint Line in Harlem.
• From the second Maxxis Sprint Line in Warrenton, the race moves through Jewell’s Mill, Culverton, Sparta, Devereux and then to the third Maxxis Sprint Line at Milledgeville.
• From Milledgeville, the cyclists will ride 26 miles down Georgia 49 and into the city of Macon, where the race will conclude with three finishing circuits.

Stage 2 – Fayetteville to Rome (122.7 miles/197.5 kilometers)

Start: 1:30 p.m./Finish: 5:52 – 6:36 p.m.
• Stage begins in Fayetteville, just southwest of Atlanta, reaching the first Maxxis Sprint Line at Peachtree City after covering only 12 miles.
• From Peachtree City, the race heads northwest into Tyrone, through Palmetto, Temple, and Draketown before reaching the second Maxxis Sprint Line at Rockmart by the Silver Comet Trail.
• Moving further north, the race heads to Floyd County and into Rome for the first Georgia Power King of the Mountain (KOM) Competition of the race at Clocktower Hill and three finishing circuit.

Stage 3 – Rome Time Trial (18.6 miles/29.9 kilometers)

First Rider at 11 a.m. on one minute intervals (last 10 riders at 2 minute intervals)
• Starting at the historic Darlington School, individual riders pull out of the school for a race against himself, the elements, and the clock.
• After following along the river bluffs for 11 miles, the route turns left onto Mount Alto, a steep and narrow climb which boasts a tricky decent.
• From Mount Alto, the rider will make his way into Downtown Rome.

Stage 4 – Dalton to Dahlonega (133.4 miles/214.7 kilometers)

Start: 10:00 a.m./Finish: 2:50 – 3:38 p.m.
• The first of two mountain stages leaves Dalton under a neutral start of 2.3 miles. The race flag drops at Glenwood Avenue and races toward Spring Place then Chatsworth for the first Maxxis Sprint Line.
• Enter the Fort Mountain climb at mile 24, the first KOM contest of the day. Descending into Ellijay, the racers face the second Maxxis Sprint Line with 95 miles to go before passing through Suches and the second KOM at Woody Gap in the last 50 miles.
• Three more KOMs – Neels Gap, Wolf Pen Gap and Woody Gap – lurk before the race heads into Dahlonega along Hwy. 19 before finishing on Main Street just off the square.

Stage 5 – Gainesville to Brasstown Bald Mtn (113.4 miles/182.4 kilometers)

Start: 12:00 p.m./Finish: 4:06 – 4:46 p.m.
• A penultimate day of climbing begins in Gainesville, as the peloton drives north into Clermont and Clarksville for the only Maxxis Sprint Line at mile 32.
• Riders push into Rabun County, facing four tough KOMs in only 64 miles beginning with Dick’s Creek Gap and then Unicoi Gap on Hwy 17/75, just north of Helen.
• Turning right onto Hwy 348/Richard B. Russell riders face the Hogpen Gap at mile 96.6, and arrive at the base of Brasstown Bald Mountain 10 miles later at Spur 180 for a 3.1 mile climb to the finish.

Stage 6 – Blairsville/Union County to Alpharetta (125.2 miles/201.5 kilometers)

Start: 12:30 p.m/Finish: 5:06 – 5:53 p.m.
• After a 4 mile neutral start, the race begins just outside of Blairsville, passing through Fannin, Dawson, Pickens and Forsyth counties before reaching the first Maxxis Sprint Line at the Cumming County Fair, 85 miles into the race.
• The second Maxxis Sprint Line comes 15 miles later in Fulton County at the Alpharetta City Hall.
• Turning onto Westside Parkway, the riders will take on six finishing circuits totaling 22 miles.