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2005 Tour De Georgia coming through Fayetteville

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

If you have ever been interested in seeing a cycling event up close and personal, be sure to circle Wednesday, Apr. 20 on your calendar. On that day, the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia will be coming through Fayetteville.

Fayetteville is a start point for Stage 2 of the race. Fifteen teams of eight riders each will be pedaling 129 miles from Fayetteville to Rome on that day. The peloton will roll out of Fayetteville and wind its way through Peachtree City and Tyrone before arriving at the finishing circuit in Rome, Ga. New to the race in 2005, the Fayetteville stage incorporates several sections of two local favorite rides, Silk Sheets and the South Fulton Ramble.

The profesional riders in the race represent over 20 countries and will be battling that week for a $100,000 prize purse. Last year’s race attracted a number of the sport’s top riders, including Mario Cipollini, Bobby Julich and six time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Armstrong was the winner of last year’s Tour de Georgia, which also serves as a benefit for the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

Jennifer Vincenzo, the media contact for the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia, states that they will have a full team announcement in March. Among the teams that definitely will be racing are Jittery Joe’s - Kalahari, as well as Navigators, Credit Agricole and Discovery Channel.

In 2004, nearly 750,000 spectators watched along the roadways as 15 international teams competed across 653 miles of the state of Georgia, having anestimated economic impact of $35-70 million.

“The 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia will present a demanding race, pushing the ridersto their limits, at a time when cycling as a spectator sport is at an all time high,” saidGerard Bisceglia, USA Cycling’s chief executive officer. “Professional cycling combines the thrill and drama of speed events like auto racing, the self sacrifice and teamworkof major league sports and the severe risks associated with extreme sports.”