Friday, Feb. 18, 2005

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Lance is coming to town

Tour de Georgia to sweep through Coweta, Fayette, S. Fulton

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com
and JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

Maybe they should call the Dodge Tour de Georgia the Dodge Tour de Lance.

Lance Armstrong announced his intention to seek a seventh straight Tour de France title this week and one of his races in preparation for that race will be the Dodge Tour de Georgia in April. Thousands of spectators are expected to gather in Fayette, Coweta and South Fulton counties to watch one of America’s most popular athletes The announcement came on the The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team’s Web site.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that Discovery Communications has given the team and look forward to achieving my goal of a seventh Tour de France victory,” said Armstrong on the team’s Web site.

Armstrong raced in and won in last year’s Dodge Tour de Georgia and he will attempt to defend that title this year as well.

The race begins in Augusta Apr. 19 and the second stage will start in Fayetteville Wednesday, Apr. 20. After beginning at the courthouse in Fayetteville, the peleton travels down Beauregard Blvd. to Redwine Road and then turns right on Ebenezer Church Road to Spear Road.

The route then travels down Robinson Road to Ga. Highway 54 to Walt Banks Road, where McIntosh High School students will get a glimpse of the race.

From Walt Banks, the cyclists hit Peachtree Parkway and travel that to Ga. Highway 74. Next, the cyclists will turn left on Senoia Road and progress to Castlewood. The route then travels into Coweta County and travels along Fischer Road to Weldon Road and U.S. Highway 29, where it enters South Fulton County. From Palmetto, the cyclists speed down Tooms Street to MenFee Road and Hutchenson’s Ferry Road to Ga. highway 70. The riders then take a left on South Fulton Parkway as it makes its way to Douglas County.

“Lance Armstrong’s participation in the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia to defend his 2004 title further validates that the Dodge Tour de Georgia is the premier race in North America,” said Stan Holm, Dodge Tour de Georgia Executive Director. “For his American fans, it’s a wonderful and rare opportunity to see him compete against the world’s best riders on home turf.”

Armstrong won last year’s race by just over a minute. The European styled stage race benefits the Georgia Cancer Coalition. It attracted over 750,000 spectators last year during the final stage in Alpharetta.

“Lance told me personally last year that the Dodge Tour de Georgia was the first time he had ever raced competitively for cancer,” Holm added. “It’s great to have him return in 2005 to continue the fight against cancer. Also, he’s a cultural icon whose presence at the race brings in a whole new group of spectators."

In addition to the Tour de Georgia, Armstrong will race in a seven-stage race Mar. 6-13 in Paris-Nice and will follow it by racing Apr. 3 in the Tour de Flanders in Belgium. The Tour de France is July 2-24 and all of the events that Armstrong will participate in will be aired on the Outdoor Life Network.

The Discovery Communications team includes cyclists from 14 other countries, including Canada, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Belgium and Japan among others.

“I am excited to get back on the bike and start racing although my condition in far from perfect,” said Armstrong. “Johan Bruyneel, the team’s sports manager, and I will evaluate my fitness later this spring and possibly add some races to the calendar.”

“This is one of the biggest events to ever hit Fayette County in terms of community outreach and positive media attention,” said Fayette County Development Authority President and CEO Brian Cardoza. “The eyes of the world will be on us as these cyclists race through our great community and it’s an incredible opportunity for our citizens to get a chance to take part in a world class event.

The event will need a lot of volunteers to help it along. For information on volunteer opportunities contact the Fayette County Development Authority at 770-461-5253.