The Tour de Georgia is a U.S. professional cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 stage race across the state of Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. The race began in 2003 and has been contested six times. It is one of the three events in North America ranked as Hors Classe (2.HC

UCI race classifications

The Union Cycliste Internationale , the world's governing body in the sport of bicycle racing, classifies races according to a rating scale....

) stage race events by the UCI

Union Cycliste Internationale

Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....

, which is cycling's international governing body, along with the Tour of Missouri

Tour of Missouri

The Tour of Missouri is a professional road bicycle racing stage race in Missouri that started on September 11, 2007 with six days of racing. The organizers, who also run the Tour de Georgia and the Amgen Tour of California, billed it as the third highest profile race in the United States.The 2009...

 and the Tour of California

Amgen Tour of California

The Tour of California is an annual professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour. It began on February 19, 2006. The eight-day race covers 650–700 miles through California...

. The event was cancelled in 2009 and 2010; however its backers were aiming for the race to be held again in 2011.

History

Conceived by then-commissioner R. K. Sehgal in 2002, the race was developed by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism (now known as the Georgia Department of Economic Development) for the benefit of the Georgia Cancer Coalition

Georgia Cancer Coalition

The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an American independent, non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. state of Georgia...

. Beginning with the 2008 race, The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will be the race's official beneficiary organization. The Tour de Georgia has boosted tourism

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 in Georgia providing 2.3 million visitors and a $26 million economic impact between 2003 and 2006.

The race quickly generated international attention when the U.S. Postal Service cycling team began using it as part of Lance Armstrong's preparation for the Tour de France

Tour de France

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

. Armstrong rode in the race before his Tour victories in 2004 and 2005, winning in 2004, and Floyd Landis won it before his Tour victory (later disallowed) in 2006.

On 14 November 2008, the directors of the Tour de Georgia announced that the 2009 race would be canceled, but that the race planned to return in 2010. The reason given was a lack of sponsorship, which had caused the Tour to seek some reductions in 2008 bills. The 2010 event was also cancelled for financial reasons, although the race's backers are aiming for the race to return in 2011.

Route

This six stage event extends riders over 600 miles in six days. One ends in a steep ascent to the top of Brasstown Bald

Brasstown Bald

Brasstown Bald is the highest natural point in the state of Georgia, USA, with a summit elevation of 4,784 feet above mean sea level....

, the highest point in Georgia. As in the Tour de France

Tour de France

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

, the overall leader wears a yellow jersey.

General Classification

The current leader and overall winner by time after each stage and at the conclusion of the race is awarded the Yellow Jersey.

2003 Tour de Georgia 2003 The 2003 Tour de Georgia was the inaugural edition of what has now become the highest ranked bicycle road racing event in the United States. The six-stage race held April 22 through April 27, 2003 with the overall title won by Chris Horner of the Saturn Cycling Team. American Fred Rodriguez ...  :   Chris Horner Chris Horner Christopher Horner is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . A native and current resident of Bend, Oregon, Horner dominated the American road racing scene by winning the points standings in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.-PAA-NutraFig... , Saturn 2004 Tour de Georgia 2004 The 2004 Tour de Georgia was the second annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, seven stage 1050 km race was held April 20 through April 25, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Lance Armstrong of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling...  :   Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support... , U.S. Postal Service Cycling Team 2005 Tour de Georgia 2005 The 2005 Tour de Georgia was the third annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, six stage 550 mile race was held April 19 through April 24, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Tom Danielson of the .New Zealander Greg Henderson ...  :   Tom Danielson Tom Danielson Tom Danielson is a professional road racing cyclist. Previously riding for the Saturn Team on the U.S. Pro Circuit, and for Fassa Bortolo in Europe, Danielson is currently a member of , but rode for the Discovery Channel team between 2005 and 2007.Danielson currently holds the record for the... , Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team was a United States-based professional road bicycle racing team. It was the continuation of the 2004 U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, was its leader until July 2005... 2006 Tour de Georgia 2006 The 2006 Tour de Georgia was a six-stage race held April 18 through April 23, 2006 with the overall title won by Floyd Landis of the . American Fred Rodriguez claimed the points jersey for sprinters. Jason McCartney won his second KOM crown; he previously won the 2004 climbers title. McCartney's...  :   Floyd Landis Floyd Landis Floyd Landis is an American retired cyclist who after initially being awarded victory in the 2006 Tour de France was stripped of his title for a doping offense. He was an all-around rider, with special skills in climbing and time-trialing, and is also known to be a very fast descender.Landis... , Phonak Hearing Systems 2007 :   Janez Brajkovič Janez Brajkovic Janez Brajkovič is a racing cyclist from Slovenia. He was the world under-23 Time Trial champion in Verona and rides for on the UCI ProTour.-Career:... , Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team was a United States-based professional road bicycle racing team. It was the continuation of the 2004 U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, was its leader until July 2005... 2008 :   Kanstantin Siutsou, Team High Road

Sprints Classification

The Sprint Leader Jersey is a gray and Aqua-blue Jersey is worn by the rider that receives the most bonus points awarded through his placing in intermediate sprints and finishing in the top 15 places at the end of the stage.

2003 Tour de Georgia 2003 The 2003 Tour de Georgia was the inaugural edition of what has now become the highest ranked bicycle road racing event in the United States. The six-stage race held April 22 through April 27, 2003 with the overall title won by Chris Horner of the Saturn Cycling Team. American Fred Rodriguez ...  :   Fred Rodriguez, 2004 Tour de Georgia 2004 The 2004 Tour de Georgia was the second annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, seven stage 1050 km race was held April 20 through April 25, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Lance Armstrong of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling...  :   Gord Fraser, Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis 2005 Tour de Georgia 2005 The 2005 Tour de Georgia was the third annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, six stage 550 mile race was held April 19 through April 24, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Tom Danielson of the .New Zealander Greg Henderson ...  :   Greg Henderson Greg Henderson Gregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He... 2006 Tour de Georgia 2006 The 2006 Tour de Georgia was a six-stage race held April 18 through April 23, 2006 with the overall title won by Floyd Landis of the . American Fred Rodriguez claimed the points jersey for sprinters. Jason McCartney won his second KOM crown; he previously won the 2004 climbers title. McCartney's...  :   Fred Rodriguez Fred Rodriguez Fred Rodriguez is an American professional road racing cyclist. His nickname is Fast Freddie due to his reputation as a sprint specialist. He is a three-time US national champion as winner of the US Pro Cycling Championship. He came up through the ranks of the U.S...  (2), Davitamon-Lotto Davitamon-Lotto Omega Pharma-Lotto is a Belgian professional cycling team sponsored by the Belgian lottery and Omega Pharma.- Lotto :Lotto has a long history of cycling sponsorship, they began sponsoring 1984 with Tönissteiner-Lotto-Mavic-Pecotex. In 1985, it became prime sponsor of a team bearing only its name.... 2007 :   Juan José Haedo Juan José Haedo Juan José Haedo is an Argentine professional road racing cyclist and former track cyclist on . He is the brother of Lucas Sebastian Haedo... , Team CSC Team CSC Team Saxo Bank-SunGard is a professional cycling team from Denmark. It competes in the UCI ProTour. The team is owned and managed by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, under the management of his company Riis Cycling. The sponsor is a Danish investment bank.Founded for 1998 Team home – Jack... 2008 :   Greg Henderson Greg Henderson Gregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He...  (2), Team High Road

Mountains Classification

The King of the Mountains

King of the Mountains

The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...

 Jersey is worn by current leader and overall winner by points awarded by his placing in mountain climbs. The leader wears a Georgia-inspired Peach

Peach

The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...

es Theme Jersey (in substitution of the traditional polka dot theme of the Tour de France jersey).

2003 Tour de Georgia 2003 The 2003 Tour de Georgia was the inaugural edition of what has now become the highest ranked bicycle road racing event in the United States. The six-stage race held April 22 through April 27, 2003 with the overall title won by Chris Horner of the Saturn Cycling Team. American Fred Rodriguez ...  :   Chris Horner Chris Horner Christopher Horner is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . A native and current resident of Bend, Oregon, Horner dominated the American road racing scene by winning the points standings in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.-PAA-NutraFig... , Saturn 2004 Tour de Georgia 2004 The 2004 Tour de Georgia was the second annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, seven stage 1050 km race was held April 20 through April 25, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Lance Armstrong of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling...  :   Jason McCartney, Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis was run by Momentum Sports Group and based in the United States.... 2005 Tour de Georgia 2005 The 2005 Tour de Georgia was the third annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, six stage 550 mile race was held April 19 through April 24, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Tom Danielson of the .New Zealander Greg Henderson ...  :   José Luis Rubiera José Luis Rubiera José Luis Rubiera Vigil is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He last rode for the UCI ProTour team .Rubiera won his first professional race at the 1997 Giro d'Italia, winning stage 19... , Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2006 Tour de Georgia 2006 The 2006 Tour de Georgia was a six-stage race held April 18 through April 23, 2006 with the overall title won by Floyd Landis of the . American Fred Rodriguez claimed the points jersey for sprinters. Jason McCartney won his second KOM crown; he previously won the 2004 climbers title. McCartney's...  :   Jason McCartney (2), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team was a United States-based professional road bicycle racing team. It was the continuation of the 2004 U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, was its leader until July 2005... 2007 :   Ryder Hesjedal Ryder Hesjedal Ryder Hesjedal is a Canadian professional racing cyclist for . He is a former mountain biker, winning a silver medal at the 2001 Under-23 world championship... , Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis was run by Momentum Sports Group and based in the United States.... 2008 :   Jason McCartney Jason McCartney (cyclist) Jason McCartney is an American professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . His 2004 Tour de Georgia stage win led to his being named the North American rider of the year" by VeloNews Magazine. He represented the USA Olympic team in the road racing event in 2004 and 2008...  (3), Team CSC Team CSC Team Saxo Bank-SunGard is a professional cycling team from Denmark. It competes in the UCI ProTour. The team is owned and managed by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, under the management of his company Riis Cycling. The sponsor is a Danish investment bank.Founded for 1998 Team home – Jack...

Best Young Rider Classification

The Best Young Rider is the best racer in General Classification that has less than 25 years old. He wears a Green Jersey.

2003 Tour de Georgia 2003 The 2003 Tour de Georgia was the inaugural edition of what has now become the highest ranked bicycle road racing event in the United States. The six-stage race held April 22 through April 27, 2003 with the overall title won by Chris Horner of the Saturn Cycling Team. American Fred Rodriguez ...  :   Saul Raisin Saul Raisin Saul Raisin is an American former professional road bicycle racer with UCI ProTeam Crédit Agricole.-Career:Raisin began racing mountain bikes at 13, and moved to road bikes when he was 17.... 2004 Tour de Georgia 2004 The 2004 Tour de Georgia was the second annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, seven stage 1050 km race was held April 20 through April 25, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Lance Armstrong of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling...  :   Kevin Bouchard-Hall 2005 Tour de Georgia 2005 The 2005 Tour de Georgia was the third annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, six stage 550 mile race was held April 19 through April 24, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Tom Danielson of the .New Zealander Greg Henderson ...  :   Trent Lowe Trent Lowe Trent Lowe is a professional road bicycle racer from Australia. He rode for on the UCI ProTour from 2008 to 2010. Lowe was one of only two Australians on the Slipstream Squad, the other being Chris 'CJ' Sutton who came from Cofidis in 2007... , Jittery Joe's Jittery Joe's Jittery Joe's is a chain of coffee houses based in Athens, Georgia. In 1994, the first Jittery Joe’s opened in downtown Athens, Georgia, near the famed 40 Watt Club. Open 24 hours a day, they offered fresh coffee roasted in-store. There are now five locations in Athens, two in Watkinsville, GA and... 2006 Tour de Georgia 2006 The 2006 Tour de Georgia was a six-stage race held April 18 through April 23, 2006 with the overall title won by Floyd Landis of the . American Fred Rodriguez claimed the points jersey for sprinters. Jason McCartney won his second KOM crown; he previously won the 2004 climbers title. McCartney's...  :   Janez Brajkovič Janez Brajkovic Janez Brajkovič is a racing cyclist from Slovenia. He was the world under-23 Time Trial champion in Verona and rides for on the UCI ProTour.-Career:... , Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team was a United States-based professional road bicycle racing team. It was the continuation of the 2004 U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, was its leader until July 2005... 2007 :   Janez Brajkovič Janez Brajkovic Janez Brajkovič is a racing cyclist from Slovenia. He was the world under-23 Time Trial champion in Verona and rides for on the UCI ProTour.-Career:... , Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team was a United States-based professional road bicycle racing team. It was the continuation of the 2004 U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, was its leader until July 2005... 2008 :   Trent Lowe Trent Lowe Trent Lowe is a professional road bicycle racer from Australia. He rode for on the UCI ProTour from 2008 to 2010. Lowe was one of only two Australians on the Slipstream Squad, the other being Chris 'CJ' Sutton who came from Cofidis in 2007...  (2), Slipstream-Chipotle

Most Aggressive Rider Classification

The Most Aggressive Rider wears the Blue and Green Jersey. The jersey is awarded at the end of each stage to the rider that demonstrates the most aggressive attacks, breakaways or strategies, as judged by a panel of media and race entourage officials (since 2005).

2005 Tour de Georgia 2005 The 2005 Tour de Georgia was the third annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, six stage 550 mile race was held April 19 through April 24, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Tom Danielson of the .New Zealander Greg Henderson ...  :   Andrea Tafi Andrea Tafi (cyclist) Andrea Tafi is an Italian former road bicycle racer who retired from his professional career in 2005. Tafi's propensity to perform best in the harder races earned him the nickname Il Gladiatore .... , Saunier Duval-Prodir Saunier Duval-Prodir Geox-TMC is a Spanish-based road bicycle racing team, registered for 2011 as a UCI Professional Continental team. Established as Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2004, the team has had success in one-day races such as Clásica de San Sebastián.... 2006 Tour de Georgia 2006 The 2006 Tour de Georgia was a six-stage race held April 18 through April 23, 2006 with the overall title won by Floyd Landis of the . American Fred Rodriguez claimed the points jersey for sprinters. Jason McCartney won his second KOM crown; he previously won the 2004 climbers title. McCartney's...  :   Will Frischkorn Will Frischkorn William "Will" Frischkorn is a former professional road bicycle racer, who finished his career with UCI ProTour team... , Team TIAA-CREF 2007 :   César Grajales, Jittery Joe's Jittery Joe's Jittery Joe's is a chain of coffee houses based in Athens, Georgia. In 1994, the first Jittery Joe’s opened in downtown Athens, Georgia, near the famed 40 Watt Club. Open 24 hours a day, they offered fresh coffee roasted in-store. There are now five locations in Athens, two in Watkinsville, GA and... 2008 :   Rory Sutherland Rory Sutherland Rory Sutherland is a professional road bicycle racer from Canberra, Australia, riding for UCI Professional Continental team UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis... , Health Net Pro Cycling Team

External links

• Tour de Georgia blog
• Tour de Georgia photos and stories
• Tour de Georgia statistics and results