Tour de Georgia Blog

Lance Armstrong to compete in 2009 Tour de Georgia.

The 2009 Tour de Georgia just received a big boost as reports say cycling great Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement and will use the Tour de Georgia to prepare for the Tour de France:

The 36-year-old seven-time Tour de France champion will compete in five road races with the Astana team in 2009, the cycling journal VeloNews reported on its Web site Monday, citing anonymous sources.

Armstrong’s manager Mark Higgins did not immediately respond to a voice mail left by The Associated Press.

The move would reunite Armstrong with Johan Bruyneel, now the team director for Astana.

VeloNews reported Armstrong also will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere.

The Astana team, however, was not allowed to compete in this year’s Tour after Alexandre Vinokourov was kicked out of the 2007 Tour for testing positive and the team quit the race.

VeloNews, which said Vanity Fair will publish an extensive article detailing Armstrong’s comeback, said the cyclist will race for no salary or bonuses and post his internally tested blood work online.

Tags: lance armstrong, tour de france, tour de georgia

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Tour de Georgia generated $38.5 million

According to a study by Georgia Southern, the Tour de Georgia has a rather large economic impact:

The week-long stop on the professional cycling tour, which concluded on April 27 in Atlanta, generated $38.6 million in direct economic impact, according to a survey of race attendees in the 12 communities across the state that hosted each day’s starts and finishes.

That’s up 40 percent from the $27 million generated during last year’s race, even though attendance fell to just more than 400,000, down 20 percent.

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Tim Duggan doing better

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Final Tour de Georgia standings.

Results of Stage 7 today in Atlanta:

1 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team High Road @ 2.23.53 (42.075 km/h)
2 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC
3 Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
4 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
5 André Greipel (Ger) Team High Road
6 Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30
7 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Gerolsteiner
8 Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
9 Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
10 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana

Other results:

General Classification

Individual
1. Kanstantin Sivtsov (BLR), Team High Road
2. Trent Lowe (AUS), Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Team Astana

Team
1. Team Astana (LUX)
2. Team CSC (DEN)
3. Team Type 1 (USA)

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Tour de Georgia: Sivtsov wins

He was the surprise winner of Stage 6 at Brasstown Bald and now he’s the Tour de Georgia champ:

Kanstantin Sivtsov was such an unknown at the 2008 Tour de Georgia that the spelling of his name was incorrect in the official media guide. That probably won’t happen again after the 25-year-old from Belarus won the overall championship Sunday following the final stage in downtown Atlanta.

Sivtsov’s win, the biggest of his career, capped a dominant week for California-based Team High Road, which also won three individual stages, including two by Greg Henderson of New Zealand, who won Sunday’s stage and Stage 3 (Washington to Gainesville) on Thursday. Sivtov won Saturday’s stage from Blairsville to Brasstown Bald.

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Tour de Georgia: Stage 6 results

Stage 6 began in Blairsville and climbed Brasstown Bald. The cyclists return to Atlanta tomorrow for the 7th and final stage.

1 Kanstantin Sivtsov (Blr) Team High Road @ 3.47.16 (37.568 km/h)
2 Trent Lowe (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 @ 0.10
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana @ 0.16
4 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis @ 0.33
5 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing @ 0.38
6 Moises Aldape Chavez (Mex) Team Type 1 @ 0.54
7 Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Team CSC @ 1.04
8 Antonio Colom Mas (Spa) Astana, ST
9 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30 @ 1.38
10 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Team Type 1 @ 2.20

Sivtsov also take over the Individual lead by 4″ over Trent Lowe (Aus) Splistream Chipotle and 14″ over Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana.

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Sights and Sounds from Suwanee

AJC: Suwanee embraces Tour de Georgia

Once the mass of cyclists had passed, the spectators dispersed. A group of children and adults wearing blue racing shirts were gathering in the middle of the park. They are all members of Frazier Cycling, which sponsors a road race team for kids and a cycling group for adults.

Russell Tindol, 14, a member of the racing team, had surgery for a brain tumor on Tuesday. His fellow members had taken a ride in his honor Friday morning and had gotten the autographs of many of the professional riders registering for the fifth leg of the Tour de Georgia.

“These professionals are so accessible and supportive,” said Ralph Frazier, who coaches and sponsors the group. “I think Russell is going to be pleased.”

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Tour de Georgia: Stage 5 results

Here are the top 10 finishers from today’s Stage 5 of the Tour de Georgia:

1 Richard England (Aus) Bissell Pro Cycling @ 5.15.15 (40.862 km/h)
2 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis, ST
3 George Hincapie (USA) Team High Road, ST
4 Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team, ST
5 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing, ST
6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana, ST
7 Moises Aldape Chavez (Mex) Team Type 1, ST
8 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC, ST
9 Trent Lowe (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle p/b H30, ST
10 Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team, ST

The race also has a new overall leader as Slipstream Chipolte now occupy the top three spots:

1. Trent Lowe (AUS), Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30 @ 16.33′29″
2. David Zabriskie (USA), Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30, ST
3. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30, ST

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Tour de Georgia Stage 5

The 5th stage of the Tour de Georgia began in Suwanee Georgia this morning and as Suwanee is just a few miles from my house I stopped by to observe the festivities. I have two videos for you. The first video is of some of the pre-race activities, including some of the cyclists being interviewed. The second video is of the start of the race. Also check out my Flickr photo collection for this event.

Tags: George Hincapie, Greg Henderson, Levi Leipheimer, tour de georgia

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Four spectators hurt in Suwanee

I was there this morning but did not see this accident. Hopefully these folks will be OK.

The accident happened shortly after the peloton of 120 bike riders had left the Town Center Park area. The motorcyclist carrying the photographer on the back of his motorcycle had just pulled out of Town Center Avenue to follow the peloton when a middle-aged man and woman left the crowds of spectators lining the street and darted onto Buford Highway, said Lynne Dewilde, spokeswoman for the City of Suwanee.

All four people fell onto the street and were taken by amublance to Gwinnett Medical Center. Their names and conditions were not know Friday morning.

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