Georgia parcours comes into focus

Organizers for the Tour de Georgia released a few more details to the 2008 edition of the race. As previously reported, the race this year will include the first-ever team time trial in the race's five year history. In the latest route announcement, organizers revealed an increase in the amount of climbing that the riders will face.

“The route this year will continue to challenge the best cyclists in the world over varied terrain," said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of Medalist Sports and Event Director for the Tour de Georgia. "It will provide thousands of race fans a chance to see many new beautiful parts of Georgia."

Beyond starting for the first time off the coast of Georgia, on Tybee Island near Savannah, the second stage from Statesboro to Augusta will bring the race across state lines into South Carolina for the first time. This will also present riders with a KOM far earlier in the tour than in previous editions, which usually stayed in the flatter central and western parts of the state.

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Following the stage four team time trial on the auto racing course Road Atlanta, the fifth stage will see a marked increase in the amount of climbing. Usually a day full of KOMs, the race will have a new start in Suwanee and travel north to the frequent finish town of Dahlonega. The change of direction from the previous eastward direction of the stage will add a new parcours and include new KOMs up Burnt and Crown mountains. Stage five is also the longest stage at 214.7km.

The queen stage finishing atop Brasstown Bald mountain is back again and will follow similar routes to previous years. The tour finishes again with a circuit race in downtown Atlanta, but will utilize a new course compared to the previous two Atlanta courses.