| ATLANTA, Ga. (January 9, 2006) – In the world of sports, the
state of Georgia is gaining popularity for more than golf and its four
major, professional sports teams. In just its third year, the Tour
de Georgia received international and national recognition as a
prominent, professional sporting event, and was recently recognized by
the Governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, as one of the top economic
successes of 2005.
In the recently unveiled 2005 Cyclingnews Reader Poll, the Tour
de Georgia was voted the third best Stage Race in the world.
Cyclingnews.com, one of the most viewed cycling web sites in the
world with dedicated readership in 90 countries, registered over 7,500
submissions in the year-end survey. Only two Grand Tours had more
votes, the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, and the Tour de Georgia was
the only race in North America to be named on the Top 10 list, beating
long-standing favorites like Paris-Nice and Vuelta a Espana.
Here in Georgia, Governor Perdue announced the state's leading economic
development successes of 2005, resulting in an improved climate for
business and tourism. The Tour de Georgia was No. 9 on a list of Top 12
notable events or programs recognized for making an impact on the state
this past year, and was the only sports property on the list.
"Looking back on the economic development achievements of 2005, I'm
proud that Georgia has improved its climate for new businesses and
tourists," said Governor Perdue in a statement at the end of December
2005. "Georgia's economic development team worked relentlessly in 2005
to recruit and retain jobs and investment, which resulted in some
exciting news this year."
The Tour was recognized for its explosive success in just three years,
with a record $36.2 million in direct economic impact for the state of
Georgia this past year. The event was also cited for increasing
attendance, with a 225-percent increase since the race's first year in
2003, to an estimated 800,000 people who watched at least a portion of
the 655-mile, six-day event in 2005. More than four million media
impressions were generated in national and international publicity for
the state, guaranteeing Georgia's place on the international sports
stage.
"In just three years the Tour de Georgia has not only set the
standard as the top professional cycling stage race in North
America, but it has also gained notoriety as a premier sporting
event. Like the Tour de France, the Tour de Georgia showcases not
only the best cyclists in the world, but serves as a rolling
festival that highlights some of Georgia's most interesting places
to visit. It is a shining example of how an event can combine
elements of tourism and economic development to make a positive
impact on our state," said Craig Lesser, commissioner of the Georgia
Department of Economic Development.
In addition, the 2005 Tour de Georgia received a statewide award
last year for public relations excellence related to the Live
Healthy Georgia Expo and promotions related to the Georgia
Cancer Coalition, the official beneficiary of the Tour. The Georgia
Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America awarded its
Phoenix Award for best event/observance (seven or fewer days) to the
Tour's sponsor of the Expo, the Georgia Department of Human
Resources, and its PR agency, GolinHarris, which coordinated and
implemented the program. More than 68,000 visited the Live
Healthy Georgia Expo and received valuable health information --
a 30 percent increase from the 2004 Tour.
The Tour de Georgia was also named a finalist in two national sports
award programs in 2005. In the 2005 SportsTravel Awards, presented
by SportsTravel Magazine at the TEAMS 2005 Conference & Expo in
December, the Tour was named one of the "Best Sports Event Series or
Circuit" in the professional sporting event category. In addition,
the Tour was voted runner-up as "Emerging Sports Property of the
Year" by the 2005 Horizon Awards for Sports Business.
"In just a relatively short span of three years, we have built a
tradition - so it is a very exciting time for the Tour de Georgia as
we and our partners approach year four and beyond. Cycling
continues to grow in popularity as both a spectator sport and a
participant activity. As an event, the Tour de Georgia generates
attention from across the U.S. and abroad for the elite level of
competition that involves the best athletes in the world. And as a
sports property, it is gaining recognition from communities and
corporations as a successful return on investment and marketing
platform," said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner for Medalist
Sports, the sports marketing company licensed to operate the Tour.
Soon after the completion of the 2005 Tour de Georgia, the Union
Cycliste International (UCI), the world governing body for the sport
of cycling, elevated the event rating from a 2.1 to its top Hors
Classe (2.HC) rating, the highest outside of Europe. This
makes the Tour de Georgia the only HC stage race in North America.
The 2006 Tour de Georgia will be held April 18-23, beginning in
Augusta, Ga. and ending in Alpharetta, Ga. Details of the 2006 are
available at the official web site,
www.tourdegeorgia.com.
ABOUT THE TOUR DE GEORGIA
The Tour de Georgia is America's premier, professional cycling event
and rolling festival of community activities. The Tour is held
annually in the spring with a varying route. It is sanctioned by
the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling (USAC) as a
2.HC rating, making the event one of the top stage races for elite
athletes around the world. The 2005 Tour was won by Tom Danielson
(USA) of the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team; champions
from previous years include Lance Armstrong (USA) in 2004 and Chris
Horner (USA) 2003. The Tour's official beneficiary is the Georgia
Cancer Coalition (GCC). The Tour de Georgia is owned by The
Georgia Partnership for Economic Development (GPED) and is managed
by Medalist Sports. Merchandise and the latest updates are
available at the official website,
www.tourdegeorgia.com.
ABOUT THE GEORGIA CANCER COALITION
The Georgia Cancer Coalition leads Georgia's comprehensive cancer
initiative, uniting people and organizations to work together to
save lives and reduce suffering from cancer. As a public-private
partnership, the Coalition works to strengthen existing cancer
related programs and create new initiatives that accelerate cancer
prevention, early detection, and research and treatment to make the
highest level of care accessible to all Georgians. The Georgia
Cancer Coalition provides guidance and assistance for using
Georgia's resources in the fight to reverse the cancer mortality and
incidence rates. The Coalition is the first of its kind in the
nation and is fast becoming a national model.
The official website is
www.georgiacancer.org. |
