Tour de Georgia detour
Blairsville not a host city for 2007
By JARED PUTNAM

The 2006 Tour de Georgia (Stage 5) takes off from Meeks Park.

The 2007 Tour de Georgia host cities have been selected, and for the first time since 2004, Blairsville was not on the list. However, the decision does not mean that the race will not travel through Union County.

"It's not an official start or finish line but there is a strong possibility that the route will still go through Blairsville as it has in the past," said Jackie Tyson, Director of Public Relations for the Tour de Georgia.

While the details of the route have not been ironed out, Stage 5 will begin in Dalton, Ga., and will once again finish on top of Brasstown Bald in Towns County, providing an opportunity for the tour to cross Union County. "It's like a puzzle," said Tyson. "We have the pieces and now we just have to figure out how to put them together. The route has not been determined, although one of our top sponsors is United Community Bank and [the tour] will be passing a lot of their locations."

Tyson added that the fact that UCB is headquartered in

Blairsville is another reason that organizers will look to incorporate Union County into the 2007 race route, where the tour receives a lot of support. "We have always had good turnouts up there," said Tyson, who noted that the beauty of northeast Georgia helps attract cycling enthusiasts. "The fans, especially from outside the

state, flock to that area. It's just gorgeous. We got that reaction not just from spectators, but from journalists outside the state."

The precise route of the 2007 Tour de Georgia is expected to be determined by the end of January.