Originally Posted by
alcanoe
The roads were lined with folks from all over the US to watch the Tour de Georgia when Armstrong rode. I think he rode in three. It's now folded due to a lack of interest.
Al
The roads of Georgia have been lined with fans each year of the Tour de Georgia from 2003-2008, though the crowds were noticeably larger in 2004 and 2005, the two years that LA rode. TdG has had problems with sponsorship from the start. The state of Georgia has been a major sponsor each year. They have had problems getting major corporate sponsorship from the start. The drug scandals in pro racing didn't help in that regard. The bad economy has been another big problem. I would suspect that the state told the promoters that they would not be able to do their part this year in the face of anticipated budget shortfalls and the resulting cutbacks in services and budgets.
I hope the race will come back in the future, but if they can't find sponsors, it won't happen.
The race didn't fold due to lack of interest of fans, but has been suspended due to lack of funding from sponsors.