I completely missed this on VeloNews and CyclingNews.com this past Friday, just stumbling across this article on the BBC this morning.

BBC SPORT | Other sport… | Cycling | 2009 Tour of Georgia is scrapped

The Tour of Georgia, one of American’s cycling’s most prestigious events, has been cancelled for next season.

Created in 2003, the Tour has failed to secure regular sponsors since Lance Armstrong’s retirement in 2005.

The Texan, who announced his return to professional cycling in September, did not include Georgia in his 2009 plans.

“I’m disappointed that the 2009 Tour has been cancelled, but very pleased that it will return in 2010,” said USA Cycling boss Steve Johnson.

In a statement, organisers said: “The planning process for the Tour of Georgia requires a tremendous amount of time and effort.

“We wanted to give all of our partners enough time to plan and allocate their resources to take full advantage of the event. Therefore, we will skip 2009.”

Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong took the Georgia title in 2004.

Every, I’ve wanted to make the trip back east to go see the race, especially since in most years, there has been at least one stage finish in my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee … looks like I’ll have to wait until 2010.

I’m sure that economic hard times and the current recession are contributing factors as well, but it really sucks that the American corporate sponsorship community (at least for a sport like cycling) focusses so much on one rider that his retirement has a ripple effect throughout the the entire sport.

And even his comeback isn’t enough to generate big monetary excitement.

Or, it could be all the doping issues … regardless, the loss of another large American race does not bode well …

VeloNews | No Tour de Georgia in ‘09 | The Journal of Competitive Cycling.

The Tour de Georgia will not be held next year, but the race’s backers say it will be back in 2010.

The race’s board of directors announced Friday that they will use 2009 to “plan ahead and properly position” the race for 2010.

“We believe that this unique and exciting event will endure,” said Tom Saddlemire, a member of the board and recently retired CFO of GE Energy.

The race backers said that by many measures the event has been wildly successful.

“Over the course of six years, the Tour de Georgia has attracted 3.2 million spectators, many of whom traveled to Georgia from out of state, and generated a direct economic impact totaling over $186 million,” said Craig Lesser, former Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “The 2008 Tour de Georgia, our most successful Tour yet, yielded over $38.6 million in direct economic impact for the state. We have come a long way since 2003.”

The 2008 event also raised nearly $3.2 million in operating expenses and commitments for more than $500,000 in support of cancer research through the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

Despite the fund raising and competitive successes, the race has often struggled to find title sponsors, signing its “Presenting Sponsor,” AT&T, in January last year.

Armstrong to return for ‘09 Tour - More Sports - SI.com.

Lance Armstrong will end his retirement and hopes to compete in the 2009 Tour de France, according to a cycling journal report.

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.

Okay … what the fuck does Armstrong think he’s doing? I’m guessing that he’s stepped up from EPO to crack. Does he really think that he’ll be helping cycling by attempting a comeback?

Even if he does come back and does well at the Tour de France (or any other race he enters), does he think it’s really going to put to rest the question of whether or not he doped throughout his career.

Does he think that Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador will willingly step aside so that he can lead the team again? Does he expect us to believe that he’ll be the super-domestique that Bernard Hinault promised that he’d be to Greg LeMond in 1986?

This is bad news for cycling. It might be good news for those of us who want to watch it on Versus, but bigger picture, this is NOT a good thing.

I can only hope that this is a wicked rumor.

Tour de Georgia finishes tomorrow, and (Crack) Rock Racing hasn’t imploded yet. Definitely have to back off my prediction, although I’m not sure how happy the team is going to be with Oscar Sevilla’s 6th place finish …

But what’s the story with Tyler Hamilton being 41-minutes back? The twin not helping him pedal this week?

Kinda scary when a team’s top-ranked rider on a flat stage is a climber, who finishes 40 spaces ahead of the team’s sprinter.

RESULTS

14 - Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
23 - Kayle Leogrande (USA) Rock Racing
50 - Fred Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
51 - Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing
54 - Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Rock Racing
57 - Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing
109 - Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing
112 - Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Rock Racing

I’m looking for some good performances from Doug O. and YMC … preferably in breakaways.

Still want to know when Cesar Grajales is going to get a race start this year.

Rock Racing Reveals Rosters For Tour de Georgia, Sea Otter.

Culver City, Calif. — Rock Racing will field a line-up for the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T that includes a world time trial champion, an Olympic gold medalist, Tour de France yellow jersey, polka-dot jersey and white jersey wearers and a three-time U.S. national road race champion who is also a four-time Tour de Georgia stage winner.

Rock Racing’s roster for the seven-day, 600-mile (965 km) stage race includes: Santiago Botero (COL), Tyler Hamilton (USA), Victor Hugo Peña (COL), Freddie Rodriguez (USA), Oscar Sevilla (ESP), Michael Creed (USA), Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) and Kayle Leogrande (USA). Mariano Friedrick is the team director.

[...]

On the other side of the country, Rock Racing will field a full eight-rider squad for the Sea Otter Classic SRAM Circuit Race Saturday at the Laguna Seca Raceway in California. On the roster for the 71-mile (114 km) National Race Calendar event are: Rahsaan Bahati (USA), David Clinger (USA), Peter Dawson (AUS), Sergio Hernandez (USA), Kevin Klein (USA), Rudolph “Rudy” Napolitano (USA), Adam Switters (USA) and Jeremiah Wiscovitch (USA).

Hey Rock! When are you going to give Cesar Grajales (you know, the guy who beat Lance Armstrong to the top of Brasstown Bald in 2004) a race start?

VeloNews posted the following article after my earlier post today on Rock Racing and the Tour de Georgia.

Michael Ball: Georgia’s promoters had one condition, “Don’t freak us out.”

Rock Racing team owner Michael Ball said Friday that his team earned an invite to the Tour de Georgia based on just one simple condition.

“They said, ‘can you conduct yourselves in a way that doesn’t freak us out?’ ” Ball said in a conference call with reporters.

He said that at Georgia he will not be accompanied by the Hollywood-style entourage that followed him at the Amgen Tour of California. He also said the team would not bring podium girl models to Georgia, although he said that’s because the models were unavailable, not because of his promise to avoid freaking anyone out.

Rock Racing had filed suit against the race when it was not invited, but dropped the suit this week when the race announced that the Saunier Duval team was not going to attend and that Rock Racing would fill the spot.

At the same time, Rock Racing was named as a Founding Sponsor of the race. Ball said his company’s sponsorship of the race was not a condition of its invitation.

“I know it could appear that way,” Ball said. “My intention is to support cycling. This is another great American tour and from the get go we have tried to get involved.”

Somehow, I doubt that my earlier post had anything to do with this comment, but I find it funny that other people were obviously thinking the same thing.

VeloNews | 2008 Tour de Georgia

Rock Racing gets in

Domestic team Rock Racing was not originally invited and had threatened take race organizer Medalist Sports to court over a disputed verbal invitation, but was given Saunier Duval’s team slot Tuesday. With that settlement, Rock has signed on as a founding sponsor of the Tour de Georgia — the event’s highest sponsorship level.

“My commitment to cycling is long-term and I am proud to support this world-class race which has featured such winners as Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis,” Rock team owner Michael Ball said. “As a tribute to the state of Georgia and to the rich tradition of this race, we plan something special for the final stage, so stay tuned.”

Hmm … sponsorship? Or bribery (on Rock Racing’s part) / extortion (on Medalist Sports’ part)? The timing of this sponsorship announcement is awfully suspect … making it seem as though the sponsorship is part of the agreement to let Rock race … a nice little quid pro quo.

The exchange of money does not make either the team OR the organizers look good.