Lance Armstrong to ride in Tour de Georgia

<p>Lance Armstrong is all set for the 2004 Tour de Georgia.</p><p>Tour officials said Friday the five-time Tour de France champion confirmed he will compete in the Georgia road race from April 20-25, giving the two-year event a publicity boost.</p><p>This is huge for the state of Georgia in terms of the national and international focus that will be in Georgia, Stan Holm, executive director of Tour de Georgia, told The Macon Telegraph. Not only will cyclists be watching because its Lance Armstrong, the best professional cyclist in the world, but also Lance is a personality to himself.</p><p>The Georgia race is being called the largest multi-day stage race for pro cyclists in North America.</p><p>Obviously, we are really, really, really excited, said Dan Osipow, the general manager of Tailwind Sports, which manages and owns the United States Postal Service cycling team for which Armstrong races. We know Lances presence this year, when he will be attempting a sixth Tour de France, will generate a ton of excitement. Its a mini-Tour de France.</p><p>The course for the 2004 race has yet to be officially approved, Holm said.</p><p>Fridays announcement means Armstrong wont compete in the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico from April 28-May 2, according to Osipow, who said previously Armstrong would compete in one of the two races.</p><p>The Postal Service team competed without Armstrong in the first running of the Georgia race.</p><p>The team was impressed with the Tour of Georgia last year, and now we will be coming back with an even stronger group with Lance leading us, Osipow said at a news conference in Buellton, Calif., where the Postal Service team is holding an 11-day training camp.</p><p>The 32-year-old Armstrong plans to kick off his 2004 racing schedule at the Tour of Algarve in Portugal from Feb. 18-22. He said he hopes to compete in the Tour de France for at least two more years.</p><p>I think so, a lot depends on the organization, he said. I want to keep this organization going.</p><p>Armstrong was speaking of the Postal Service team, which has been together for nine years and is in the last year of a three-year sponsorship agreement.</p><p>Armstrong said he considers 2003 runner-up Jan Ullrich of Germany the favorite to win this years Tour de France.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/1/178270