HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR_TdG20080418.pdfMAYOR
Jason Buelterman
CITY COUNCIL
Wanda Doyle
Charlie R. Brewer
Barry Brown
Eddie Crone
Dick Smith
Paul Wolff
CITY OF TYBEE ISLAND
CITY MANAGER
Diane Schleicher
CITY CLERK
Vivian Woods
CITY ATTORNEY
Edward M. Hughes
P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749
(866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737
www.cityoftybee.org
PRESS RELEASE: Contacts: Brannyn Allen
For Immediate Release (912) 786-4573, x107
Tybee Welcomes the Tour de Georgia Peloton in Island Style
Tybee Island, Ga. – (April 18, 2008) Tybee is welcoming the Tour de Georgia participants, staff, and fans to the Island with a series of
events. Although Savannah will be kicking things off with a dinner at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on
Saturday, all are welcome to Tybee’s “Party at the Pier” on Sunday evening from 6-10 PM, hosted by the City and the Tybee Island
Tourism Council at the Walter J. Parker Pier and Pavilion. The Pavilion is found at the end of Tybrisa Street on the south end of Tybee.
Jim Reed and the Hot Rocks will be playing from 6 til 8, followed by the Tybee All-Stars from 8 to 10. Concessions will remain open late
on the Pavilion to provide refreshments for those who don’t bring their own.
Monday morning, before the race begins, the Tour de Georgia events begin in earnest with Autograph Alley in the 14th Street parking
lot starting at 9 AM. Racing teams will be on hand for fans, along with information booths about other city organizations.
The City has been hard at work over the winter months giving the downtown area on the Strand and Tybrisa a new look and
resurfacing the lot and streets. Georgia’s DOT came in March, laying down a new surface on Highway 80 from the Lazaretto Creek
Bridge all the way down to the end of the highway. To celebrate the finish of these projects and to welcome the Tour de Georgia, the
opening ceremonies were postponed until Monday morning. At 9:30 AM, Mayor Jason Buelterman will officially cut the ribbon to open
the new roads and lots. Ft. Pulaski National Park staff will be present to fire a cannon blast to herald the cyclists as they advance down
the course. The race begins at 10:30 AM from the Strand.
The parking lots on the south end of the Island will be closed the morning of the race, so you may want to park near the Lighthouse at
the lots in the north end. Tybrisa and the Strand will also be closed Monday morning until noon. A rolling barricade will travel with the
peloton around the Island race route from 10:30 until about 11, at which point the racers will be traveling down Highway 80 t owards
the Bull River Bridge and on to Savannah. To accommodate the racers, travel on or off the Island will be unavailable between 10 and
11:15 AM or until the last racer crosses the bridge. Make sure you take this closure into account if you have business that r equires
travel in either direction during this time!
More details, including a detailed map of the race route, can be found at the City’s web site on the Tour de Georgia link
(http://www.cityoftybee.org/Default.aspx#1324), or at the Tour de Georgia web site, http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/. If you would
like to make arrangements to stay at Tybee in advance of the race, there are sti ll hotel rooms and vacation rentals with vacancies.
Check out the “Where to Stay” link at http://www.tybeevisit.com/ to find a vacancy.
For more information about the City of Tybee Island, visit us online at http://www.cityoftybee.org.
The Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T is North America’s premier, professional cycling event and rolling festival of communit y
activities. The Tour was first held in 2003 and has become a spring tradition with a varying route of close to 660 miles of racing. Over
2.8 million spectators have traveled to Georgia to watch the event in the past five years, and direct economic impact has totaled over
$148 million. The official beneficiary is the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atl anta. The
event is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (2.HC ranking), and is part of the USA Cycling Professional Tour USA Cycling,
Inc., making the event one of the top stage races for elite athletes around the world. The Tour de Georgia is owned and operated by
the Tour de Georgia Foundation (501 c3) and managed by Medalist Sports (www.medalistsports.com). Route maps, host venue
information, merchandise offerings and sponsor news is available at the official website, www.tourdegeorgia.com.
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