I voted no. I submit the following as an example of why I voted no. As long as events like this get bigger each year I believe little by little professional cycling will be accepted in the US. An uphill battle to be sure but not impossible!
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Posted on Sun, Apr. 18, 2004
Buying into biking
2004 Tour de Georgia expected to pump $20M into Georgia's economy
By Linda S. Morris
Telegraph Staff Writer
or the next few days, bicycles are going to be big business in Georgia.
In its second year, the 2004 Tour de Georgia, projected by race organizers to attract at least 1 million spectators across the state, will pump an estimated $20 million into Georgia's economy.
"There's nothing like this in North America," said Stan Holm, the race's executive director. "My real vision is this race will become the Super Bowl of cycling in North America."
The race didn't generate nearly the same attention and dollars in 2003. Holm estimated last year's crowd at 250,000 and its economic impact statewide at $2.5 million.
"It's completely different this year," Holm said.
This year, a sizable portion of the $20 million economic infusion likely will stay in Macon - host city for the start of the race - because many cyclists, support crew, race organizers and international media will be in the city for several days, said Janice Marshall, president and CEO of the Macon-Bibb Convention & Visitors Bureau. Some plan to stay until Wednesday morning before heading to Thomaston for the race's second stage.
"We get the benefit of being the start city," Marshall said. "Macon, Columbus and Alpharetta are the places (visitors) will be spending more money because there are more opportunities. We should be getting our fair share of that $20 million."
At least 120 cyclists have entered the race, including five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong of the United States and former cycling world champion Mario Cipollini of Italy.
The six-day, 653-mile race throughout the state begins at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cherry and Third streets in downtown Macon and loops to Milledgeville, returning to Macon in the afternoon.
The race is a vehicle to promote tourism and stimulate economic growth. Proceeds from the race, expected to exceed $2.5 million, will benefit the Georgia Cancer Coalition, organizers said.
Holm said previous tourism studies show that tourists who spend one night in Georgia spend an average of $109 a day, including lodging and meals.
"So I conservatively say, if we have a million spectators - and I have no doubt we will - and if only 10 percent of them stay two nights, that's more than $20 million that goes directly into the Georgia economy," he said. "That's cash."
The projected $20 million statewide economic boost - which does not include money spent by spectators who don't stay overnight in hotels - is derived from surveys by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Holm said.
David Crites, executive director of Georgia Bikes, a nonprofit cycling organization in Atlanta, said he and three friends plan to watch the race in Macon, Athens and the final stage in Alpharetta. Although the four will stay with a friend while in Macon, Crites said he expects to spend about $160 here, including buying a gift for his host family.
"I'm planning to try out the Nu-Way hot dog place for lunch and Satterfield's for one of the lunches," he said in an e-mail Friday.
Race to spread tourism dollars throughout state
As a comparison, the 2003 Southeastern Conference Championship Game in Atlanta created a $28.5 million economic impact, said Matt Garvey, director of communications for the Atlanta Sports Council, a division of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. The 2003 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl had a $35.8 million impact while the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta created a $292 million economic impact, he said.
"The biggest impactors of economic impact are when you get out-of-state spending," Garvey said. He said the $20 million figure for the Tour de Georgia might be a little high, but he did not say what he thought the economic impact would be.
An Atlanta Falcons game might draw 70,000 people and probably about 95 percent of those fans are from Georgia, he said. Therefore, the economic impact "would be virtually non-existent because it's all money that would have been spent in our economy anyway," he said.
By comparison, if 70,000 people attend the Peach Bowl, about 50,000 would come from out of state, Garvey said. Therefore, the economic impact would be about $30 million to $35 million because those people are staying in hotels, eating in restaurants and buying Georgia souvenirs, he said.
However, Holm said the Tour de Georgia is different because it is a traveling event and will spread tourist dollars in other cities and rural areas of the state that wouldn't normally feel the impact of a large sporting event.
Betsy Hueber, president of the Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce, said she's uncertain of the dollar impact there.
"We will be having spectators who will purchase gasoline and will be stopping at convenience stores," she said. "Also, local sign companies have benefited because of the signs and banners we had printed."
Holm said Georgia residents who stay in a hotel two nights during the race and spend $200 a day might have spent that money in Florida, for example, if they didn't spend it in Georgia during the race.
"I think it's hard really to quantify the impact of this," said Chip Cherry, president and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. "The prime reason we were involved with it to begin with was to build on an awareness of Macon ... and to show off our community. It's amazing to see how excited people are getting."
The 297-room Crowne Plaza in downtown Macon had fewer than 10 rooms available for Monday, general manager Joseph Nowell said last week. The professional cycling teams, their support crews and many state Tour de Georgia officials are staying at the Crowne Plaza.
Friday afternoon, two other local hotels, the Wingate Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, were completely booked for Monday night, Marshall said.
As the race progresses, participants and some spectators will not only pay for lodging, but they will buy gasoline, food and personal items along the route, Holm said.
"I have personally had calls from large groups planning bus trips from New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan and a little closer from Florida," Holm said. "They are probably cycling enthusiasts. There are 12 million of them in the U.S. and their average income is $90,000 a year."
Local sponsors contribute nearly $52,000
Part of the responsibility of local organizing committees in each city along the route is providing food and lodging for one night for the cyclists and support staff, Cherry said. The Macon organizing committee also paid for advertising, parking signs, entertainment and other related costs. As of last week, the committee had raised nearly $52,000 from local sponsors, he said.
"We're providing a lot as host, $22,400 for lodging alone, plus food for about $15,000," Cherry said.
Other than the large number of spectators expected to watch at least a portion of the race, more than 200 credentials have been issued to the media, Marshall said.
Neal Rogers, associate editor of VeloNews, a cycling magazine based in Boulder, Colo., said he plans to stay three nights in Macon and will follow the entire race.
"I would say I will spend between $75 to $100 a day," said Rogers, who plans to share his hotel room with another journalist to save money. "I'm budgeting about $500 for the trip, but I might end up spending more."
The increased attention this year is mostly due to Armstrong's presence in the race. But it garnered more attention with Thursday's announcement that Cipollini also will compete.
"If there were cycling enthusiasts who weren't coming, they will now," Holm said of the Cipollini announcement.
Cipollini is the 2002 World Road Champion and has more than 150 career victories, according to a Tour de Georgia news release.
"It is a memorable event," Rogers said. "How often does a five-time Tour de France winner come and race in a stage race in the United States? It's never. He's bigger than the sport. And this is his preparation for what will be historic either way. He will be the first person to ever win six (Tour de France races), or whoever beats him is going to be the only person who ever beat Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France."
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Posted on Sun, Apr. 18, 2004
Buying into biking
2004 Tour de Georgia expected to pump $20M into Georgia's economy
By Linda S. Morris
Telegraph Staff Writer
or the next few days, bicycles are going to be big business in Georgia.
In its second year, the 2004 Tour de Georgia, projected by race organizers to attract at least 1 million spectators across the state, will pump an estimated $20 million into Georgia's economy.
"There's nothing like this in North America," said Stan Holm, the race's executive director. "My real vision is this race will become the Super Bowl of cycling in North America."
The race didn't generate nearly the same attention and dollars in 2003. Holm estimated last year's crowd at 250,000 and its economic impact statewide at $2.5 million.
"It's completely different this year," Holm said.
This year, a sizable portion of the $20 million economic infusion likely will stay in Macon - host city for the start of the race - because many cyclists, support crew, race organizers and international media will be in the city for several days, said Janice Marshall, president and CEO of the Macon-Bibb Convention & Visitors Bureau. Some plan to stay until Wednesday morning before heading to Thomaston for the race's second stage.
"We get the benefit of being the start city," Marshall said. "Macon, Columbus and Alpharetta are the places (visitors) will be spending more money because there are more opportunities. We should be getting our fair share of that $20 million."
At least 120 cyclists have entered the race, including five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong of the United States and former cycling world champion Mario Cipollini of Italy.
The six-day, 653-mile race throughout the state begins at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cherry and Third streets in downtown Macon and loops to Milledgeville, returning to Macon in the afternoon.
The race is a vehicle to promote tourism and stimulate economic growth. Proceeds from the race, expected to exceed $2.5 million, will benefit the Georgia Cancer Coalition, organizers said.
Holm said previous tourism studies show that tourists who spend one night in Georgia spend an average of $109 a day, including lodging and meals.
"So I conservatively say, if we have a million spectators - and I have no doubt we will - and if only 10 percent of them stay two nights, that's more than $20 million that goes directly into the Georgia economy," he said. "That's cash."
The projected $20 million statewide economic boost - which does not include money spent by spectators who don't stay overnight in hotels - is derived from surveys by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Holm said.
David Crites, executive director of Georgia Bikes, a nonprofit cycling organization in Atlanta, said he and three friends plan to watch the race in Macon, Athens and the final stage in Alpharetta. Although the four will stay with a friend while in Macon, Crites said he expects to spend about $160 here, including buying a gift for his host family.
"I'm planning to try out the Nu-Way hot dog place for lunch and Satterfield's for one of the lunches," he said in an e-mail Friday.
Race to spread tourism dollars throughout state
As a comparison, the 2003 Southeastern Conference Championship Game in Atlanta created a $28.5 million economic impact, said Matt Garvey, director of communications for the Atlanta Sports Council, a division of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. The 2003 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl had a $35.8 million impact while the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta created a $292 million economic impact, he said.
"The biggest impactors of economic impact are when you get out-of-state spending," Garvey said. He said the $20 million figure for the Tour de Georgia might be a little high, but he did not say what he thought the economic impact would be.
An Atlanta Falcons game might draw 70,000 people and probably about 95 percent of those fans are from Georgia, he said. Therefore, the economic impact "would be virtually non-existent because it's all money that would have been spent in our economy anyway," he said.
By comparison, if 70,000 people attend the Peach Bowl, about 50,000 would come from out of state, Garvey said. Therefore, the economic impact would be about $30 million to $35 million because those people are staying in hotels, eating in restaurants and buying Georgia souvenirs, he said.
However, Holm said the Tour de Georgia is different because it is a traveling event and will spread tourist dollars in other cities and rural areas of the state that wouldn't normally feel the impact of a large sporting event.
Betsy Hueber, president of the Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce, said she's uncertain of the dollar impact there.
"We will be having spectators who will purchase gasoline and will be stopping at convenience stores," she said. "Also, local sign companies have benefited because of the signs and banners we had printed."
Holm said Georgia residents who stay in a hotel two nights during the race and spend $200 a day might have spent that money in Florida, for example, if they didn't spend it in Georgia during the race.
"I think it's hard really to quantify the impact of this," said Chip Cherry, president and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. "The prime reason we were involved with it to begin with was to build on an awareness of Macon ... and to show off our community. It's amazing to see how excited people are getting."
The 297-room Crowne Plaza in downtown Macon had fewer than 10 rooms available for Monday, general manager Joseph Nowell said last week. The professional cycling teams, their support crews and many state Tour de Georgia officials are staying at the Crowne Plaza.
Friday afternoon, two other local hotels, the Wingate Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, were completely booked for Monday night, Marshall said.
As the race progresses, participants and some spectators will not only pay for lodging, but they will buy gasoline, food and personal items along the route, Holm said.
"I have personally had calls from large groups planning bus trips from New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan and a little closer from Florida," Holm said. "They are probably cycling enthusiasts. There are 12 million of them in the U.S. and their average income is $90,000 a year."
Local sponsors contribute nearly $52,000
Part of the responsibility of local organizing committees in each city along the route is providing food and lodging for one night for the cyclists and support staff, Cherry said. The Macon organizing committee also paid for advertising, parking signs, entertainment and other related costs. As of last week, the committee had raised nearly $52,000 from local sponsors, he said.
"We're providing a lot as host, $22,400 for lodging alone, plus food for about $15,000," Cherry said.
Other than the large number of spectators expected to watch at least a portion of the race, more than 200 credentials have been issued to the media, Marshall said.
Neal Rogers, associate editor of VeloNews, a cycling magazine based in Boulder, Colo., said he plans to stay three nights in Macon and will follow the entire race.
"I would say I will spend between $75 to $100 a day," said Rogers, who plans to share his hotel room with another journalist to save money. "I'm budgeting about $500 for the trip, but I might end up spending more."
The increased attention this year is mostly due to Armstrong's presence in the race. But it garnered more attention with Thursday's announcement that Cipollini also will compete.
"If there were cycling enthusiasts who weren't coming, they will now," Holm said of the Cipollini announcement.
Cipollini is the 2002 World Road Champion and has more than 150 career victories, according to a Tour de Georgia news release.
"It is a memorable event," Rogers said. "How often does a five-time Tour de France winner come and race in a stage race in the United States? It's never. He's bigger than the sport. And this is his preparation for what will be historic either way. He will be the first person to ever win six (Tour de France races), or whoever beats him is going to be the only person who ever beat Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France."
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