Tour of Southern Highlands Bike Race Set For March 3-5

WOODSTOCK, GA -- The Tour of the Southern Highlands Stage Race, the only Pro/Am stage bike race in Georgia, will descend on to Woodstock and Ball Ground this weekend.

The series begins Friday, March 3 with a race that will wind through a portion of downtown Woodstock.

This race, the first leg of the three-day event, will start at 7 p.m., and the route will follow Market, Hickory, Paden and Mill streets.

The race will end around 10:30 p.m., and the event will feature live race announcements, live music, kids’ races and a corn hole tournament on Elm Street’s Event Green.

Set-up will start around noon Friday, with clean-up from the event wrapping up around midnight.

Motorists should note that Market, Hickory, Paden and Mill streets will be closed to vehicular traffic between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. March 3.

On Saturday, March 4, the amateurs will join in on the action alongside the pros for the Stage 1 - Merckx Time Trial and Stage 2 - Circuit Race along Arnold Mill Road in Cherokee County.

Racing headquarters and starting points are at Arnold Mill Elementary School. The 5-mile Time Trials begin at 7:30 a.m., with the Circuit Race running from noon to 5 p.m. along the five-mile stretch of Arnold Mill and North Arnold Mill roads.

The third and final stage, set for Sunday, March 5, moves north to Ball Ground for a road race consisting of a 15-mile loop with over 1,200 feet of climbing. Food trucks, beer and community activities will start at 11 a.m. and go on throughout the day as the race takes place.

More than 300 participants have registered to compete, national professional and amateur cycling race teams, organizers said Thursday. The Tour of The Southern Highlands is a USAC Junior National Team Selection race where potential Worlds and Olympics candidates are determined for future development.

The 2016 TOSH Junior National Selection race winner Ian Garrison went on to compete in 2016 Worlds, winning 3rd place, and is competing again in TOSH 2017 as a professional.

For more information about the Tour of the Southern Highlands, visit http://www.toshsr.com.

Image via Dingo Race Productions, LLC