Tour de Georgia organizers released details about the 2008 route Thursday afternoon, which runs 600 miles from Tybee Island to Atlanta on April 21-27.

The route includes several firsts for the six-year-old cycling race, including a team time trial at Road Atlanta in Braselton and a new route in downtown Atlanta for the circuit race on the final day.

"The route this year will continue to challenge the best cyclists in the world over varied terrain, and it will provide thousands of race fans a chance to see many new beautiful parts of Georgia," event director Chris Aronhalt said in a press release distributed Thursday afternoon.

Here's a stage-by-stage look:

Stage 1 (April 21): Beginning for the first time at Tybee Island, the stage runs 71.8 miles through coastal lowcountry to Savannah.

Stage 2 (April 22): Departs first-time host Statesboro and runs 115.7 miles to Augusta. The stage includes the Tour's first official climb, in North Augusta, and runs into South Carolina for the first time.

Stage 3 (April 23): Starts in Washington for the first time and travels across rolling terrain 109.7 miles to Gainesville.

Stage 4 (April 24): The Tour's first team time trial — there have been four previous individual time trials — is on the road course at Road Atlanta, a 2.5-mile, 12-turn motorsport track. Each team races all eight riders at the same time against the clock.

Stage 5 (April 25): At 133.4 miles, the Tour's longest stage — and first mountain stage — passes through 10 counties from Suwanee in Gwinnett County to Dahlonega.

Stage 6 (April 26): The 88.4-mile stage beginning in Blairsville features the signature climb of the week, finishing at the highest point in Georgia, Brasstown Bald (4,783 feet). Race organizers expect more than 25,000 spectators to watch the final 3.12 miles.

Stage 7 (April 27): The final stage in Atlanta begins and finishes at Centennial Olympic Park and runs 10 full laps through downtown totalling 62.7 miles.

More details and maps for all stages are available at tourdegeorgia.com.