Rome expected to find out today whether it will once again be a Tour de Georgia host city, but race organizers say the route won’t be announced until Dec. 5.

Chris Aronhalt, managing partner with Medalist Sports that organizes the event, said race details are still being worked out.

“With the enthusiasm and excitement generated by the lieutenant governor, we’re retooling the entire race,” he said Tuesday. “We still have details to confirm.”

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle is chairman of the Georgia Partnership for Economic Development that owns and manages the race.

Rome has hosted the race for each of the five years the race has been staged, with the 2007 route having a start and finish in the city. The 2008 Tour de Georgia is set for April 21-27.

Organizers have said they are looking into route options that “include Rome and others that do not.”

On Tuesday, Aronhalt said a final decision has not been made on the route.

“Rome has been a fantastic partner, and we’d love to return to Rome,” said Aronhalt. But he couldn’t say whether it would be for the 2008 event, noting that the logistics of planning a major race might preclude Rome, especially since there are 25 cities vying to host.

Local officials don’t seem to be as optimistic about Rome’s chances as they have been in previous years. Preliminary meetings with host cities that usually take place in advance of the route unveiling have not happened in Rome, perhaps signaling that other Georgia cities are going to have a chance instead.

That’s to be expected with a large statewide event, says Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“It probably needs to move around the state,” she said.

The statewide economic impact has been estimated to be $148 million in its first five years with more than 2.8 million spectators.

Smith said Greater Rome’s five-year presence as a host city has not only brought tourism dollars to town each April, it has also given the community exposure on the world stage and has had lot of “residual benefits” for the area.

She noted that sidewalks in South Rome were fixed as were potholes in local streets prior to hosting the race.

It also put this medical hub of Northwest Georgia in the midst of cancer awareness, which is the non-race focus of Tour de Georgia and a reason legendary cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong has been to Rome with the event.

And some events that have traditionally been part of the local race activities will continue.

“No matter what happens with the route, we will continue with our Clocktower Classic,” Smith said of the handcycling criterium race that has been held in Rome during Tour de Georgia for the past three years.

Smith said Rome should be proud to have made the list for five years running, even if it doesn’t happen for the 2008 event. “It was a nice shot in the arm to have an international event here.”