ATLANTA --- The Tour de Georgia canceled its 2009 race because of financial struggles, but plans to return in 2010.

The seven-day race, billed as North America's premier professional cycling event, could not find a title sponsor the past two years.

Support for the Tour de Georgia declined following Lance Armstrong's retirement, which he announced in Augusta the day before the start of the Georgia race in 2005. That year's race, and the '06 version, both kicked off in downtown Augusta, where the second stage of last year's race ended.

Armstrong's recently announced comeback initially included a return to the Georgia event. But Armstrong later released a revised schedule that did not include it.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said the decision to cancel the 2009 race followed "an enormous response from our partners on ways we can strengthen the Tour for the future."

Cagle, who serves as chairman of the race's foundation, said organizers decided the event needs extra time to gain its footing.

"Our host cities want to have time to prepare tourism packages and our health providers are enthusiastic about developing plans to use the health and wellness expos to spread their message across the state," Cagle said in a statement released on the race's Web site.

Cagle said the goal is to create more family-oriented activities.

Board member Tom Saddlemire said 2009 will be used "to plan ahead and properly position" the event. Saddlemire said the 2008 race raised commitments for more than $500,000 for cancer research -- a cause that helped draw Armstrong, a cancer survivor.

"We believe that this unique and exciting event will endure," Saddlemire said.

The 2008 race began at Tybee Island, near Savannah. The Savannah Morning News reported Friday the race did not pay all of its bills for its stay in the area.

Harry Spirides, the chief executive officer of the Ocean Plaza Beach Resort on Tybee Island, told the paper his facility accepted an $8,000 settlement for $30,246 of unpaid charges for 205 rooms.

Tour committee member Phil Jacobs told the paper that the tour paid $133,000 of total charges of $155,248.