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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tour of Missouri: Executive director placed on unpaid leave

Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has placed Jerry Dowell, the executive director of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race and the state's deputy lieutenant governor, on five days of unpaid leave because he sent information about a political fundraiser via a Tour of Missouri's e-mail account.

The leave took effect Tuesday.

Kinder and his staff considered the mailing an "honest mistake" but one that should not be tolerated.

According to the Columbia Tribune, Dowell sent an invitation to a fundraising event for John Cauthorn, a Republican House candidate in the 21st District.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported a statement from the Missouri Democratic Party that the e-mail "is part of a long-standing, disturbing trend involving Peter Kinders top staff mixing their official duties with politics."

It's the kind of tempest the Tour of Missouri doesn't need if it hopes to maintain state funding for the 2010 event. A three-year agreement which provided state fudning for the race expired last year.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Tour of Missouri: Kinder remains hopeful for '10

In a recent interview with KMOX-AM radio in St. Louis, Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder says the money should be in place soon for the 2010 Tour of Missouri, slated for Aug. 31-Sept. 6

Kinder, the biggest supporter of the race in state government, says the professional cycling event could still go on, even if state funding falls through, "It's possible, but it becomes much more challenging because the $1.5 million in tourism tax money is about 45% of our budget," Kinder told KMOX.

Last year, Gov. Jay Nixon had threatened to withhold the $1.5 million tourism subsidy for the Tour of Missouri, but an onslaught of public support led the administration to change its mind.

The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation isn't taking any chances. It's calling upon supporters of the race to contact Nixon to express their support for the race. Executive Director Brent Hugh is suggesting people thank the governor for his role in saving the Katy Trail bridge in Boonville and to ask him to preserve state funding for the race.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Tour of Missouri: More about economic impact

In the past few years, I've taken the progressive political blog Fired Up! Missouri to task for its criticism of the Tour of Missouri. Rather than basing its arguments against state funding upon facts and critical thinking, it's been guilty to using hyperbole and loaded terms such as "French-style bicycle race" to attempt to make it points.

But I have to laud Fired Up! Missouri for obtaining the full economic impact study for the 2009 Tour of Missouri. Neither Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder nor Tour of Missouri organizers released the report when they issued a press release about the impact study. However, Fired Up! Missouri obtained the document through a Missouri Sunshine Law and posted it at Scribd.

The author of the most current Fired Up! Missouri article, Sean, believes the crowd estimate of 71,000 for the end of Stage 4 in Jefferson City is a bit too high. He also doubts the race had an economic impact of $5.4 million on Missouri's capital city.

Sean may be onto something here. For example, the study says 26,250 people attended the finish of Stage 2 in Cape Girardeau. At the time, the Southeast Missouri newspaper reported a crowd of just 5,000 for the Stage 2 finish.

The study, produced by St. Louis-based IFM North America, estimates a total of 500,000 people watched the Tour of Missouri this year and had an economic impact of nearly $38.1 million on the state.In particular, the study noted an increase in spending by non-Missouri residents, from $15.6 million in 2008 to $20.6 million in 2009.

The future of the Tour of Missouri remains in question as state leaders will debate in 2010 whether to continue state support of the race. No doubt, the demise of the Tour of Georgia in 2010, the second straight year that race has been cancelled, has to make one wonder whether there will be sufficient private support of the Tour of Missouri should the state not provide money for the race.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 3 comments links to this post 12:50 AM

Friday, October 30, 2009

Tour of Missouri dates set for 2010

Here's a bit of encouraging news about the future of the Tour of Missouri: The International Cycling Union (UCI) has set its UCI America Tour schedule, and the Tour of Missouri is on it.

The dates for the 2010 event are from Monday, Aug. 30, to Sunday, Sept. 5. Instead of beginning on or after Labor Day, as was the case the first three years of the race, the Tour of Missouri would end the Sunday before Labor Day.

The Tour of Missouri retains its 2.NC rating, the highest rating possible for a UCI America race.

George Hincapie, the winner of the first Tour of Missouri in 2007, has indicated he would be back in 2010. In a story in Cycling News, Hincapie, the defending U.S. road race champion, said: "The only thing better than winning the stars-and-stripes jersey is being able to wear that jersey for the entire racing season. With my new team, I will focus on the Spring Classics, and the fall will be my second priority. It looks like my season will end up with great races like the Tour of Missouri, the new Canadian ProTour events, the US Pro Championships and the World Championships."

The Cycling News story also indicates the Tour of Missouri dates were moved up because of two new UCI ProTour races in Quebec City (Sept. 10) and Montreal (Sept. 12). Those are the only 2010 ProTour events in North America.

Of course, the future of the Tour of Missouri remains up in the air. It's uncertain whether the state of Missouri will continue its financial support of the race and whether race organizers can find enough private-sector sponsors in case the state reduces or eliminates its support.

In another bit of encouraging news, the Tour of Georgia is back on the UCI America Tour, April 20-25. The 2009 edition of the Tour of Georgia was canceled because of a lack of sponsorship, but organizers are trying to find enough financial backing to resurrect it.

As expected, the Amgen Tour of California shifts from its original February dates to May 16-23 in 2010 with the hopes of racing in better weather and more mountainous terrain. The USA Cycling Professional Championships will take place Sept. 18-10 in Greenville, S.C.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

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Friday, October 02, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Economic impact

Despite a weak economy, the 2009 Tour of Missouri still managed to have an economic impact of $38.1 million, according to figures released Thursday by Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.

That's up from $29.8 million in 2008 and $26.2 million in 2007. No doubt, adding a seventh stage of the race helped that figure.

Throughout the week, up to 500,000 spectators were estimated to have watched the race at one of the 11 host cities or somewhere along the 600-mile route which passed through many communities in Missouri. In 2008, about 434,000 people saw the race.

The study, conducted by IFM Sports, noted spectators from outside Missouri spent $20.6 million.

Not everyone is thrilled about the impact of the Tour of Missouri. Marci Bennett, a member of the Missouri Tourism Commission from St. Joseph, said the economic impact isnt worth the cost for cities to sponsor the beginning or end of a race.
Its just a whole lot of work for 15 minutes, Bennett said in an Associated Press story, referring to how fast the cyclists speed through towns.
Kinder is hoping the commission will continue its commitment to the race. The contract with Medalist Sports to run the race expired after this year's event.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:26 AM

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Lance phones Missouri governor

Even though Lance Armstrong has never raced in the Tour of Missouri, that didn't stop him from calling Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to thank him for the state's funding of the race.

According to an Associated Press story, Armstrong told the governor that it would be great if state continued to contribute to the ride, but a Nixon spokesman said Armstrong understood the need for more private sponsorship of the race.

Armstrong also briefly described the call on his Twitter page.

Nixon's administration had threatened to freeze money for the 2009 race, but relented after his office received about 1,000 messages of support for the event. The state's three-year deal with Medalist Sports ended after this year's race, but several Democratic lawmakers and Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, the race's biggest supporter in state government, are hoping the state will continue funding for it.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Democrats back Tour of Missouri

If you're a fan of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race, you'll be pleased to hear seven Democratic legislators are urging Gov. Jay Nixon, also a Democrat, to back state funding for the 2010 race.

In an Associated Press story, Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan, House Minority Leader Paul LeVota were among the lawmakers who called the state's $1.5 million investment in the race a wise one for Missouri.

Missouri's three-year agreement with Medalist Sports to run the race ended this year, but Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Republican, wants to continue the state's involvement with the race as organizers seek more private sponsorship of the event.

With a complete realization of the continued recession that our state is facing, we believe that a 14-to-1 return on the states $1.5 million commitment to the Tour of Missouri is a wise investment, especially during these difficult economic times, the legislators wrote. The St. Louis Business Journal says the race brought it nearly $60 million in tourism dollars in 2007 and 2008.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Zabriskie reigns supreme

Nestled safely in the peloton, American David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) cruised to a 30-second victory in the 2009 Tour of Missouri today in Kansas City.

Zabriskie used his dominant performance in the Stage 5 time trial in Sedalia to finish ahead of Gustav Larrsen (Saxo Bank) and Marco Pinotti (Columbia-HTC). Pinotti used time bonuses to slip ahead of Tom Zirbel (Bissel) for the third podium spot.

Big crowds in the Kansas City Power & Light District cheered Canadian Martin Gilbert (Planet Energy) as he took the Stage 7 Kansas City circuit race victory. Andrew Pinfold (OUCH) was second. Although Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) had to settle for third in the stage, he won the sprinter's competition.

Moises Aldape (Team Type I) captured the King of the Mountains, while Dario Cataldo (QuickStep) was the best young rider. Saxo Bank won the team competition.

In case you were actually bicycling -- as I was today on the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's Villa Marie Winery Ride in Maryville, Ill. -- instead of watching cycling, you can watch video at Universal Sports.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 6:40 PM

Tour of Missouri: Chicchi wins Stage 6; Zabriskie still in yellow

Sorry about being so late with my Tour of Missouri update for Stage 6. I had a busy evening at my paying job at the Belleville News-Democrat, which also kept me away from the Southwestern High School Class of 1979 30-year high school reunion Saturday night.

Yes, I'm that old!

Anyway, Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas-Cannondale) won Saturday's Stage 6 in yet another sprint finish. Chicchi, who won last year's final stage of the Tour of Missouri, edged Thor Hushovd (Cervelo-Test Team) and Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Colavita-Sutter Home).

David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) maintained his 30-second lead in the general classification going into today's finale in Kansas City. Although the Kansas City circuit is more hilly and technical than the the St. Louis circuit that ended the 2007 and 2008 event, I wouldn't be surprised if there was yet another bunch finish.

The peloton averaged 29.85 mph on the 110-mile course from Chillicothe, the home of sliced bread, to St. Joseph, the eastern terminus of the Pony Express route. It's the fastest stage ever in the Tour of Missouri.

"We were going 52K (kilometers per hour) for the first part of the race. So, we were flying all day. Only at the Tour de France do you see something like this," Chicchi said on the Tour of Missouri Web site.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:34 AM

Friday, September 11, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Zabriskie wins time trial, takes yellow jersey

David Zabriskie is the U.S. professional time trial champion, and now he's the time trial champion of this year's Tour of Missouri.

Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) won today's 19-mile Stage 5 in 36 minutes, 30 seconds. That's an average speed of 31.25 mph!

Gustav Larsson (Saxo Bank) was 30 seconds back, while Tom Zirbel (Bissell) was 44 seconds back. Levi Leipheimer (Astana) finished fifth, 1:10.

Zabriskie's performance puts in on top of the general classification, followed by Larsson and Zirbel. Leipheimer is in sixth overall, behind Marco Pinotti (Columbia-HTC) and Dario Cataldo (Quick Step).

"I know I have the capability" of winning a stage race, Zabriskie told VeloNews. "It's just never panned out. This is looking pretty good."

J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank) , who held the yellow jersey going into the time trial, fell to 77th place, 4:56 behind Zabriskie. Thor Hushovd, who was second, fell to 60th place, 3:45 back.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:00 PM

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Haedo wins Stage 4, yellow jersey

Thor Hushovd's stay in the Tour of Missouri lasted just one day as J.J. Haedo won Stage 4 today in Jefferson City. In the process, Haedo (Saxo Bank) took over the yellow jersey as the top man in the general classification.

Haedo outpowered Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam) in the final sprint up the 300-meter hill leading to Missouri's State Capitol, Dario Cataldo (QuickStep) was third. Although Hushovd lost the yellow jersey, he will wear the green sprinter's jersey in tomorrow's time trial in Sedalia.

Here's your top 10 in the general classification after Stage 4:
J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank), 15.35:08
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam), same time
Dario Cataldo (Quick Step), 18 seconds back
Moises Aldape Chavez (Team Type 1), same time
Michael Friedman (Garmin-Slipstream) 20 seconds back
Tomas Vaitkus (Astana), same time
Michael Creed (Team Type 1), 21 seconds back
Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), same time
Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank), 22 seconds back
Michael Rogers (Columbia-HTC), 23 seconds back
In case you're wondering about some of the big names, George Hincapie (Columbia-HTC) is 21st , Levi Leipheimer (Astana) is 46th and David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) is 56th, all three at 26 seconds back. Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) is 99th at 2 minutes, 45 seconds back.

Haedo doesn't expect his time in yellow to last long because Friday's Stage 5 is an individual time trial. "I'm not going to be the one with it tomorrow," Haedo said in the Columbia Missourian. "But even if I don't get the win tomorrow, I'll start with the yellow jersey for the first time."
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:07 PM

Tour of Missouri: Cavendish is out

British sprinting ace Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) is out of the Tour of Missouri. He did not make the start this afternoon of Stage 4 from St. James to Rolla.

According to a statement by Columbia-HTC's Bob Stapleton posted on the Tour of Missouri Web site, Cavendish had been fighting an infection since coming to the United States and that it had spread to his lungs.

"He has had a long and successful season and it is a team priority that his general health be protected," Stapleton's statement said. "He is on antibiotics and will rest here in Missouri for a few days prior to returning to Europe."

Cavendish's withdrawal will be a disappointment to lots of cycling fans were were excited about the duel between him and yellow jersey holder Thor Hushovd. Hushovd and Cavendish had the same time going into Stage 4, but Hushovd took over the jersey from Cavendish because his results in the first three stages were better.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

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Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Podium Girls create a stir

I have nothing against Tour of Missouri podium girls Erin Haney and Jen Caudill, but at least two other blogs aren't too thrilled that the Tour of Missouri hostesses are from Georgia, rather than Missouri.

One of those is over at the St. Louis-based Riverfront Times. Writer Chad Garrison was surprised to read Erin and Jen both live in Atlanta.

"But, c'mon. You think over in Europe the Tour de France imports its hostesses from the Republic of Georgia? Hell, no! They use homegrown talent. The question is: Why can't we?

"Surely, we have some corn-fed beauties who can represent Missouri? Don't we?"

The other comes from a frequent critic of the Tour of Missouri, the Fired Up! Missouri political blog.

Fired Up! Missouri often doesn't let the facts get in the way of a juicy blog post or at least some hyperbole. For example, Fired Up! Missouri claim Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder hired Erin and Jen as the podium girls. Not quite true. The RFT post says they were chosen by the Georgia-based Medalist Sports, the promoter of the Tour of Missouri.

"No word on why Miss Missouri, the State Fair Queen or other talented Missouri women were unavailable for these Missouri taxpayer funded gigs," a Fired Up! Missouri contributed known only as Cole wrote. "So much for 'show-casing' the Show-Me State to the world."

In another post about the podium girls, Fired Up! Missouri offers up this bit of commentary: "Peter Kinder's Official Tour of Missouri Hostesses (imported from Georgia) have created a Twitter feed and video blog detailing how they are spending Missourians' tax money." That post goes on to quote from Erin and Jen's Twitter feed.

OK, I have to admit their Twitter posts aren't great literature. But they are what they are: two women describing their days and nights in the Show-Me State.

Here's what the Tour of Missouri Web site has to say about Erin and Jen:
(Erin) Haney, an Atlanta native, is currently working in sales and marketing for Turner Broadcasting. She is also a freelance make-up artist, stylist and TV host. She was named Miss Georgia USA in 2003 and has remained involved in pageants as a producer, consultant, emcee and judge. She possesses a college degree in Fashion Design and interned with fashion designer Vera Wang. Haney also has over 15 years of formal dance training.

(Jen) Caudill, who currently lives in Atlanta, also works in marketing for Turner Broadcasting Company. She also serves as a model and actress and has appeared in music videos and on an episode of Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva. She earned a degree in Advertising from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism. Caudill is also an experienced equestrian.
Again, I have nothing against Erin and Jen, They're good at their jobs. But you would think there are two women from Missouri who are podium girl material. I know of at least one: St. Louis native Laura Antoine, who was a podium girl at this year's Tour de France. Here's a video of Laura and judge for yourself:

(The photo of Erin and Jen kissing Tour of Missouri Women's Series podium finisher Carrie Cash Wooten was taken by Beth Harris.)
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:24 PM

Tour of Missouri: Hushovd wins Stage 3

Finally, someone other than Mark Cavendish won a stage of the Tour of Missouri. Thor Hushovd, who won the green sprinters' jersey at the Tour de France, won a sprint finish to win Stage 3 in Rolla.

Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) finished fifth and lost the yellow jersey to Hushovd. Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam) has the same overall time as Cavendish, and Hushovd took over the yellow jersey based on the aggregate of place finishes.

After the finish, Universal Sports announcers Paul Sherwen and Frankie Andreu said they had believed Cavendish held onto yellow because of the fact Cavendish won Stage 1 and Stage 2. That turned out not to be accurate.

J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank) finished second in the stage, and Dario Cataldo (Quick Step) was third.

With 6,000 feet climbing in Stage 3, there was anticipation that a major break would form on the major hills. For most of the day, it was just three riders, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1), Mike Friedmann (Garmin-Slipstream) and Will Frischkorn in the breakway. Frischkorn eventually dropped out, and the peloton caught Friedmann and Wilson with about 9 kilometers left in the race.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:44 PM

Tour of Missouri: Stage 4-7 routes

In some ways, the Tour of Missouri is covering lot of new ground this year. With the exception of Stage 4, the routes for this year's Tour are new. Here's a quick look at the routes for the final four stages:

Stage 4 (St. James to Jefferson City, Sept. 10): This is the only repeat route for this year's race. The stage starts in St. James, home to another of Missouri's top wineries, the St. James Winery, and continues on lots of undulating rolling hills, although not as severe as Stage 3, on its way to the state capital of Jefferson City. The stage ends with a 300-meter climb up to the Capitol Wall. The intermediate sprints are in the small towns of Bella and Taos, and the one King of the Mountains banner is about a mile north of Meta on Highway B.

If you got time to kill before the Stage 4 finish, which is expected between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., you can do some riding on the Katy Trail. Although the crushed limestone surface is best suited for hybrid or mountain bikes, conditions on the trail should be dry enough that you can ride a road bike on the trail. A Katy Trail spur takes you over the Missouri River on the Highway 54 bridge to the North Jefferson trailhead.

And, of course, you should visit the Capitol. In addition to its distinctive architecture, the interior is home to noted artist Thomas Hart Benton's "Social History of Missouri" and the Missouri State Museum.

Stage 5 (Sedalia Individual Time Trial, Sept. 11): Sedalia is best known for being the home of the Missouri State Fair, and that's where the time trial begins and ends. It starts at the roundabout and ends near the Woman's Building.

If you have your bike with you, you can ride the Katy Trail to three vantage points of the time trial route: at West 32nd Street, along Quisenberry and Arnett roads and at Highway B.

Other Sedalia attractions include the Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site and the restored Katy depot.

Stage 6 (Chillicothe to St. Joseph, Sept. 12): The Tour of Missouri may be the arguably biggest thing to hit Chillicothe since sliced bread. The first-ever loaves of sliced bread were made and sold in Chillicothe in 1928. A product of the Chillicothe Baking Company, it was sliced on a machine called the Rohwedder Bread Slicer, invented by Iowa resident Otto Rohwedder. It's fitting Chillicothe will has a sliced bread baking contest at 10:45 a.m., one of many events such as kids bike races before the 1 p.m. CDT start of the race. After the big boys leave, parents and adults alike can ride the early part of the course.

The course, of course, has lots of rolling hills, plus headwinds could be a factor in this highly agricultural part of the state. Intermediate sprints are set for Gallatin and Savannah, and the King of the Mountain banner on Highway K between Amazonia and St. Joseph.

St. Joseph is best known for being the starting point of the Pony Express and the city where outlaw Jesse James was shot to death. Museums mark those events. The stage ends at City Hall.

Stage 7 (Kansas City circuit race, Sept. 13): The first two years of the Tour of Missouri ended in St. Louis on a relatively easy circuit from downtown toward Forest Park and back. Thsi year's closing circuit in Kansas City promises to be tougher with more steep hills and technical sections.

The race will begin and end at Grand Avenue at Washington Park in the city's Power & Light District. Competitors will make seven laps on the 10.2-mile course that winds through Penn Valley Park, then back toward downtown Kansas City to the Richard L. Berkeley Riverfront Park along the Missouri River, then back downtown to the Power & Light District, which has a wide range of restaurants and bars.

For a closer look at maps, profiles and course logs for Stages 4-7 , go to the Tour of Missouri site.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:28 AM

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Stage 1-2 notebook

A few notes about the Tour of Missouri thus far:

How about the crowds? Some media accounts in the St. Louis reported an estimate of 75,000 people who line the streets of the 7.5-mile circuit for Stage 1 on Monday. It's hard to say how accurate that estimate was, but there sure were a lot of people downtown.

(By the way, the photo of the start of the race near the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis was taken by longtime friend Doug Kaufman.)

The Southeast Missourian reported a crowd of 5,000 for the Stage 2 finish in Cape Girardeau. Organizers were hoping for 30,000 people for the Stage 2 finish, but Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a native of Cape Girardeau, and Mayor Jay Knudtson said they were proud of the community's support of the event.

Precarious future: Announcers during Stage 1 frequently noted that many of the world's greatest cyclists were at the Tour of Missouri rather than the Vuelta a Espana. Despite the high caliber of racing, the future of the racing still is hanging in the balance.

In its preview of the race, the Kansas City Star reminded its readers that this is the final year of a three-year contract between the state of Missouri and Medalist Sports, the promoters of the event. Gov. Jay Nixon's office had threatened to cut off funding for this year's event, but Kinder and cycling fans were successful in persuading Nixon's office to preserve $1.5 million allocated for the event.

Although Missouri is not in bad financial shape as other states, including neighboring Illinois, the state will be looking to cut expenditures in the next year. Kinder, a Republican, says Nixon, a Democrat, has shown hostility toward the event, a charge that Nixon denies.

Cavendish is hot: Mark Cavendish's victories in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Tour of Missouri were his 22nd and 23rd wins this year. Although he's only 24, the Stage 1 victory was the 50th of his career, according to the BBC. Cavendish has won at least one stage in each stage race he has competed in since March 2008, VeloNews says.

Live coverage of the Tour: I don't know about you, but I think the caliber of the online broadcasts of the Tour of Missouri has taken a quantum leap this year. Clearly, having Paul Sherwen and Frankie Andreu behind the microphones has added a high level of professionalism to the broadcast, but I think the video coverage is vastly improved from the past two years.

As a Midwest native, I've liked how Sherwen and Andreu have added tidbits about the history and attractions of St. Louis and southeastern Missouri, thus educating people throughout the country and the world about the diversity Missouri has to offer.

Stage 3 will be a challenge for crews covering the race because much of the stage is in a relatively remote part of Missouri. In past years when the Tour hit rural areas of Missouri, there has been breakups in the video or in tour tracker services.

Almost forgot the women: Last year, Brooke Miller came to Missouri for the one-day Tour of Missouri Criterium in Kansas City and won. She liked racing in Missouri so much that she came back this year for the Tour of Missouri Women's Series, which was run Thursday through Monday as part of St. Louis' Gateway Cup Series.

It was a profitable trip for the 33-year-old Santa Cruz, Calif., resident. Miller won all four races during the Tour de LaFayette, the St. Louis Hills race, the Giro Della Montagna and the Tour of Missouri Pro/Am.

"It's great that the Tour of Missouri is offering women a chance to show what we can do," Miller told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

No armadillos in his way: Two years ago, St. Louis-area native Dan Schmatz was hoping to gain some glory in the inaugural Tour of Missouri. Instead, he gained infamy.

Schmatz struck an armadillo in the road between Clinton and Springfield that year and suffered a broken collarbone that knocked him out of of the race.

Over the weekend, Schmatz had a successful run in the Gateway Cup in the Men's Pro/1/2 races. Schmatz won the Tour de Lafayette, St. Louis Hills and Tour of Missouri Pro/Am and finished third in the Giro Della Montagna.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:27 PM

Tour of Missouri: Cavendish wins Stage 2

British cyclist Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) keeps the Tour of Missouri yellow jersey after winning Stage 2 in Cape Girardeau in another patented sprint finish. Thor Hushovd finished second, and J.J. Haedo was third.

Whether Cavendish will be able to hang on to the yellow jersey after Stage 3 remains to be seen. Stage 3, from Farmington to Rolla, has 6,000 feet of climbing and three King of the Mountain climbs.

One thing is for certain, the 2009 Tour of Missouri will have a new champion. Unfortunately, Illinois native Christian Vande Velde suffered a small hairline fracture in his right wrist during a crash on the final straight of Stage 1 in St. Louis. Vande Velde tried to start today's stage, but after the neutral start in Ste. Genevieve, Vande Velde determined he couldn't go on.

Francois Parisian and Timothy Duggan were part of a breakaway that survived for about 60 miles until about 8 miles left in the race.

I was unable to attend today's stage, but it appeared the crowds were strong near the finish line. I didn't get the opportunity to see what kind of crowds the two King of the Mountain climbs and the two intermediate sprints drew.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:06 PM

Monday, September 07, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Stage 1 goes to Cavendish

Mark Cavendish continued his dominance in sprint finishes by taking Stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri in St. Louis. At least for one day, he gets to wear the yellow jersey.

Team Columbia-HTC controlled the pace of the peloton toward the end of the stage, enabling him to pull out to the victory. J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank) was second, and Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team)

The end of the stage was marred by an accident involving defending champion Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) and Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo Test Team). Vande Velde suffered a wrist injury and went to a St. Louis hospital.

The crowds along the Market Street start/finish area were impressive and thick, and early on in the race, they stretched down Broadway toward Busch Stadium. I saw many people I knew through my association with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society and my friends who are a part of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation.

I even saw an old friend of mine who lives in Georgia, Dr. Mike Rallo. Mike had a practice in the Edwardsville-Collinsville area for years, but now he's the medical director for a hospice program in Columbus, Ga. He's also now a part-owner of a bike shop.

As I expected, the crowd thinned out along Broadway until the route reached the Soulard neighborhood, where people could see the cyclists twice before they turned on Russell Street toward McGurk's Irish Pub and the King of the Mountain banner. The presence of bars and restaurants along the Russell Street section of the course no doubt help the crowd there.

Also as I expected, there was a respectable crowd in the Lafayette Square neighborhood. It's great to see such good support of the race.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 5:01 PM

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Who to watch

UPDATED: Even without Lance Armstrong, there are still plenty of reasons for serious and casual bicycle racing fans to watch the Tour of Missouri. I've mentioned some of the big names over the past few months, but here's a recap of some of the top riders who will be starting the race Monday in St. Louis:
Levi Leipheimer: The Astana rider, soon to be a teammate of Armstrong's on his new Team RadioShack, has won the Amgen Tour of California three straight times. He was in fifth place in this year's Tour de France before breaking a wrist during Stage 12. The wrist has recovered enough that he's able to compete in Missouri.
George Hincapie: Best known for being Armstrong's longtime lieutenant in the Tour de France, the Team Columbia rider comes into the Tour of Missouri fresh off a U.S. Professional Championships title in the road race. Hincapie won the inaugural Tour of Missouri in 2007.
Christian Vande Velde: A native of the Chicago suburbs, Vande Velde is the defending Tour of Missouri champion and finished eighth in this year's Tour de France. It will interesting to see how the rivalry that developed between Team Columbia and Vande Velde's Garmin-Slipstream team will play out on the hills of Missouri.
David Zabriskie: The Astana rider is fresh off a U.S. Professional Championships title in the individual time trial.
Michael Rogers: A three-time world champion, the Australian rider who rides for Team Columbia finished second to Vande Velde at last year's Tour of Missouri.
Jens Voigt: The German star is a two-time Tour of Germany champ and a multiple stage winner in the Tour de France.
Floyd Landis: I don't know how much of a factor the OUCH rider will be, but his presence should add some interest. He still is trying to reestablish himself after being stripped of his victory in the 2006 Tour de France.
Mark Cavendish: The Team Columbia rider gained a following in Missouri in three stage wins last year, and he won six stages of this year's Tour de France. I don't think Cavendish will be a factor for the general classification, especially after the exceptionally hilly Stage 3 from Farmington to Rolla, but don't be surprised if Cavendish wins Stage 1 in St. Louis.
Thor Hushvold: Hushvold was the green jersey winner in this year's Tour de France. Like Cavendish, I don't expect him to a factor in the general classification, but expect some exciting duels with Cavendish on the sprint-finish days.
Franco Pellizotti: The Liquigas-Cannondale rider was the King of the Mountains in this year's Tour de France. Although the hills in Missouri aren't as long as those in France, they are sizable and they are steep.
View the final rosters for the Tour of Missouri.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:01 PM

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Stage 1-3 routes

The Tour of Missouri route is dramatically different this year than it has been in the past. The most obvious difference is that it goes east to west, from St. Louis to Kansas City, rather than from west to east, as it had done in 2007 and 2008.

Instead of visiting Springfield and Branson in southwestern Missouri, the route visits southeastern Missouri for the first time during Stages 2 and 3. The route also trades a hilly individual time trial (Branson) for a flatter one (Sedalia).

For the first time, the route also skips Hermann and Augusta, two of Missouri's most famous wine country communities. But don't worry wine lovers, the Stage 2 route goes past the Crown Valley Winery near Ste. Genevieve and ends in Cape Girardeau, which has a sizable group of wineries.

Here's a quick look at the Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 routes. To see maps, hill profiles and course logs for the route, visit the Tour of Missouri site.

Stage 1 (St. Louis circuit race, Sept. 7): This is a new course for the St. Louis circuit race. In 2007 and 2008, the circuit started and ended on Market Street near Union Station and went toward Forest Park and the Central West End neighborhood.

This year, the start-finish line will be at the Citygarden on Market Street. Citygarden describes itself as "an oasis in the heart of a major American citys downtown: a vibrant and serene blending of lush plantings and internationally renowned sculpture with delights of water, stone, architecture and design."

Competitors should be able to gain lots of speed as they cruise down Broadway toward the historic Soulard neighborhood. Michelob Ultra is a Silver Sponsor of the Tour of Missouri, so it shouldn't come as a surprise the route passes the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The brewery will be open for tours on Labor Day.

The course returns to the Soulard neighborhood for a climb up Russell Street. The King of the Mountain banner will be at Russell and 12th streets, near McGurk's Irish Pub, the most famous of St. Louis' Irish bars. Also nearby is the Soulard Art Market, which is presenting the bicycle-themed show "Spoked!" The gallery will be open Monday during Stage 1. With eight bars and restaurants within a block of the Russell Street section of the course, Soulard will be the party central for Stage 1, and Soulard knows how to put on a party: It's the home of the city's annual Mardi Gras celebration!

Before coming back to downtown, the route passes Lafayette Park in the city's up-and-coming Lafayette Square neighborhood.

Stage 2 (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau, Sept. 8): Stage 2 begins in one of Missouri's most historic communities, Ste. Genevieve. The community was settled during the state's days as a French colony, and several buildings from the 1700s and early 1800s still survive. Pictured at left is the Bolduc House, which was built in the 1820s.

The both Sprint banner and both King of the Mountain banners take place relatively early in this stage. The first KOM banner in on Highway B about 8.2 miles southwest of the intersection of Highway B and Highway 32 near Ste. Genevieve. The Sprint banner is about 6 miles later on Highway WW at the Crown Valley Winery. The second KOM banner comes about 5.4 miles from the winery on Highway WW. The other sprint banner is in the community of Perryville.

The rest of the route to Cape Girardeau is filled with the "undulating rolling hills" the Tour of Missouri has become famous for. The Velo Girardeau bicycle club, which is planning a ride Sunday on the Stage 2 course, describes the course as "one of the more strenuous 112 mile rides you will encounter." Cape Girardeau is the home of Southeast Missouri State University. It also happens to be the home of Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, the biggest supporter of the Tour of Missouri in state government.

Stage 3 (Farmington to Rolla, Sept. 9): This stage should go a long way in determining who will win the general classification in this year's. With more than 6,000 feet of climbing, Tour of Missouri organizers say this may the toughest stage course ever in the three-year history of the event. If the Stage 2 course is strenuous for mere mortals like me, Stage 3 should be beyond category!

Stage 3 enters the Ozarks near Farmington. Specifically, the cyclists will be riding though the St. Francois Mountains region. The region is home to many of Missouri's best state parks, including Elephant Rocks and Johnson Shut-In.

Stage 3 Sprint banners will be in Pilot Knob, about 15 miles into the stage, and Viburnum, at about 54.7 miles.

But the bigger attraction will be the three KOM banners. The first comes shortly after the town of Banner on Highway 32. Competitors will climb from about 940 feet to about 1300 feet in that KOM climb.

Then there's two back-to-back KOM banners between Viburnum and Cherryville. The first is about 8.5 miles north of Viburnum, a town of about 800 people, and the second banner comes 3.6 miles later. Both hills are steep.

Although that's the last of the KOM banners, there's plenty of hills between Cherryville and Rolla, the home of the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri-Rolla). Rolla is a repeat finish city for the Tour, and the city has events planned to coincide with the race.

Enjoy your time following the Tour of Missouri and come back frequently for updates during the Tour!
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:45 AM

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Tour of Missouri: TV coverage

UPDATED: In case you can't make it to the Show-Me State for this year's Tour of Missouri, you should be able to watch some video of the action.

Versus is planning coverage for each stage of the race. The cable network plans half-hour segments at midnight CDT following each stage. Expect to hear a familiar voice behind the microphone. Legendary cycling commentator Paul Sherwen has confirmed on his Twitter page that he will be on site during the race, and Frankie Andreu will join him

Universal Sports will have streaming video available from the Tour of Missouri. Throughout the week, streaming video also will be available at the Tour of Missouri site, KMOV.com and KMBC.com. Here are the times listed for coverage:
Stage 1, Monday, Sept. 7: 3:30 p.m. CDT
Stage 2, Tuesday, Sept. 8: 2 p.m. CDT
Stage 3, Wednesday, Sept. 9: 2 p.m. CDT
Stage 4, Thursday, Sept. 10: 4:30 p.m. CDT
Stage 5, Friday, Sept. 11: 3 p.m. CDT
Stage 6, Saturday, Sept. 12: 3:30 p.m. CDT
Stage 7, Sunday, Sept. 13: 3:30 p.m. CDT
KMOV-TV in St. Louis will air Stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri on one of its digital channels. KMOV's coverage is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. CDT Monday and will be aired on Digital Channel 4.2 (Channel 154 on Charter Cable in the St. Louis area). KMBC-TV in Kansas City plans to cover Stage 7 live from 2-5 p.m. CDT on Sept. 13.

Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Kansas City will air the Sherwen-Andreu highlight show. Some of the times are approximate because of broadcasts of St. Louis Cardinals (FSM) and Kansas City Royals (FSKC) baseball games and post-game shows or of college football games. Here's the schedule:
Stage 1, Monday, Sept. 7: 10:30 p.m. CDT (FSM and FSKC)
Stage 2, Tuesday, Sept. 8: About 11 p.m. CDT (FSM). About 10:30 p.m (FSKC)
Stage 3, Wednesday, Sept. 9: 10:30 CDT (FSM). About 10:30 p.m. (FSKC)
Stage 4, Thursday, Sept. 10: 11:30 p.m. CDT (FSM and FSKC)
Stage 5, Friday, Sept. 11: About 11 p.m. CDT (FSM). 11:30 CDT (FSKC)
Stage 6, Saturday, Sept. 12: 12:45 a.m. CDT Sunday (FSM and FSKC)
Stage 7, Sunday, Sept. 13: 11:30 p.m. CDT (FSM and FSKC)
Cycling TV's schedule makes no mention of the Tour of Missouri.

I'll update this post when I hear of more opportunities to see the race.
Labels: television, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:25 PM

Tour of Missouri: Related events

If you're coming to St. Louis for the Tour ofMissouri, which begins Monday, or the Gateway Cup series of bicycle races, which begins Friday, you may be interested in a couple of events:

On Thursday night, the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation is presenting the movie "Veer," a look at the bicycle culture in Portland, Ore. The movie will be shown at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd. in University City. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the movie begins at 7. Admission is $10, and you can buy advance tickets through the Tivoli's online ticket site. You can watch the trailer below:

On Friday night, the Soulard Art Market hosts a reception for the "Spoked!" exhibition of bicycle-related art. The opening reception is from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Soulard Art Market, 2028 S. 12th St. in St. Louis. An encore viewing party takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

The gallery is near the Stage One course as it makes its way on Russell Street through the historic Soulard neighborhood, and it will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Labor Day so Tour of Missouri spectators can view the exhibit.

Don't forget your bicycle! On Sunday, Trailnet will be putting on the Giro and Tour of Missouri Bicycle Ride in St. Louis' Italian neighborhood, The Hill. Registration takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Shaw Visual and Performing Arts Community Education Center, 5329 Columbia Ave. Routes of 22, 30 or 43 miles will be available. After the ride, you can enjoy the Gateway Cup Giro Della Montagna, which also takes place on The Hill.

If you want to explore St. Louis on your own, check out the Bike St. Louis network on marked bike routes on city streets.

Of course, there are non-cycling events going on in the St. Louis area. Those include the Illinois-Missouri college football game Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome, the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Big Muddy Blues Festival at Lacledes Landing. For information, visit www.explorestlouis.com.
Labels: St. Louis, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:44 AM

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Don't forget the women!

Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish, Christian Vande Velde and Thor Hushvold -- among others -- aren't the only elite cyclists who will be competing for Tour of Missouri glory.

The Tour of Missouri Women's Series will be run as part of the annual Gateway Cup series of bike races over four days in St. Louis. Here's the schedule of women's races:
Tour of Lafayette, 8:30 p.m. Friday (Sept. 4): This is a 0.9-mile course around Lafayette Park.
St. Louis Hills, 3:30 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 5): This is an 1.25-mile course around Francis Park in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood.
Gira Della Montagna, 4:15 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 6): This is a 0.9-mile course in The Hill neighborhood, an enclave best known for its Italian restaurants.
Tour of Missouri Pro/Am, 11:45 a.m. Monday (Sept. 7): The 1-mile course shares the start-finish line with the Tour of Missouri at the new City Garden on Market Street and passes Busch Stadium, the home of the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals (In case you're wondering, the Cardinals playing in Milwaukee on Labor Day).
You can see detailed maps of the course at the Gateway Cup schedule page, as well as download a Word document with the schedule of Gateway Cup races.

Who will be there? Two-time U.S. national champion Brooke Miller, racing for Team Tibco, won the inaugural Tour of Missouri womens race in 2008, and the Tour of Missouri site says she will return to defend her title.

Tour of Missouri organizers say Kelly Benjamin, a past stage winner and 2007 overall womens champion, will be returning. Also expected are U.S. criterium champ Tina Pic and sprinter Laura Van Gilder.

In addition to Team Tibco, the Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, Team Type 1,
LipSmacker, Team ValueAct, Capital, Vanderkitten, Proman and the Webcor Builders teams are expected to compete in the Tour of Missouri Women's Series.

In addition to the racing, the women will participate in a soiree and team presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at SqWires Restuarant in the Lafayette neighborhood. Tickets are $35 and are available through the Big Shark bicycle shop. At 7 p.m. Sunday, a panel discussion about the future of women's cycling is planned at the Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown St. Louis. The event is free, but you need to contact coordinator Amy McMinn to get on the attendance list.
Labels: racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:03 PM

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Lance Armstrong: Who needs him?

All right, I'll admit it would be nice if Lance Armstrong would be riding in this year's Tour of Missouri. I'll go as far and say the event's crowds would be substantially bigger if Armstrong was aboard.

Back in March or April, when I was distributing fliers for the Tour de Stooges to St. Louis-area bicycle shops, I had the chance to chat with Mike Weiss, the owner of the Big Shark bike shop in St. Louis and an organizer of the Tour of Missouri. At the time, he told me that while it would be a bonus if Armstrong was there, the goal was to have a great event without him.

And the fact of the matter is that the Tour of Missouri, which runs from Labor Day through Sept. 13, will be a great event without him.

The prestige of the event went up a notch or two on Friday when Tour of Missouri organizers announced that Levi Leipheimer will be racing for Astana.

"I'm still recovering from my broken wrist suffered in the Tour de France, but anytime I have the opportunity to line up for a race of this caliber in my own country, I'm going to make my best effort to participate," said Leipheimer, who was positioned in the top five overall in the Tour de France when he crashed. "Since I haven't raced in over a month, it's hard to give an assessment of my form, but I know our entire team is very excited and motivated for this race."

Leipheimer will be joined by former junior world champion Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia, Steve Morabito, Andrey Zeits, Sergey Renev; plus team-winning Tour de France performers and strongmen Gregory Rast, the 2007 Tour of Luxembourg winner and stage winner (team time trial) of this year's Tour de France, Dmitri Muravyev, a three-time Kazakhstan National Champion in the time trial and Yaroslav Popovych, who is a podium finisher at the Tour of Italy and former stage winner of the Tour de France and America's Tour de Georgia.

Here's some other reasons to make the trip to Missouri to see the race:
Defending champion Christian Vande Velde, an Illinois native who finished eighth at this year's Tour de France.
David Zabriskie, a four-time U.S. time trial champion.
George Hincapie, the winner of the 2007 Tour of Missouri.
Jens Voigt, a multiple Tour de France stage winner and two-time Tour of Germany champion.
Mark Cavendish, a 10-time Tour de France stage winner who is considered the world's best sprinter.
Thor Hushvold, the sprint jersey winner of this year's Tour de France.
I know I'm looking forward to seeing parts of the first three stages of the race, the Sept. 7 Stage 1 circuit race in St. Louis, the Sept. 8 Stage 2 from Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau and the Sept. 9 Stage 3 from Farmington to Rolla. Stage 3 should be the must-see stage as the cyclists take on some of the most difficult terrain the Midwest has to offer.

Hope to see you in the Show-Me State!
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 1:44 AM

Friday, August 14, 2009

No Lance at Tour of Missouri

In a series of news conferences this week, Tour of Missouri organizers have been more or less confirming that Lance Armstrong won't be racing in the Missouri race Sept. 7-13.

Armstrong's soon-to-be former team, Astana, is committed to the race, but Armstrong will be in Quebec on Sept. 11 for a fundraiser ride for a cancer center in Montreal.

Don't expect Tour de France winner Alberto Contador to represent Astana in Missouri, either. The St. Joseph News-Press reports Contador will be racing in the Vuelta a Espana in his native Spain.

Chris Aronhalt, managing partner with Medalist Sports, the company directing the tour, says there's still hope Armstrong could show up in Missouri for the final weekend, but not as a competitor.

There's still plenty of reasons for cycling fans to flock to Missouri in September. Defending champion Christian Vande Velde will be back as will Mark Cavendish. Cavendish's Team Columbia-HTC teammate George Hincapie hopes to compete if he can recover from an injury in time.

Tour of Missouri organizers also confirmed this week that Tour de France King of the Mountains winner Franco Pellazotti will represent Liquigas in Missouri.

Speaking of Hincapie, it appears Hincapie will be joining Armstrong on Team RadioShack next year, not a big surprise given Hincapie was Armstrong's top lieutenant in his Tour de France wins. Armstrong confirmed Hincapie's move in an interview with Outside Magazine.
Labels: racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:12 AM

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Cavendish will return to Tour of Missouri

Mark Cavendish, the man many cycling experts consider the world's top sprinter, will return to the Tour of Missouri this year.

Cavendish is expected to be accompanied by Team Columbia-HTC teammates Michael Rogers, a three-time world champion, and George Hincapie, who won the inaugural Tour of Missouri two years. Hincapie broke his collarbone during the last week of the Tour de France, and his availability is expected to be announced later this month.

The race begins Sept. 7 in St. Louis and ends Sept. 13 in Kansas City.

This season, Cavendish won six stages of the Tour de France and more than 20 races. Last year, Cavendish became a big Tour of Missouri fan favorite by winning three stages.

Tour of Missouri organizers recognize Cavendish's star power and will include him on several marketing materials, including the official map guide.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:05 AM

Thursday, July 30, 2009

2009 Tour of Missouri route

Tour of Missouri organizers weren't kidding when they predicted this year's course would be a difficult one. I knew it was it going to be as soon as it heard the race was going through southeastern Missouri and the Ozark Mountains.

"We definitely have some surprises in this year's version of the Tour of Missouri," said Jim Birrell, the race's director, in a press release. "Missouri is a very deceiving state topographically. Because of the many rivers, the terrain is full of short steep hills. And, the Ozarks are filled with non-stop climbs. It will take a strong man to win this race again."

You can take a look for yourself with maps and elevations profiles on the Tour of Missouri Web page, but here's a sampling of what to expect:
Sept. 7, Stage 1, St. Louis (circuit race): The circuit race will be 10 laps on a 7.5-mile course through downtown and neighborhoods south of downtown. The circuit begins and ends at the City Garden on Market Street near Seventh Street. The course will head south on Broadway past Busch Stadium, then south toward the Soulard neighborhood, past the Anheuser-Busch brewery, pass Lafayette Park and head back toward downtown on Tucker Boulevard.
Sept. 8, Stage 2, Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau: The climbing starts almost immediately as the course leaves Ste. Genevieve. The sprint points take place at the Crown Valley Winery, while the King of the Mountain points are awarded on Highway WW near Clearwater, but that doesn't mean the climbing is over before the descent toward Perryville. From there, there's plenty of rolling hills on the road to Cape Girardeau.
Sept. 9, Stage 3, Farmington to Rolla: Tour of Missouri organizers say this stage could be the most difficult ever, and with 6,000 feet of climbing on this stage, they just might be right. There's some serious climbing after Pilot Knob on Missouri Route 32, and there two King of the Mountain points on Missouri Route 49 between Viburnum and Cherryville.
Sept. 10, Stage 4, St. James to Jefferson City: This is the only repeat stage from 2008, featuring the undulating rolling hills the Tour of Missouri has been known for and including a 300-meter finishing climb in Jefferson City, the state capital.
Sept. 11, Stage 5, Sedalia (time trial): In the 2007 and 2008 events, the individual time trial took place in hilly Branson. This time, the time trial course is flatter. There are three vantage points of the course from the Katy Trail as you head southwest from Sedalia.
Sept. 12, Stage 6, Chilicothe to St. Joseph: Take my word for it, there are some more undulating rolling hills between the two communities.
Sept. 13, Stage 7, Kansas City (circuit race): Organizers say this stage won't be a parade stage because of some steep hills and technical turns. After a start at KCLive in the Kansas City Power and Light District, Union Station serve as the finish line for this year's Tour of Missouri.
If the Tour de France has whetted your appetite for more world-class bicycle racing, let the Show-Me State show you more of what it's all about!
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:41 PM

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Tour de France 2009: That's a wrap

Even the brash Lance Armstrong had to admit Astana teammate Alberto Contador was simply too strong to beat in this year's Tour de France.

But, in some ways, Armstrong may be the bigger winner.

The 37-year-old Armstrong surprised many people by standing on the podium Sunday in Paris, relishing his third-place finish. Armstrong, once vilified by the French, received resounding cheers throughout the Tour. When he returns to France next year for Team RadioShack, he will have to be considered one of the pre-race favorites.

The Lance effect on this year's Tour was clear, the New York Times reports:
USA Cyclings general memberships grew about 5.5 percent per year during the time Armstrong won the Tour from 1999 to 2005, Johnson said. When he retired, the membership dropped by 3.5 to 4 percent annually. This year, with Armstrong back in the peloton, Johnson said the membership growth was back at 5.5 percent.
The network Versus, which broadcast the Tour, said the average viewership for its live morning coverage was up 95 percent through Stage 18.
As you've read at various media sources during the past few weeks, conflicts were high between Armstrong and Contador throughout the Tour, culminating in Armstrong's decision to skip a celebratory dinner Saturday with Contador and instead wining and dining with officials from Team RadioShack.

You can look at it in at least a couple of ways. One is that Armstrong snubbed the great accomplishments of his Astana teammate. The other is that because of the conflicts, it would be best to let give Contador some space to celebrate.

There's speculation over at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's 10 Speed blog that Astana could pull out of the Tour of Missouri as a result of the split and the likely move of Astana team director Johan Bruyneel to Armstrong's new team. However, Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer, who broke his right wrist during Stage 12 of the Tour de France, indicates he plans to ride in the Tour of Missouri.

Im 100 percent for that, Leipheimer told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Well, 99 percent.

While Contador may want to defend his Vuelta a Espana title and skip Missouri, Armstrong already has a commitment the week of Sept. 7-13. Armstrong is scheduled to participate in the Cedars Tour de Lance 09 on Sept. 11 in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. The event is a fund-raiser for the McGill University Health Centre's Cedars Cancer Institute in Montreal, and cycling commentator Phil Liggett is expected to join him.

With or without Armstrong, the Tour of Missouri should be a first-rate event. It will be interesting to see how the Garmin-Slipstream/Columbia rivalry will play out in Missouri, especially since it's perceived a Stage 14 charge by Garmin-Slipstream knocked Columbia's George Hincapie out of a chance to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey for a day.
Labels: Tour de France, Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 11:40 PM

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Tour of Missouri time schedule

Now that the state of Missouri has freed up funding for the 2009 Tour of Missouri, organizers this week announced start times for this year race, which begins Labor Day in St. Louis and ends Sept. 13 in Kansas City.

Organizers plans to release the stage by stage courses next week in Kansas City, but they expect the race to exceed 600 miles.

Some of the world's top teams -- including Astana, Cervelo Test Team, Team Columbia HTC, Garmin-Slipstream, Liquigas, Team Saxo Bank and Quickstep -- are committed to this year's race. There's still no word whether Lance Armstrong will be part of this year's field.

Here's the schedule (all times are Central Daylight Time):
Stage One, St. Louis Circuit Race, Sept. 7 -- Start: 2 p.m. Estimated finish time: 5:15-5:45 p.m.
Stage Two, Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau, Sept. 8 -- Start: 11 a.m. Estimated finish time: 3-4:15 p.m.
Stage Three, Farmington to Rolla, Sept. 9 -- Start: 11: a.m. Estimated finish time: 3:10-4:15 p.m.
Stage Four, St, James to Jefferson City, Sept. 10 -- Start: 2 p.m. Estimated finish time: 5:45-7 p.m.
Stage Five, Sedalia Time Trial, Sept. 11 -- Start: 1 p.m. Estimated finish time: 5-6 p.m.
Stage Seven, Kansas City Circuit Race, Sept. 13 -- Times to be announced.
Stage One of the Tour of Missouri will culminate a big weekend of bicycle racing in St. Louis. The Gateway Cup series begins on Friday, Sept. 5, and ends Sept. 7 with the Tour of Missouri Criterium. This year's Gateway Cup features four days of the Tour of Missouri Women's Series.

On Sept. 7, both the Tour of Missouri Criterium and Stage One will begin and end at the City Garden in downtown St. Louis. Tour of Missouri Criterium action begins at 7 a.m. that day, and you can see a full schedule of Gateway Cup events here.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:21 AM

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Nixon OKs Tour of Missouri funding

The race is on!

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's administration has unfrozen $1.5 million in state funding for the 2009 Tour of Missouri bicycle race.

The Associated Press reported this afternoon that Nixon agreed to spend the money for the ride after tourism officials and race organizers agreed to share details of spending related to the event. Here's what Nixon said in a press release posted on the Web site:
"Missouri currently faces tremendous financial challenges, and the state must find ways to reduce spending. Even as my administration continues to tighten its belt, I believe that the 2009 Tour of Missouri should go forward. The race will go on this year, and Missourians deserve to know that state funds for the event are used transparently and accountably. They should know precisely how money for the Tour of Missouri is being spent, and that the event is being run in a way that minimizes the cost to taxpayers.

"To ensure transparency and accountability, I asked the Office of Administration to seek a full and fair explanation of all expenditures connected with the Tour of Missouri in 2007 and 2008, and of budgeted expenditures and contracts for 2009. A representative from the Office of Administration met today with representatives of the Department of Economic Development, the Division of Tourism and Tour of Missouri, Inc. Because of assurances from the Division of Tourism and the Tour of Missouri, Inc. that they are now willing to share records regarding spending on previous races and planned spending for this year's race, the Office of Budget and Planning will immediately begin to provide state funds for the 2009 Tour of Missouri."
Missouri, like many states, is facing a state budget crisis, and Nixon's administration had considered cutting the $1.5 million as one way to save money. Tour of Missouri organizers said that if the money had been eliminated, the 2009 race would have been canceled.

The Tour of Missouri is slated to begin Sept. 7 in St. Louis and end Sept. 13 in Kansas City.

You can call to hear details of the news at 4:30 p.m. CDT. There will be no questions taken. This is to share the immediately available information. The call is limited to 1000 callers.

To listen, call 712-432-1001. The Attendee Access Code is 422623590#
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:54 PM

Friday, July 10, 2009

State tourism panel backs Tour of Missouri

The Missouri Tourism Commission voted 7-0 today to maintain $1.5 million in state funding for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race.

The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader reports many of the commissioners said the independent panel has an obligation to fund the Tour of Missouri this year, but future years would be subject to further debate.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's Department of Economic Development has recommended the governor's budget office withhold $1.5 million from the Division of Tourism specifically for the bicycle race.

Ultimately, Nixon's administration will have to decide whether to free up the money.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:00 PM

More coverage of Tour of Missouri crisis

Several Missouri news outlets have posted stories about the possibility that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's administration may cut off $1.5 million in state funding for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
KMOX-AM 1120 (Radio interview with Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, the major backer of the race in state government)
Kansas City Star
VeloNews
Springfield (Mo.) News-Ledger
Missouri Bicycle Federation
I'm sympathetic to the desires of Missouri leaders to balance the budget -- I live in a state, Illinois, that has a much more serious financial crisis than Missouri -- and I believe in the long run the Tour of Missouri has to ween itself off state funding. However, I think the $1.5 million is money well-spent because of the tourism dollar and international attention the race brings to Missouri.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 10:13 AM

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Tour of Missouri in peril

UPDATED 7:30 P.M. CDT: Several sources the Springfield News-Leader, the new Save the Tour of Missouri blog and The Associated Press are reporting that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is considering cutting $1.5 million in state funding for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

If the money is indeed cut, it would in effect kill the race for this year.

Nixon's Department of Economic Development has proposed cutting the $1.5 million subsidy to the Tour of Missouri less than two months before the statewide sporting event is set to begin.

In April, the Missouri Tourism Commission voted to spend $1.5 million on the Tour of Missouri. The Tour of Missouri's top backer in state government is Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who chairs the panel. Nixon is a Democrat.

"The governor supports the race, just like he supports a lot of things that are going to be recommended to be cut," Nixon spokesman Jack Cardetti told the AP. "The question is whether or not in these financial times the taxpayers can continue to pick up the tab for things like the Tour of Missouri."

The cut would lead to the third annual Tour of Missouri being called off, organizer Chris Aronhalt, a managing partner of Atlanta-based Medalist Sports, told the News-Leader. "Its devastating to learn of this because were really at that no turning back point," Aronhalt said. The timing is terrible."

Above is a copy of a memo obtained by the Save the Tour of Missouri blog. It details the proposed cut for the Tour of Missouri and other projects proposed Linda Martinez, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Like other states, Missouri is having to cut programs or raise taxes to overcome budget shortfalls.

Here's a letter sent by Kinder to people on the Tour of Missouri mailing list, urging them to express their support for the Tour of Missouri:
Friends,

By now, some of you may have heard rumors regarding Gov. Nixon freezing state funds for the 2009 Tour of Missouri. I would like to share with you the details that we currently have:

On Wednesday, at the close of business, I was informed by the Division of Tourism that the money set aside for the Tour of Missouri was frozen by Gov. Nixon's administration. The state's commitment for the 2009 Tour of Missouri was $1.5 million. Without these funds, which are available and approved by the Tourism Commission, the Tour of Missouri will cease to exist.

At this time, I have requested a special meeting of the Missouri Tourism Commission to evaluate our options and decide what our next step should be.

As you know, we are very close to putting the final touches on the race this year. Our sponsors have invested and we are on track with our fundraising goals. Teams from across the world, the same teams now racing in the Tour de France, have been invited to our state, and communities across Missouri are making great preparations for the race. Contracts have been signed by the state, cities, sponsors and vendors and cutting this funding will leave the state susceptible to wasteful litigation.

Right now, I am urging cycling fans across our great state, and around the world to contact Gov. Jay Nixon at 573-751-3222 and tell him to release the funding for the largest sporting event ever held in our state.

I am grateful for the supporters, sponsors, volunteers and spectators who in the past two years have helped generate nearly $60 million in economic impact for our state, and brought over 800,000 visitors to the race.

With your help, I truly believe we can ensure the survival and success of the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

Sincerely,

PETER D. KINDER
Lt. Governor, Chairman of the Missouri Tourism Commission

Call Gov. Jay Nixon at 573-751-3222 and tell him to save our race!
In a note to Facebook fans of Missouri Bicycle Federation, Executive Director Brent Hugh is calling on folks to call Nixon's office and tell him to "Save the Tour of Missouri!"

Not surprisingly, the Fired Up! Missouri blog a frequent critic of the Tour of Missouri thinks cutting the money from the budget would be a good thing: "It's time for race promoter and alleged fiscal hawk Peter 'Every Dollar Counts' Kinder to do what he should have done from the beginning raise money for an 'elite bike race' from elite private donors. Last year, Kinder raised and spent over $3 million for personal political pursuits. If he can do it for himself, why can't he do it for taxpayers?"
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:57 PM

Saturday, June 06, 2009

"Spoked!": An art show for bicycle fans

The Soulard Art Market and Contemporary Gallery is calling for submissions to Spoked! a juried exhibition of local artists. Exhibition runs from Sept., 4 through October 2. S.A.M. is looking to represent a select group of artists in our Contemporary Art Gallery, to exhibit alongside our 15 resident artists.

Here's what the gallery has to say about the event: "In conjunction with the Tour of Missouri, which is a world-class cycling event, we are proud to announce our exhibition Spoked. We are seeking artworks that feature bicycling as a theme for inclusion in our show. Our gallery is on the race route, and we have special hours and events planned that are sure to draw a crowd. The eyes of the world will be looking our way and were gearing up for the liveliest show this town has seen. Get crankin!"

The gallery looking for any medium of artwork (painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry) that in any way features bikes or cycling. There is no submission fee, and full details can be found at the event's Web site.

Artists are being asked to consider donating bicycle-themed artwork to a charity silent auction. All proceeds will go directly to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi program which assists children of incarcerated parents. Each artist who donates an artwork valued greater than $100 to the auction will have his name entered into a drawing to receive 2 tickets (value $500) to the Tour of Missouri Gala, a black tie affair presenting the best 125 cyclists from around the world. The auction as well as the gala will be held on Sept. 6 at the City Museum.

The gallery is located 2028 S. 12th St. in St. Louis and is on the course for Stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri on Labor Day (Sept. 7).

I'm sure you can do better!
Labels: art, bicycling, St. Louis, Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 12:11 PM

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Around the horn ... again

Here's a few items that might be of interest to St. Louis-area bicyclists:

Another bicycle-pedestrian crossing at Forest Park: As part of the reconstruction of Interstate 64-U.S. 40 in St. Louis, a new bicycle-pedestrian tunnel is linking linking Oakland Avenue to Forest Park. The tunnel replaces an older tunnel with sharp turns that had to be removed because of the reconstruction project.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the tunnel is not completely finished, but it's done enough that bicyclists and pedestrian can use the tunnel.

Bike trial proposal gets opposition: The Green Rivers Greenway District is seeking to build a $2 million, 2.6-mile trail from Greensfelder Park in University City to Shaw Park in Clayton. But it seems the project is being opposed by some people in the upscale suburb of Ladue.

The folks like the idea of bike paths, but they don't like the idea of the trail becoming a thoroughfare for bicyclists and pedestrians. You can see a video at KMOV-TV.

Before rejecting the trail out of hand, I would recommend opponents talk to people and businesses along the Katy Trail and the Madison County Trail system to get both sides of the story.

Tour of Missouri field gets a boost: Following the announcement of No. 1-ranked Quicksteps participation recently, the current world No. 2-ranked team, Saxo Bank of Denmark, has been announced for the third Tour of Missouri professional cycling race, scheduled for Sept. 7-13, according to a press release from the Tour.

The addition of Saxo Bank, which is led by superstars Fabian Cancellara (Olympic and world champion time trialist) of Switzerland; brothers Frank and Andy Schleck (winner of last weekends Leige-Bastogne-Leige) of Luxembourg and Germanys Jens Voigt, will mark the seventh entrant expected to line up at the 2009 Tour de France this summer. It will mark Saxo Banks first time racing at the Tour of Missouri.

Meanwhile, tour directors are seeking volunteers for the event. You can sign up for a wide range of jobs online.
Labels: St. Louis, Tour of Missouri, trails

Roger 1 comments links to this post 11:51 PM

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Tour of Missouri makes phone book covers

When AT&T customers start getting their new Real White Pages and Real Yellow Pages in the next few weeks, they'll be seeing the Tour of Missouri right on the front cover.

Tour of Missouri and AT&T have reached an agreement in which the Tour of Missouri is featured on the cover of the Real White Pages for the city of St. Louis and parts of St. Charles. The tour is also featured on four Real Yellow Pages suburban directories serving specific areas of St. Louis County.

Ravi Batheja, AT&T Advertising Solutions marketing manager, said in a press release: "We are pleased the Tour of Missouri is featured on the cover of our new AT&T Real Yellow Pages directory for this area. We always strive to make our directory covers special on the outside and tailor the contents inside our print directories and the online search options to best serve the needs of our communities. You can count on the AT&T Real Yellow Pages as your complete source of local information."

Steve Brunner, the Tour's marketing director and president of King of the Mountain Sports, the events marketing agency. said the inclusion on phone book covers in a first for a major cycling event. "To be on AT&Ts covers is a testament to a great partnership and promotion for this worldclass event. It's historic in nature," he said.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:54 AM

Friday, March 13, 2009

Astana signs up for Tour of Missouri

The Tour of Missouri scored a major coup this week with the signing of Lance Armstrong's team, Astana, for this year's event.

"This is a big development for the Tour of Missouri," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports in a press release. "To have the participation of Astana is yet another huge step for this race. The Tour of Missouri's reputation is evidently very solid in the minds of the top teams and riders. To have Team Astana join the already great line-up of teams is good for all coming to see the 2009 Tour of Missouri."

Tour of Missouri organizers did not say whether Armstrong would indeed race in Missouri.

In addition to Armstrong, Astana is the team of top American Levi Leipheimer, who has won three straight overall titles in the Amgen Tour of California. Astana's roster also includes 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain, who raced in the inaugural Tour of Missouri, and Tour de France podium finisher Andreas Kloden of Germany.

We are very much looking forward to coming to the Tour of Missouri. We like to compete in the big American races, said Johan Bruyneel, the general manager of Team Astana. The Tour of Missouri is a very good race and will be competitive this year looking at the initial roster of teams. As always, we will bring a very good team to compete for the win.
Labels: Lance Armstrong, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:42 AM

Friday, March 06, 2009

Tour of Missouri announces 4 teams

Garmin-Slipstream, led by defending champion and Illinois native Christian Vande Velde, was the first cycling team committed to this year's Tour of Missouri, and three other teams have joined the fray, race organizers announced Thursday.

Another American team, Columbia-High Road, the Italian team Liquigas, as well as the Swiss-based Cervelo Test Team will be in this year's event, which begins Sept. 7 in St. Louis and ends Sept. 13 in Kansas City.
"We have had record interest in the event, which has precipitated the early announcement of the first teams committed to participate," Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports, said in a press release. "The stature of the Tour of Missouri continues to grow, and the participation of top teams like Columbia-High Road, Garmin-Slipstream, Liquigas, and Cervelo -- all teams expected to race in the Tour de France this year -- justifies this events world-class reputation. We anticipate the announcement of more teams in the next couple weeks."
In addition to Vande Velde, Garmin-Slipstream also will feature Canadian Svein Tuft, who finished third overall in last years race.
Liquigas, an entrant into last years race, is one of Italys top teams and last year was led by Czech Republics Roman Kreuziger, who won the Best Young Rider jersey.
Last year, Columbia-High Road was the top team in the Tour of Missouri on the strength of Mark Cavendish's three stage wins and Michael Barry's one win. George Hincapie, who won the inagural Tour of Missouri in 2007 while riding for Discovery Channel, also rides for Columbia-High Road.

The Cervelo Test Team will be a first-time entrant into the Tour of Missouri. Cervelos team features 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre, top Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd, who already has won a stage of the Amgen Tour of California and Het Volk event this year, and Dominque Rollin, who finished third overall in the 2007 Tour of Missouri and won the Michelob Ultra King of the Mountain jersey last year.
Race rosters will not be announced until August but team directors are already talking about sending many of their top stars, Aronhalt said.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:06 AM

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Disappointment in Springfield and Hannibal

As you might imagine, the Tour of Missouri's decision not to route the 2009 through Springfield and Branson came as a disappointment to civic leaders in those communities. Springfield and Branson had been host cities the first two years of the race.

Also disappointed were the folks up in Hannibal, who were hoping to get to race to visit northeast Missouri for the first time.

Tour organizers are striving to take the race to other parts of the state. St. Louis and Kansas City, the state's two largest metropolitan areas, not surprising got to keep their stages. Springfield is Missouri's third-largest metropolitan area.

"To my knowledge, there wasn't anything in their guidelines we couldn't accommodate," Springfieled organizing committee chairman Randy Worley told the Springfield News-Leader. "We had met their requirements the last two years and continuously had been praised for the organization and facilities we offered. I think the new schedule indicates they were trying to give other cities a turn."

A civic leader in Hannibal told the Hannibal Courier-Post that politics might have played a role in choosing southeast Missouri over northeast Missouri.

I would lie if I didnt say that I think politics doesnt play into it a bit, said Beau Hicks, executive director of the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau. The southeast corner of the state has definitely wanted it and I think politically seeing that the lieutenant governor (Peter Kinder) is from there probably gives them a little better chance at getting that corner of the state involved than perhaps our corner to be real honest.

Kinder, who has spearheaded the state's promotion of the Tour of Missouri, lives in Cape Girardeau, the finishing city for Stage 2 of this year's race. I'm sure that helped.

But other factors that probably helped Cape Girardeau's bid include the challenging terrain near that community and an active cycling community that strongly supports events such as the Tour de Corn and the Tour de Cape.

The Hannibal folks hope the Tour de Missouri will reconsider their community in 2010 during Hannibal's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death. The legendary author was born in Florida, Mo., and spent most of his childhood in Hannibal.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 8:47 AM

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

2009 Tour of Missouri host cities named

Tour of Missouri organizers today announced the host cities for the 2009 race, and there are some dramatic changes.

The most notable changes are the routing of the even from east to west rather than west to east and the exclusion of the Springfield-Branson area from this year's route. The communities of St. Charles and Hermann also aren't on this year's route.

In the first two years of the Tour of Missouri, the race began in the western part of the state -- Kansas City in 2007 and St. Joseph in 2008 -- and ended in St. Louis. This year's ride begins on Labor Day (Sept. 7) with a circuit race in St. Louis and ends Sept. 13 with a circuit race in Kansas City. Here's a full list of the route:
Stage 1: Circuit race in St. Louis, Sept. 7.
Stage 2: Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau, Sept. 8
Stage 3: Farmington to Rolla, Sept. 9
Stage 4: St. James to Jefferson City, Sept. 10
Stage 5: Time trial in Sedalia, Sept. 11
Stage 6: Chillicothe to St. Joseph, Sept. 12
Stage 7: Circuit race in Kansas City, Sept. 13
"In keeping with tradition, we will change the course from year to year to keep it fresh," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizers Medalist Sports of the Tour of Missouri Web site. "There will be new drama on the race route and we expect a few more hills. Overall, we have some great and very excited host cities."

Based upon my knowledge of Missouri geography, the Farmington-Rolla stage should be the hilliest of the race, while the Ste. Genevieve-Cape Girardeau, St. James-Jefferson City and the Chillicothe-St. Joseph stages will provide plenty of the undulating rolling hills the Tour of Missouri is known for.

"I like what they've done," said 2008 Tour of Missouri champion Christian Vande Velde, an Illinois native who also finished fourth overall at last year's Tour de France. "It's a totally different race course and it looks like they've added some challenging terrain. Last year's race was very fast and tougher than it looked on paper. I look forward to coming back"

With the Stage 2 start in Ste. Genevieve, the Tour of Missouri will be going through one of Missouri's most historic towns. Ste. Genevieve has the greatest concentration of French Colonial buildings in the United States, some dating as far back as the 1770s. Shown at left is the The Bolduc-LeMeilleur House, which was built in 1820.

The Tour of Missouri has formed a partnership with the Gateway Cup in St. Louis, the largest amateur cycling event for road cycling in the country. The Gateway Cup will feature four days of racing by more than 1,100 competitive amateur cyclists over the Labor Day weekend. These four days of racing will lead into Stage 1 pf Tour of Missouri .

Gateway Cup organizers say the final day of racing (Labor Day) in that event will use the same start-finish line as the Stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri, St. Louis' new City Garden in the Gateway Mall in downtown St. Louis. In recent years, the Labor Day race had been run in the University City Loop. Back in the 1990s, the final race was held in the Signal Hill neighborhood near Belleville, Ill.

On Labor Day, the Gateway Cup races will begin at 7 a.m., the Tour of Missouri Women's Criterium will begin at 11:45 a.m., and Stage One of the Tour of Missouri will begin at 2 p.m.

Tour of Missouri Women's Criterium races also will take place Sept. 4-6 during the Tour de Lafatette, the Downtown St. Louis Criterium and the Giro Della Montagna.
Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:05 PM

Friday, January 23, 2009

Landis to ride in Tour of Missouri

Floyd Landis, coming off a two-year ban because of a doping violation at the 2006 Tour de France, says he's planning to ride this year's Tour of Missouri with his new domestic cycling team, OUCH. The team plans to ride the major U.S. races, starting with the Amgen Tour of California in February.

"Starting with the Tour of California, every race we enter well be entering to win," Landis told Outside magazine. "Not that it will be easy. The Tour of California is huge, so its kind of a stressful first race back. And there are some very strong domestic teams well be up against this season: BMC, Bissel. Guys come along each year who youve never heard of and surprise you. Theres real talent in the U.S. And great races. After the Tour of California theres the Tour of Utah, the Tour of Missouri. Im looking forward to it."

Landis' entry in the Tour of Missouri isn't official yet. The Kansas City Star reports that the only team that has received an invitation to compete in this years race is the Garmin-Slipstream team led by Christian Vande Velde, the 2008 individual champion. The September race still is in its planning stages.

Landis also had an extended interview with USA Today in which he not only confirmed plans to ride in the Tour of Missouri, but said he has no more faith in anti-doping controls.

"Those are half-(hearted) tests and they know it, but I have no choice if I want to race. You have to agree to those terms. But I trust those guys less than just about anyone I've ever met," Landis said.

After a long legal battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency over a test that showed he had an illegally high testosterone-epitestosterone ratio after his dramatic win in the 17th stage of the 2006 Tour de France. Landis ultimately was stripped of his overall Tour title because of the test.

One cyclist who's welcoming Landis' return is one-time teammate Lance Armstrong. The 7-time Tour de France champion, racing this week in the Tour Down Under in Australia, told Australian media the people should "forgive and forget" and welcome Landis and other cyclists who have done their time for doping violations.

"It's good that the strongest people in the world are in the strongest races in the world," Armstrong said in the Herald Sun. "You've got to remember that Floyd might have been found guilty but at the end of the trial, if you polled people more than 50 per cent thought he was innocent."

Speaking of Armstrong, he's is 38th place in the Tour Down Under after today's stage, in which he finished 47th. He's 39 seconds behind Australian Allan Davis after four stages with two more stages left.
Labels: cycling, Lance Armstrong, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:59 AM