Friday, July 18, 2008

Tour of Missouri adds women's criterium

The Tour of Missouri already has grown from a six-day to a seven-day event in just one year. If that wasn't enough, the Tour of Missouri is adding a women's criterium race to the mix.

The women's race will take place Monday, Sept. 8 in the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. The race will be a 55-minute plus 5-laps event slated to start at 1:30 p.m.

"Starting while Stage 1 of the men's event is underway, the Tour of Missouri Women's Criterium will showcase the speed and energy of the women's professional circuit while building excitement and anticipation for the hard-charging finishing circuits of the men's race," according to the race's Web site.

Stage 1 of the men's race is slated to begin in St. Joseph on Sept. 8 and ends at Country Club Plaza.

In case you haven't visited the Tour of Missouri site for a while, you will notice Armadillo Xing T-shirts for sale. For $18, you can own your own T-shirt and "help keep the armadillos at bay."

The shirt recalls the unfortunate accident during the 2007 Tour of Missouri that knocked St. Louis-area native Dan Schmatz from the race. Schmatz tumbled to the ground after hitting the armadillo, fracturing his collarbone.

Labels: racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:33 PM

Monday, July 14, 2008

Doing the Land of Lincoln proud!

Yes, indeed, Christian Vande Velde is the pride of the Land of Lincoln, as far as the cycling world is concerned!

Vande Velde, a native of the Chicago suburb of Lemont, is just 38 seconds behind new Tour de France leader Cadel Evans after today's Stage 10, which featured the difficult climbs of the Col de Tourmalet and Hautacam. Evans and Vande Velde finished in the same group that finished 2:17 behind stage winner Leonardo Piepoli. The only rider between Vande Velde and Evans is Frank Schleck, who is a mere second behind Evans in the overall standings.

Vande Velde, 32, rides for Garmin-Chipotle and is the son of U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame member John Vande Velde. Until this year, he was best known for playing a supporting role in two of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories. He has come into his own this year. He wore the maglia rosa one day in this year's Giro d'Italia, took third in the Tour of California and seventh in the Tour of Georgia.

Now that Vande Velde is among the leaders, I guess we need to figure out how to spell his last name. Even though the official Tour de France site and Versus are spelling it Vandevelde, I'm going with Vande Velde because that's the way the Garmin-Chipotle team, The Associated Press, VeloNews and his byline on his Tour de France Journal in the Chicago Tribune (I'm linking to the account that appeared in today's edition) spell it. That's good enough for me!

Labels: Illinois, racing, Tour de France

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:42 AM

Monday, July 07, 2008

Will Frischkorn? Who's he?

I was surprised to see this morning that American racer and Tour de France rookie Will Frischkorn not only came in second in today's Stage 3, but is sitting in third place in the general classification.

If that wasn't enough, Frischkorn was named the most aggressive rider of the stage, and his American-based squad, Team Garmin-Chipotle, is leading the team classsification.

Just who is Will Frischkorn?

Well, Tour of Missouri fans may remember that Frischkorn finished second to George Hincapie in last year's inaugural event. Frischkorn finished 1 minute, 38 seconds behind Hincapie in the six-stage race.

Frischkorn, 27, was born in Charlottesville, Va., and now lives in Boulder, Colo., according to his biography at the Team Garmin-Chipotle Web site. Frischkorn won the 2007 Univest Grand Prix and he won the U.S. Under-23 National Championship Road Race back in 2002.

Being in third place in the Tour de France, even this early in the race, is a career highlight.

"I felt pretty darn good," Frischkorn said in an interview on the Tour de France Web site. "I’m ecstatic to have done this. It’s weird to feel a little disappointed right now actually.”

Why was he disappointed? Because he had a chance to win the stage.

“The sprint at the finish was a long one," Frischkorn said in the interview. "It started from two kilometers out really. (Samuel) Dumoulin hit out and I had literally been planning to attack after coming back from my previous turn of pace but he timed it perfectly. That really started the game.

“He rode a great finish and I hesitated just a little bit with 400 meters to go and I think that’s where I made my mistake but I take my hat off to him, he was great."

Dumoulin won the stage, but fellow Frenchman Romain Feillu, who was part of the lead breakaway, is wearing the yellow jersey. Frischkorn is 1:42 behind Feillu in the general classification. The breakaway finished 2:03 in front of the peloton.

Frischkorn, one of four Americans in this year's Tour de France, is writing a journal about his experience at VeloNews. It should be interesting to see what he writes about Stage 3.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour de France, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:07 PM

Friday, July 04, 2008

Tour de France 2008

Part of the reason I include the news feed that I do in the right column of this blog is because I know sources such as VeloNews can provide much better coverage of the Tour de France than I can in this humble little blog. Nevertheless, here's my two cents worth on the race:

I'm extremely disappointed former Discovery Channel riders Alberto Contador, the defending champion, and Levi Leipheimer, who finished third, won't be there because of the decision of Tour de France to exclude Team Astana from this year's event because of the team's past doping transgressions.

I suppose one could argue that Contador, Leipheimer and former Discovery manager Johan Bruyneel should have had some clue that Astana would be targeted for punishment, but I don't find it particularly fair that a restructured Astana team should be so severly punished for sins of previous team members.

With Leipheimer's absence, I have to wonder how much interest there will be in this year's Tour de France by casual cycling fans. The die-hard fans, of course, are going to care about the race, but the lack of an American among the major contenders will reduce coverage of the race by the mainstream media.

In addition to the greatness of the race -- even a heavy-handed management style cannot rob the Tour de France of its splendor -- there are two American teams in this year's race. One is Team Columbia, which includes former Discovery lieutenant George Hincapie, and Garmin-Chipotle, which is best known for its anti-doping stance. Christian Vande Velde is the best-known American on that team.

If your local newspaper or TV station provides inadequate coverage of the Tour de France, the three best sources are probably VeloNews, Versus and the Tour de France site itself. Versus, as always, will provide almost-constant TV coverage of the race. Gene Bisbee also provides a list of sources at his BikingBis blog.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour de France

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:53 PM

Monday, June 23, 2008

Tour of Missouri to be ‘deceivingly tougher’

Organizers of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race Sept. 8-14 say this year's course will be "deceivingly tougher" than the course for last year's inaugural event.

For one, the race has grown from six to seven stages, and organizers say there are more hills this year.

That won't be comfort to the racers, many of whom were surprised by how hilly Missouri can be.

This year's Tour of Missouri starts in St. Joseph on Sept. 8, and roughly follows the Missouri River to Kansas City. "The first 50-plus miles feature a series of relentless small, uncategorized climbs, some of which form a panoramic view of the Missouri River. This differs from the relatively flat out-and-back course featured on the course last year for Stage 1," according to a description of the stages.

Stage 2 (Sept. 9) once again starts in Clinton and winds up in Springfield. This is the stage where George Hincapie pulled off a major breakaway that enabled him to win the 2007 event. Hincapie will be back to defend his title.

Stage 3 (Sept. 10) will be an 18-mile time trial on the hilly roads of Branson and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Stage 4 (Sept. 11) starts in Lebanon and will take competitors through a hilly course to Rolla. Plans call for the route to go through a portion of Fort Leonard Wood as a tribute to U.S. troops. The route also features a 12 percent grade near Waynesville.

Stage 5 (Sept. 12) begins in the wine country town of St. James and goes up and down a series of small hills to Jefferson City, the state capitol.

Stage 6 (Sept. 13) differs from the next-to-last stage in 2007. Last year, that stage started in Jefferson City and ended in St. Charles. This year, the stage will start in Hermann, the heart of Missouri's wine country, and ends in St. Charles. The new route eliminates the relatively flat part of the course between Jefferson City and Hermann, but the difficult climbs on Augusta Bottom and Schluersburg roads near Augusta remain, and a difficult climb of Old Colony Road near Defiance has been added to the course. From Old Colony Road, the route continues to O'Fallon, Mo., then heads into the flat Mississippi River valley before heading into St. Charles.

The final stage (Sept. 14) remains a circuit course in the city of St. Louis. Instead of starting and finishing at Union Station on Market Street, the start-finish line will be in front of City Hall a few blocks east on Market. Racers will be making five trips around the 14-mile circuit.

This year's course will start on Market, continue on Forest Park Boulevard, loop through a portion of Forest Park, returns to the Central West End -- a popular place to watch the race because of all the outdoor cafes -- turns east on Forest Park Boulevard, turns north on Compton Avenue, returns downtown on Olive Street to Tucker Boulevard, then back to Market.

In case you're wondering, the St. Louis Rams will have a home game at noon Sept. 14 against the New York Giants, but the St. Louis Cardinals will be on the road, so traffic may not be as big of an issue.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:48 AM

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Robic crosses the Mississippi River

Race Across America solo men's leader Jure Robic made it to the Mississippi River at 9:22 a.m. CDT today. He's on his way to Greenville, Ill., and he's expected to arrive there sometime between 11:50 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. today. He now has about a 200-mile lead over David Haase, who has passed the Camdenton, Mo., time station.

The Mississippi River is well over its banks and still rising, putting portions of Missouri Highway 94 between St. Charles and West Alton under water. That forced RAAM officials to develop a detour. RAAM competitors now must bike into St. Charles on West Clay Street and take Highway 94 to the north end of the city. From there, they are being shuttled by their support vehicles to the frontage road of Highway 367 between Dunn and Redman roads in north St. Louis County. They'll hop back on their bikes and continue north to the river. If you want to see details of the detour, see RAAM's Live Race Blog.

My limited coverage of RAAM will be even further curtailed because I have to make last-minute preparations for my vacation, a trip across the length of the Katy Trail that starts Monday. I'm sure all you ultramarathon cycling fans will get more than your fix at the RAAM Web site!

Labels: RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:03 AM

RAAM may be in for a wet surprise

Will Race Across America riders be in for a soggy surprise when they approach the Mississippi River this weekend?

UPDATE: Longtime ultramarathon supporter Mike Hahn, who is overseeing the volunteers at the Mississippi River time station, tells me that RAAM officials have found a detour around the flooded part of Highway 94, so the race will go on!

The above video from The (Alton, Ill.) Telegraph shows that floodwaters from the Mississippi are starting to lap over Highway 94 near West Alton, Mo. The footage of Highway 94 is in the second half of this short video. The first half was shot at the Lincoln-Shields Recreation Area just across the Clark Bridge from Alton.

RAAM riders are slated to ride on Highway H and and Highway 94 between St. Charles and West Alton before turning on U.S. 67 to the river. The Mississippi definitely is on the rise in the area -- it's not expected to crest until June 23.

Here's a description of the situation near West Alton from The Telegraph's story:

Part of the access to the Lincoln-Shields Recreation Area in West Alton ... was closed Thursday morning by rising water on the Mississippi River. Not far away, floodwaters were creeping over Missouri Highway 94 near West Alton.

Tens of thousands of frogs and tadpoles could be seen in the shallow floodwater along the shoulder of Highway 94, just upstream from West Alton.

UPDATE: Jure Robic maintains his huge lead in the men's solo division. He reached the Jefferson City, Mo., time station at 10:20 p.m. CDT. He is on target to reach the Mississippi shortly before 8 a.m. today. David Haase is about 180 miles back and is expected to reach the Mississippi sometime between 12:07 and 5:19 a.m. Sunday.

Labels: Missouri, RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:20 AM

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Robic keeps rolling at RAAM

Slovenian Jure Robic is continuing his dominance of the Race Across America. Robic, the defending champion and a three-time winner, arrived in Bucklin, Kan., at 2:07 p.m. CDT. Robic's closest competitor in the men's solo division, David Hasse, is more than 200 miles behind him.

If Robic maintains his overall pace or his current pace, he should be arriving at the Mississippi River time station in West Alton, Mo., any time between 5:30 a.m. and noon CDT Saturday. Haase is anticipated to reach the river sometime after 11 p.m. Saturday, and most of the remaining individuals and teams are expected to pass through Sunday or Monday.

The lead woman, Janet Christiansen, passed the Clayton, N.M., time station at 9:30 a.m. CDT today.

Labels: RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:25 PM

Monday, June 09, 2008

RAAM 2008: They're off!

Race Across America is under way! Both female competitors, Janet Christiansen and Carolina van den Bulk and one male competitor, Richard Rupp, already have made it to Flagstaff, Ariz., as of this morning. The women and Rupp, competing in the 60-older division, started Saturday from Oceanside, Calif. The top solo male competitors, Gerhard Gulewicz and defending champion Jure Robic, started Sunday and have passed Congress, Ariz., as of this morning.

Back here in the Midwest, help is needed for the Greenville, Ill., time station. Help will be needed between Saturday, when the top male competitors are expect to pass through Greenville, and Tuesday, June 17. If you know someone who can volunteer, contact Joy Criner at 618-664-3342; 217-229-4237, ext. 231; or trixtip@sbcglobal.net.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:35 AM

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Race Across America begins Sunday

Once again, the most dedicated of the dedicated ultramarathon cyclists will take off Sunday on the Race Across America. The solo riders take off at noon PDT Sunday, while the teams don't take off until Wednesday,

There are some changes for this year's event. The biggest change is that the race ends in Annapolis, Md., instead of Atlantic City, N.J. That means there's a major reroute of the course from 100 miles east of the Mississippi River to the end.

Instead of taking the busy National Road (U.S. 40) corridor that RAAM has taken through Indiana and Ohio in recent years, the route will go through the Midwest cycling mecca of Bloomington, Ind.; the quaint German town of Oldenberg, Ind.; Chillicothe, Ohio; and Parkersburg, W.Va. After Parkersburg, the racers will face some challenging climbs in the Appalachian Mountains. Here's a description from RAAM:

As the road (U.S. 50) narrows, it climbs over the Eastern Divide at 3,000 feet above sea level, and then climbs again to the ominously named Mount Storm before dropping into Maryland. Some of the most intense grades of the entire race are found on scenic U.S. 40 in the forty miles between Cumberland and Hancock. The fourth of these climbs, Sideling Hill, subjects Racers to a 1,000-foot ascent in two miles.

The route, however, remains unchanged through the St. Louis region. The time stations will be at Marthasville, Mo.; West Alton, Mo.; and Greenville, Ill. The West Alton time station is just before the cyclists cross the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River into Alton, Ill. I would expect the riders to start arriving in the St. Louis area either June 13 or June 14.

The western part of the RAAM course has been changed so that it goes through Taos, N.M.

Slovenian Jure Robic won the male solo edition of the 2007 Race Across America -- the third time he has won the race. Robic completed the 3,042.8 miles of the race in 8 days, 19 hours and 33 minutes. His average speed was 14.38 mph.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:00 AM

Thursday, May 29, 2008

O'Fallon Grand Prix

The Metro-East Cycling club will be putting on its first-ever O'Fallon Grand Prix this Saturday, May 31.

The start-finish line for the races will be in front of Fulton Junior High School, which is located at 307 Kyle Road in O'Fallon, Ill. Racing will begin at 11 a.m., and participants can sign up for the event starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 30 minutes before the start of each scheduled event.

The event is the biggest cycling race in St. Clair County since the mid-1990s, when a leg of the Gateway Cup series of bicycle races was run in the Signal Hill neighborhood of Belleville.

The Elite Pro/Cat 1/Cat 2 race will begin at 11 a.m. and will cover 90 miles. Races also will be available in other men's categories, masters' categories, women's categories and junior categories. In addition, kids races from tricyclists to bicyclists ages 11-14 will begin at 10 a.m.

"It'll be really fun for people who enjoy bike racing," race director Steven Schmidt, secretary of Metro East Cycling, told the Belleville News-Democrat. "Our course is exciting. It's all on country roads. It's fast, hilly and twisty."

That's true. The map of the course shows all the twists and turns, and I can tell you from personal experience, there are hills on the course!

Racers should be aware of one major hazard on the course. There's a bridge on Simmons Road between Bethel School Road and Kyle Road that has cracks parallel to the length of the bridge. The cracks are wide and deep enough to grab a road wheel and can cause a serious spill. Racers need to be careful to position themselves between the cracks while going across the bridge.

Metro-East Cycling has worked hard on this event. One of the biggest challenges the club faced was getting approval from the O'Fallon City Council. The council did unanimously approve the event at its April 7 meeting, but with the caveat that the police chief has authority to close down the event if the insurance is not provided, communications concerns are not met or not enough volunteers are present.

From what I understand, it sounds like Metro-East Cycling has all its ducks in a row, so let the racing begin Saturday morning!

Labels: cycling, Illinois, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:49 AM

Friday, May 02, 2008

Hincapie to defend Tour of Missouri title

George Hincapie, longtime lieutenant to Lance Armstrong and winner of the inaugural Tour of Missouri, will return in September to defend his title in the state’s seven-day stage bicycle race, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday.

Organizers of the event made the announcement at a press conference Friday.

I would write more, but I better get a little rest before Tour de Stooges tomorrow!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:23 PM

Sunday, February 24, 2008

2008 Tour of California summary

"Seems it never rains in Southern California.
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before.
It never rains in California.
But, girl, don't they warn ya.
It pours, man, it pours."

With apologies to Albert Hammond, who wrote and recorded the 1970s hit "It Never Rains in Southern California," the finishers of this year's Amgen Tour of California certainly can tell you that it does indeed rain in California.

After getting soaked by the rains drenched some of this year's ride, including the final stage today that ended at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Levi Leipheimer soaked in the glory of having won his second straight Tour of California. Slipstream-Chipotle's David Millar and Christian Vande Velde, a Chicago-area native, filled out the final podium.

2007 Tour of Missouri winner and former Discovery Channel teammate George Hincapie won the final stage, nearly a minute ahead of the pack that included Leipheimer.

Despite the horrible weather -- by Southern California standards -- a large crowd came out for the final stage, according to media reports.

Now that Leipheimer has won the Tour of California, maybe he can win his next battle, getting in the 2008 Tour de France.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 1 comments links to this post 6:56 PM

Monday, February 18, 2008

Let Levi ride!

Fans of Levi Leipheimer no doubt will want to go to his new Web site, LetLeviRide.com, to let their feelings known the Tour de France's decision last week to exclude his new team, Astana, from this year's event because of past doping problems with that team.

In the effort to "save the 2008 Tour de France," Leipheimer is calling on his fans to sign an online petition to have him and his team reinstated in the race.

"There can be no comparison between the Astana team of 2007 and the new Astana," the Web site states. "The entire organizational structure has been rebuilt under the direction of the team’s new General Manager, Johan Bruyneel, who has thoroughly cleaned house. What’s more, Astana has adopted the rigorous doping controls developed by anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, and Astana now spends more money on anti-doping controls than any other team in the pro peloton."

In addition to the online petition, T-shirts, hats and stickers will be available soon.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour de France

Roger 3 comments links to this post 12:04 AM

Friday, February 15, 2008

Economic impact of the Tour of Missouri

Two recent reports by Tour of Missouri organizers and the University of Missouri’s Tourism Economics Research Initiative reveal some interesting numbers about the economic impact of the inaugural 2007 event. It already had been revealed that the race was estimated to bring in $26 million into Missouri's economy. Here's some more numbers:

• The estimated number of spectators totaled 367,566 with 255,529 unique stage spectators.
• St. Louis is estimated to have hosted the most spectators at the beginning or end of a stage,
  with an estimated 50,000 at the final stage of the Tour. Of those, 20,089 were at the St. Louis finish line (Union Station), with the rest scatted along the circuit.
• The fifth stage between Jefferson City and St. Charles came in second with an estimated 45,000 spectators. Of that, 7,478 were at the St. Charles finish.
  
• Household travel parties averaged 2.05 people spending $560.85. In Fiscal Year 2006, average expenditures by domestic travelers in Missouri (per household travel party) were $307.25.
• On average, 41.8% of the start/finish line spectators came from outside the local area. Kansas City had the highest percentage (60.19%), followed by Branson (59.24%) and
  St. Charles (48.23%).
• 25.6% of the out-state respondents stated they had not visited the interview site within the
  past five years. 73% said the Tour of Missouri was very important or extremely important
  in planning their trip.

The organizers of the event contend that the higher numbers at St. Louis and St. Charles stages were the number of spectators at the finish. That may be possible, judging from anecdotal evidence I heard from spectators and personal observations. Many people who may have watched an earlier portion of a stage also traveled to the finish line.

You can see the unfiltered numbers in the Tourism Economics Research Initiative's "The Economic Impact of the 2007 Tour of Missouri" (PDF file). Filtered numbers can be found in the Tour of Missouri's Annual Report (PDF file).

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:36 PM

2008 Amgen Tour of California

Will Levi Leipheimer defend his Amgen Tour of California title? We'll find out next week as the event kicks off Sunday with the Prologue in Palo Alto, Calif.

Although I will leave the expert commentary to the sources listed on the right column of this blog and to California-based blogs such as Fritz's Cycle-Licious, I may talk about aspects of the Tour from time to time.

For those of us stuck in the Midwest, the Versus cable TV channel will be providing same-day coverage of the race, beginning at 4 p.m. CST Sunday. If that's not good enough for you, you can watch each day's stages live, "as live" and highlights at Cycling TV. You can see a lower-resolution version (up to 400 kbs) of the race for free, or you can pay to see a higher-resolution version (up to 1,200 kbs).

It will be odd to see Leipheimer and George Hincapie racing for a team other than the now-disbanded Discovery Cycling Team. Leipheimer will be racing for Astana, while Hincapie will be racing for High Road.

Other top racers entered in the Tour of California include Bobby Julich (Team CSC), Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonan (Quick Step), and David Millar and David Zabriskie (Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30).

Sadly, too, this will be the first Tour of California without Jana Ireton as the Specialized Angel. As reported here last month, a woman from Spain will be the new Specialized Angel. Jana said Specialized wanted an Angel who spoke multiple languages.

Jana said she still be along the sidelines watching the races. While I'm sure the new Specialized Angel will be lovely as she blows kisses to the cyclists as they pass, it won't be the same. Jana really impressed me as a class act; she always sent me and other bloggers who featured her thank-you notes for writing about her.

Although the race is only three years old, it is the gem of Medalist Sports' stable of multiday American stage races. Medalist Sports also plays a key role in the Tour of Georgia and Tour of Missouri.

Let the racing begin!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 2 comments links to this post 11:24 AM

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

2008 Tour of Missouri route announced

Organizers of the Tour of Missouri have announced the start/finish cities for the 2008 race. They are:

STAGE 1 / Monday, Sept. 8
St. Joseph to Kansas City, road race with circuits (90 mi / 144.81 km)

STAGE 2 / Tuesday, September 9
Clinton to Springfield, road race with circuits (125 mi / 201.13 km)

STAGE 3 / Wednesday, September 10
Branson, individual time trial (18 mi / 28.6 km)

STAGE 4 / Thursday, September 11
Lebanon to Rolla, road race with circuits (105 mi / 168.95 km)

STAGE 5 / Friday, September 12
St. James to Jefferson City, road race with circuits (100 mi / 160.9 km)

STAGE 6 / Saturday, September 13
Hermann to St. Charles, road race (110 mi / 177 km)

STAGE 7 / Sunday, September 14
St. Louis, circuit race (75 mi / 120.68 km)

The racers can expect more undulating rolling hills on this year's route. While there aren't any major climbs by professional cycling standards, the riders on the 2007 ride learned that Missouri isn't a flat state by any means.

It wasn't surprising to learn the Tour of Missouri is returning to St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Branson, since those were the cities than drew the biggest crowds last year. The addition of a stage allows the Tour to add a stage along old Route 66 between Lebanon and Rolla. The exact routes of the stages will be announced later.

"The Tour of Missouri is perfectly positioned between the Olympic Games in Bejing and the World Championships in late September," said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of the event organizers Medalist Sports, in a press release. "We can expect the field to include some of the top cyclists who have either competed in the Games or are preparing for the Worlds. This will be a good course for them."

The Tour of Missouri will field 120 of the world's top cyclists, many of whom raced in last year's inaugural race and were very happy with the terrain.

"Winning the Tour of Missouri was one of the highlights of my season. I received tremendous support from everyone and the fans along the route were awesome. The Tour of Missouri goes through some beautiful countryside, and I hope to return in September," George Hincapie, 2007 Tour of Missouri overall winner said in the press release.

Here are some links to some stories about the 2008 Tour of Missouri:

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Kansas City Star
• Springfield News-Leader

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:01 PM

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Fired up about Tour of Missouri

Once again, the folks at the Fired Up! Missouri blog are, well, fired up about the Tour of Missouri bicycle race. Here's what the blog -- with a heavy dose of hyperbole -- has to say about the race:

Now comes word that Kinder's bike race ran a $330,000 deficit--- and taxpayers are getting stuck wiping up the mess.

Recently released Missouri Development Finance Board minutes paint a picture of (Lt. Gov. Peter) Kinder strong arming the board he chairs for $350,000 in emergency funding to cover race shortfalls. Kinder also discloses that he is asking (Gov. Matt) Blunt to release state emergency budget reserves to cover other costs.

With all due respect to the folks at Fired Up! Missouri, it's real stretch to get call what Kinder did "strong arming" based solely on the minutes of the meeting. You can read them for yourself and come up with your own conculsions.

The short form is that the board approved the request of $350,000 to cover remaining costs associated with the Tour of Missouri.

Robert V. Miserez, the executive director of the board, said it had approved $100,000 for the race in August and said costs came in under budget, but revenues also came in under budget. Total revenue shortfall costs were approximately $330,000.

Kinder commented that not as much money was raised from sponsorships as they had hoped for, but he expected this would improve for the 2008 event. Vice Chairman John Starr said it is not unusual for an event to take several years to gain enough momentum and seed capital to have a self-sustaining event.

Earlier in the meeting, Kinder reported the economic data from the University of Missouri School of Business for the Tour of Missouri race and indicates the race had an economic impact of $26 million for Missouri and the out-of-state visitors stayed longer and spent more dollars at the race than the average tourists to the state.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation says Blunt and Kinder are supposed to announce the start and finish cities for the 2008 Tour of Missouri and discuss the economic impact of the 2007 race at a press conference Wednesday in Jefferson City.

I'm sure it will be entertaining to see what Fired Up! Missouri has to say about that.

Labels: racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 1:41 AM

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Tour of Missouri press conferences canceled

On Friday, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt was supposed to hold press conference in St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City and Springfield about the economic impact of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race on the Show-Me State's economy.

But those press conferences were canceled.

The Springfield News-Leader had reported that the governor, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and Tourism Director Blaine Lieutkemeyer had planned to visit cities that hosted the tour in 2007. But later, it reported that the press conferences were not on Blunt's calendar for Friday and that they would be rescheduled.

No reason was given for the cancellation, although at least one blogger speculated it was because of grilling Blunt faced at a Thursday press conference over a lawsuit that alleges Blunt played a role in a plan to destroy public records to cover up political activities by his staff.

Meanwhile, the governor and Kinder will announce cities that will participate in the tour later this month and will release information on the race route in February, Laurie Dawson, Kinder's director of administration, told the News-Leader.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:46 AM

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Happy New Year!

OK, I'm a little late with this, but I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! With the coming of the new year, it's time to reflect on 2007 with a best/worst list:

BEST EVENT OF 2007: By far and away, the Tour of Missouri was the best event of 2007 for those of us in the Midwest. At first, I wondered whether Missourians would embrace the race, but big crowds at all the finish lines in the event proved that Missourians and the Midwest would come out for world-class cycling. Especially impressive was the fact that the final stage in St. Louis drew about 55,000 people despite the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams also were playing in downtown St. Louis that afternoon. The fact that Tour of Missouri was the U.S. swan song for the Discovery Channel team no doubt was a factor in the large crowds, and it was most fitting that George Hincapie, Lance Armstrong's longtime lieutenant, won the race.

BEST/WORST WEEKLONG RIDE OF 2007: The West Shoreline Tour in Michigan. It was my only weeklong tour of the year. The ride was great because of the scenery and because I managed to miss an August heat wave in St. Louis that week. The ride wasn't so good because I didn't get enough training in beforehand, meaning I rode much slower and with more rest breaks than I what I was used to.

BEST SINGLE-DAY RIDES OF 2007: One of them was my first significant ride of 2007 back in March, when I and three other friends did a 40-mile trip from Alton, Ill., to Pere Marquette State Park. Another was the "Donut Trail" ride, an informal ride with three other friends that toured some of south St. Louis's best doughnut shops. And, of course, the Belleville Area Bicycle and Eating Society's winery rides at Hidden Lake Winery near Aviston, Ill., and Ravissant Winery in Belleville, Ill., always rank among my favorites.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2007: The Tour de Stooges drew more than 700 riders last year, about 200 people more than our previous high! It still continues to amaze me that people from 14 states attended the ride. I'm a bit nervous about the 2008 ride because we had to move the ride from its longtime home at McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill., to Highland, Ill. However, even well-established rides such as the Hilly Hundred in Indiana have had to move because the ride outgrew their facilities, so we're confident the move will be a good one for the ride.

BEST TREND OF 2007: The willingness of the Illinois General Assembly to pass bicycle-friendly legislation. In a year not known for productivity in state government, lawmakers did approve a bill that requires motorists to give three feet of clearance when passing cyclists, allows cyclists to use their right arms to signal a right turn, among other things. The legislature also passed a bill that requires driver's education courses in Illinois to educate people about their obligations to share the road with cyclists. The most impressive triumph was the legislature's ability to override a veto by Gov. Rod Blagojevich of a "Complete Streets" bill, which requires bicycle and pedestrian ways to be considered when constructing roads in urban areas in Illinois.

As for 2008, it looks like May will be a hectic month for me. In addition to Tour de Stooges, I will be working with friends and relatives of Gerry Frierdich, the Belleville cyclist critically injured when his recumbent bicycle was struck by a pickup truck in August, for a fund-raising ride. Gerry is continuing his long recovery at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, but the good news is that he may be able to return to Belleville later this month.

Despite the organization work that goes into those rides, my goal is to balance that out with more cycling miles in March, April and May so that I will be ready for weeklong tours in the summer and fall. I haven't determined which rides I'm doing, but I should know by February.

I hope all of you will be able to reach your cycling goals for 2008!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:55 AM

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Tour of America

Plans are still being made for the Tour of America in 2008, albeit much shorter and less ambitious than originally planned.

The race is slated to begin Sept. 6 in New York City and end Sept. 28 in Palo Alto, Calif. In between, there are two stages still slated for the St. Louis area, a 143-mile stage from Casey, Ill., to St. Louis on Sept. 13 and a 134-mile stage from St. Louis to Columbia, Mo., on Sept. 14. The 15th would be a "rest day" in which the cyclists and their crews would fly to Denver and resume the race there on the 16th.

The original plan for the race called for a 250-mile stage from Indianapolis to St. Louis on Sept. 12, a 130-mile stage from St. Louis to Carbondale, Ill., on Sept. 13, and a 205-mile stage from Carbondale to Nashville, Tenn., on Sept. 14.

There remains several obstacles to this event:

• The event still is not on the Union Cycliste Internationale schedule for 2008, meaning few major cyclists would show up.
• The event would conflict with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of Missouri, among other races. The Tour of the Missouri, by the way, is on the UCI schedule for Sept. 8-14.
• Would Missouri have sufficient law-enforcement resources available to escort Tour of Missouri and Tour of America on Sept. 13-14? My hunch would be that the Missouri Highway Patrol would make Tour of Missouri a much higher priority.
• And what about the transition from low altitude to high altitude? Columbia is about 760 feet above sea level. Denver is 5,280 feet above sea level. I know we're talking about high-level athletes, but you still have to wonder about such a drastic change in elevation.

In short, I remain rather skeptical whether the Tour of America actually will happen.

Thanks to my new Facebook friend Fritz at the Cyclelicious blog and VeloNews for reporting the new developments. Yep, I'm on Facebook as well as MySpace and LinkedIn, and frankly, I think Facebook is a lot more fun!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:59 PM

It's time to play in the mud

For those of you who like to play in the mud or watch others play in the mud, the USA Cycling 2007 Cyclocross National Championships started today in Kansas City, Kan.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept of cyclocross (PDF file), here's a brief description from the organizers of the Kansas City event:

Cyclocross is a cross between road racing and mountain biking. Competitors race laps around a course featuring a variety of surfaces (pavement, grass, sand, gravel, dirt, etc.) while negotiating a number of obstacles that may require them to dismount and remount their bicycle. Beginning in the fall and running through the winter months, cyclocross used to be mostly popular for off-season training, but has become a very popular sport in its own right.

The event takes place at Wyandotte County Park, at the intersection of State Avenue and North 126th Street in Kansas City, near the Kansas Speedway. Events began this morning and will continue throughout the weekend, culminating with the elite women's and men's races on Sunday.

Cyclists can expect sloppy conditions. In addition to the major ice storm that hit eastern Kansas and western Missouri earlier in the week, snow is in the forecast for Saturday.

In addition to the event's Web site, which includes a blog, the Kansas City Star has written an overview of the event and a feature about a Topeka, Kan., participant. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also did an article that features St. Louis-area cyclocross racer Mike Heffernan and Russ Murphy.

Labels: cycling, cyclocross, Kansas, racing

Roger 3 comments links to this post 10:22 AM

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Women in bicycle racing

Today's edition of the Belleville News-Democrat has an article about the St. Louis Cycling Club's women's team and its current season.

The article talks about the team's successes -- at least one team member finished in the top three in 19 of its 20 races -- and the team's struggles -- the lack of interest in women's racing.

"We get less promotions, less cash, less everything," Granite City racer Sharon Jones told the News-Democrat.

I'm afraid I'm as guilty as the bigger cycling news outfits about not giving attention to women's racing.

Labels: cycling, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:18 AM

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Tour of Missouri's on the 2008 calendar

Missouri leaders have said they are committed to at least two more years of the Tour of Missouri, and they got a shot in the arm this week.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports today that The Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling's international governing body, and USA Cycling have given their blessings to the second Tour of Missouri, scheduled to begin next year on the second Tuesday of September, just as the inaugural event did. Using that schedule, that would take place Sept. 9. The route and host cities will be announced later.

Columnist Kathleen Nelson also discusses the grandiose plans of Frank Arokiasamy, a business consultant in San Francisco who earned a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, to create a Tour of America intended to rival the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España.

The column reports one major problem with Tour of America: It's not on the UCI calendar for 2008. Because of that, it would be highly unlikely it would draw major cyclists.

Besides, the event -- slated for Sept. 6-Oct. 5 -- would conflict with Tour of Missouri and Vuelta a España.

In case you're curious, Tour of America has posted a schedule for the race. On Sept. 12, there would be a 250-mile stage from Indianapolis to St. Louis. On the 13th, there would be a 130-mile stage from St. Louis to Carbondale, Ill., and on the 14th, there would be a 205-mile stage from Carbondale to Nashville, Tenn.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:04 AM

Friday, September 21, 2007

Catching up

Tour of Missouri on Versus: Highlights from the 2007 Tour of Missouri will be shown from 3 to 5 p.m. CDT Saturday on the Versus cable TV channel. If you missed the live video feeds last week, it will give you a great chance to see how hilly Missouri really is, not to mention to see Discovery Channel's last race in the United States. The two-hour show also will be broadcast from 3 to 5 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Floyd Landis: It was a shame, but not all that surprising, that Floyd Landis lost his 2006 Tour de France title. I really don't know what I can add to what's already been written in The Associated Press, VeloNews and other sources.

Late-night cycling in Collinsville: The 19th annual Italian Fest Paisan Pedal Push will begin at 11:59 p.m. Saturday for a short, leisurely ride through the city of Collinsville, Ill. The event begins at the Collinsville Memorial Public Library, 318 W. Main St. The cost of the ride is $12, and registration will close at 11:45 p.m.

Legislation update: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich used his amendatory veto on a bill that would require bicycle and pedestrian ways to be given full consideration in the planning and development of transportation facilities, including the incorporation of such ways into state-funded transportation plans and programs in urban areas. Blagojevich said he would sign the bill if the wording is changed from "shall" to "may." The League of Illinois Bicyclists says the amendatory veto "gutted" the bill.

Break-in at Old Chain of Rocks Bridge: Bill McClellan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a column in today's paper about a Charlotte, N.C., couple on a cross-country ride to raise awareness of brain injuries. Unfortunately, someone broke into their support van, which was parked Wednesday at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge parking lot in St. Louis. Here's an excerpt from the column:

Ben and Lee Ann Berry parked their van at the Chain of Rocks Bridge and pedaled toward the Arch, By the way, at the entrance to the bridge, there is a banner. "It is quite possible that your unattended car will be broken into while you are away including your trunk."

While Ben and Lee Ann were away, somebody broke into their van.

The thief or thieves took Ben's computer, Lee Ann's cell phone and her purse, which had her credit cards, her personal identification and a number of coupons from the Cracker Barrel Restaurant chain, which is one of the Berrys' sponsors.

Sadly, break-ins aren't anything new at that parking lot. Trailnet, which maintains the bridge, provides secure vehicle parking at the Missouri entrance, but it's available only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. until Nov. 1. After Nov. 1, the Missouri entrance will only be open for vehicle parking during special events.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, Illinois, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, racing, safety, television, tours

Roger 2 comments links to this post 10:58 AM

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Final thoughts on the 2007 Tour of Missouri

By most accounts, the first-ever Tour of Missouri was a big success. Thousands of people -- many of whom had never seen a bicycle race before -- got a taste of what big-time bicycle racing is all about.

Here's some final thoughts about the race and its future:

Will there be a 2008 version of the Tour of Missouri? Yes. Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder says the state is committed to supporting the race in 2008 and 2009. This year, the state put in $1 million toward the race. While some folks are concerned about how the money is being spent and whether using a bicycle race to promote tourism in the state is a wise investment, Kinder and his boss, Gov. Matt Blunt, believe the event will promote tourism in Missouri.

While the Tour of Missouri did not have a title sponsor in 2007, lots of Missouri businesses did pour money into the event. The fan turnout may convince those businesses to maintain or increase their investment into the event, and if the sport of cycling can further clean up its act as far as doping is concerned, Medalist Sports just may succeed in finding a title sponsor.

Why prompted the strong fan turnout? Two words: Discovery Channel. The fact that Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer, along with George Hincapie, were in the race automatically increased interest in the race. The fact that the Tour of Missouri was the final U.S. appearance for Discovery Channel was another drawing card.

The crowd estimates for Stage 6 in St. Louis ranged from 55,000 to 60,000, very strong considering there were two other major sporting events that drew more than 100,000 between them in St. Louis at the same time. While some spots on the 10.6-mile circuit only had a few fans, such as the backstretch on Olive Street pictured above, the start-finish line at Union Station and many streets in or near the Central West End neighborhood were jammed with fans.

Kansas City's Stage 1 had a turnout of about 40,000, and Stage 5 from Jefferson City to St. Charles drew about 30,000, including a large contingent on the Schluersberg Road hill.

Can Tour of Missouri repeat the buzz? That depends on whether Hincapie's and Leipheimer's new teams are interested in coming to Missouri next year. While there were a lot of promising riders in the Tour of Missouri, those cyclists don't get a lot of attention in the mainstream media.

I'm not sure how many top European pros will come over for the Tour of Missouri. If the 2008 version of the race is run in September, it once again will conflict with the Vuelta a España.

Where will the Tour of Missouri in the future? You would think that the event would go to St. Louis and Kansas City every year, and you can make a strong argument that the Springfield-Branson area should get a stage annually. Only a small portion of this year's route went north of Interstate 70, so St. Joseph and the hilly countryside in northwestern Missouri could get some consideration. No doubt, Cape Girardeau and its cycling community will be seeking a piece of the action as well.

Highlights of the Tour of Missouri: The obvious ones: Hincapie's overall victory, especially his finish in Stage 2 in Springfield; Leipheimer's time trial victory; the challenge cyclists faced with the seemingly unending "rolling" hills of Missouri; and the fan turnout.

Lowlights of the Tour of Missouri: Dan Schmatz's encounter with the armadillo in Stage 2 and Brad Huff's accident on the final sprint in Stage 6. Both were unfortunate because they are Missouri natives who wanted to put on a good show in the Show-Me State.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:01 AM

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Congrats to George Hincapie

George Hincapie made sure Discovery Channel's swan song in the United States was a sweet one by winning the overall title of the first-ever Tour of Missouri.

Thousands of fans -- I don't know how many -- lined the 10.6-mile circuit in St. Louis. I wonder how many more would have been there had there not been two other major sporting events going on at St. Louis at the same time, but there seemed to be more than enough support for Tour of Missouri.

One of the interesting things I saw on the back stretch was after the fifth lap, when groups of cyclists were cruising down the road toward to the finish. I assume they had been watching the race from other vantage points, such as the Central West End.

I saw two of my friends from the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society, Randy Love and Gail Taylor. Randy also saw the cyclists climb Schluersburg Road near Augusta during Stage 5. "It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen," said Randy, whose cycling skills belie her age.

Congratulations go out as well to Stage 6 winner Ivan Dominguez, who also was the top sprinter for the entire tour. Jeff Louder already had won the King of the Mountains since there were no KOM points to be had in Sunday's stage.

Slipstream-Chipotle, the heir-apparent to Discovery as being the premier U.S. cycling team, took the team title, and Slipstream's Steven Cozza was the best young rider.

BTW, these aren't my final thoughts about the 2007 Tour of Missouri. I plan to post those Tuesday along with a couple of photos from Sunday's Stage.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 6:39 PM

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Stage 5: How about some wine?

Part of the rationale for the state of Missouri to pour $1 million into the Tour of Missouri is to boost tourism in the state, so it makes sense that Saturday's Stage 5, which starts in Jefferson City and ends in St. Charles, goes through the heart of Missouri's wine country. I'm posting this now so you have a few hours to make your last-minute plans.

While there's pretty scenery in the early part of the stage, the real action for the racers and tourists begins in Hermann.

After crossing the old, rickety Highway 19 bridge into Hermann -- a bridge that isn't too safe for cyclists any other day of the year because of its narrow lanes -- the riders will sprint for points past the Stone Hill Winery, one of the best-known Missouri wineries. Missouri is known for its dry, red Norton wines, its German-style white wines and its Port wines, and Stone Hill is no exception.

It's not surprising that the Hermann wineries have a wide range of events tied to the Tour of Missouri. On Friday night, the 2-mile King of the Mountain Time Trial climbs some of the town's biggest hills. On Saturday, the Hermann Wine Trail puts on the Seven Hills of Hermann Bike Ride, which routes people on part of the Tour of Missouri before turning on Highway H and taking on the Seven Hills of Hermann. The climb out of Hermann is particularly nasty, and I'm a bit surprised the Tour of Missouri didn't use Highway H as part of its route. There also will be a kids' bike race in Hermann from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

The Tour of Missouri is expected to pass through Hermann after 1 p.m. After that, they'll turn east on Highway 100, where they will pass several more wineries. The first of the day's King of the Mountain points will be awarded about two miles east of Hermann on Highway 100. Here's the elevation for that first KOM stop:


The route crosses the Route 47 bridge at Washington, and the cyclists will turn east on Highway 94 and pass the Blumenhof Winery. They'll turn right on Emke Road, then turn left on Augusta Bottom Road. The second set of KOM points will be awarded near the Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta. Below is the profile for the second KOM:



Not surprisingly, there are events planned in Augusta as well. The Augusta Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a timed 23-mile VIP ride, which includes 11 miles of the the Tour of Missouri. The $100 entry fee includes ride, gourmet lunch at Mount Pleasant and parking pass. The winery also is offering a range of packages that range from reserved parking to reserved viewing space in a VIP area.

The route traverses through Augusta back to Highway 94. After about a mile on that highway, the route turns onto Schluersburg Road. That's when the racers will face their stiffest challenge of the day, the climb up the Schluersburg Road hill for the third and final KOM points on the day. Here's what the riders will be facing on that 0.9-mile climb with about 350 feet of vertical gain:


If you want to see a bit of suffering, Schluersburg Road is your place.

The route ends in St. Charles, Missouri's first state capital, near the city's historic district. There are plenty of shops in the historic district, not to mention the Ameristar Casino to the south of the finish.

Trailnet's Bicycle Fun Club will have a Tour of Missouri Fun Ride that starts at the casino between 9 and 10 a.m. Riders will travel the Katy Trail to a vantage point where they want to see the race. They can go as far as Augusta, which is a 64-mile round trip from St. Charles.

The state of Missouri is hoping you'll come visit -- and spend some money!

(Coming Friday: A preview of the Stage 6 route in St. Louis.)

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:25 PM

Stage 3 guest commentary

Since I haven't been able to attend any of the early stages of the Tour of Missouri because of various commitments, I'm offering guest commentary tonight from Jerry Whittle.

Jerry is a ride leader for the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society and a regular on the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's 5-Star Century circuit. One of his daughters, Laura, is a member of Midwestern State University's cycling team, so I think Jerry's more than qualified to offer commentary about his Tour of Missouri experience:

We were in Springfield to watch the end of Stage 2 yesterday. (George) Hincapie sure put on a show. The breakaway put in a lot of time on the rest of the peloton. Almost certainly one of the breakaway group will win this tour.

Today was the Individual Time Trial in Branson. Branson is a great place for a race. Lots of hotel rooms and things to do after the race. The roads are HILLY. The ITT was more like a hill climb than TT.

Unfortunately, the finish line was blocked by the time we got there due to a lack of parking. The crowds were even larger than they expected. We were there a half hour before the first rider was due in. I’m sure that they will learn from this if they go through Branson again.

Therefore, Patti (Jerry's wife) and I found a nice place towards the top of a long, steep hill at mile 12. We were just inches from the riders! There were about 100 other spectators on the hill and this was at mile 12!

Just as we got there, Tour de France winner Alberto Contador flew by. A while later Levi Leipheimer blasted up the hill. He looked great and was as he won the stage. Last came George in the yellow jersey and he looked very focused. I don’t think that he even heard my cowbell ringing. George finished a couple of minutes behind Levi, but ahead of the others in the previous day’s breakaway. Therefore he’s even more likely to win the whole thing.

Between my yelling and ringing a cowbell and his being really close and fast while passing by, I managed to ruin the chance for a perfect photo by cutting off half of George’s head. Now I know why I’m not a professional photographer.

The weather has been perfect. Low 80s, little wind, and dry. Branson might not be Paris, but it made for a great bike race venue.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:06 PM

Thoughts about Stage 3

There were no really big surprises today during the Stage 3 time trial of the Tour of Missouri:

• Levi Leipheimer won the time trial by 16 seconds over Australia's Nathan O'Neill. Leipheimer, who finished third in this year's Tour de France, finished the time trial in 39 minutes, 37.48 seconds.
• George Hincapie finished the time trial in 41:44.07, solidifying his hold on the yellow jersey. Hincapie now leads fellow American William Frischkorn by 1:40. Barring a disaster, I see Hincapie wearing the yellow jersey on the podium in St. Louis.
• Initial reports indicate more good crowds at the start and finish of the time trial.
• Tour of Missouri cyclists and cycling writers are finding out what those of us who have ridden Missouri roads already know: The Show-Me State has hills. Cyclingnews.com describes tomorrow's stage this way: "One of the hardest stages looms tomorrow -- a 214 km leg with more of the same relentless rolling Missouri hills, two intermediate sprints and a (King of the Mountain) climb before finishing in the university town of Columbia."
• And Leipheimer has this to say in VeloNews about the Stage 3 course: "It was definitely a hard course. ... I don't know if you can call them climbs, compared to something like the Tour de Georgia where there was a steep wall. But they were definitely bigger than rollers."
• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's