Tour of Missouri brings spectators, bikers close to home
Molly Saunders: Muleskinner
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Life & Leisure
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The Tour has brought 15 world-class professional cycling teams, representing 18 countries, to Missouri. The teams include the Garmin-Chipotle team, which represents the GPS navigation systems company based out of Kansas City.
Stage 2 of the Tour began Tuesday, just a stones' throw from Warrensburg in Clinton, Mo., which can claim one of the only two trail heads of the 225-mile long Katy Trail.
Deanna Hendrich, director of the Clinton Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Muleskinner last year that Clinton's location to the Katy Trail may have been one of the reasons it was chosen for the start of a stage.
"I think the ambiance of our square had a lot to do with why we were chosen to host this stage again," said Clinton Mayor Gus Wetzel, pointing to the huge crowd surrounding the starting line at the Clinton town square.
Stage 2 ended in Springfield, Mo. Tuesday and was the longest stage of the tour, with riders conquering more than 120 miles of Missouri's rolling hills. And although Britain's Mark Cavendish took his second win for the Tour, Springfield native Brad Huff was not far behind.
"He was always such a nice boy and a hard worker," said Kay Meeker, owner of Sunshine Bike Shop where Huff worked as a teenager. "It's so great to see how far he's come."
Huff rides for the Jelly Belly Cycling Team and grabbed a sixth place finish Tuesday in his hometown. Needless to say, his fans were all over the town sporting T-shirts that said "GO BRAD HUFF" and "I love HUFF."
With names like George Hincapie, who helped lead Lance Armstrong to all seven of his Tour de France wins, and Cavendish, the 23-year-old from Great Britain who won four stages of the Tour de France this year, the second annual Tour of Missouri is sure to become a fan favorite.
Seventy-nine-year-old Springfield resident Joan Steury, said she read about the Tour last September in the Springfield newspaper.
"I volunteered with a friend last year, and we had so much fun I decided to do it again," she said.
There are even fans that travel to different stage starts and finishes. Commercial bus driver Francis Shafer, from Overland Park, Kan., traveled to Clinton, Mo. Tuesday to see the cyclists off.
"I called my daughter one night last week when I found out my new schedule. I told her I must be driving some out-of-town group or something because they were taking a tour of Missouri and she went 'oh my god, dad!" Shafer explained. "She was so excited because she rides and she is a huge fan of these guys."
Shafer, along with his son-in-law and friend, followed the caravan down to the Springfield finish Tuesday.
Getting the money raised to maintain such a huge event often attracts sponsors from every corner of the state.
"I sponsored the Tour last year, as well, and it's because I was certainly aware of how big of an event this really is," said Attorney Jim Switzer from Clinton, Mo. "You can't just bring the equivalent of the Tour of France over to Missouri and not expect people to know that it's a big deal."
Though some may still be skeptical of the spandex, it is important to note how beneficial the Tour is for the state of Missouri.
"This is a great world-class event that only two other states in the United States are honored to have," said Wetzel.
"Cycling reminds me of minor league baseball," said Clinton School Board member Rick Coale. "Those guys are not out there for the money, they are there because they love it, and that makes it just beautiful."
Coale added that he strongly encourages other communities to get involved in years to come.
"Bikers are just the nicest people in the world," Meeker explained. "They are just so friendly, and I love being around them. I just love so much what I get to do everyday."
To learn more about the Tour of Missouri and its schedule through the state, you may visit www.tourofmissouri.com.
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