Tour of Missouri

[uforgot]

I just received this info today:

Discovery Channel Team Makes Missouri Final U.S. Race
-----------------------------------------------------
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain and American Levi Leipheimer, the third place finisher at that race, have been announced as participants in the inaugural Tour of Missouri, September 11 th - 16 th . It marks the first time since Greg LeMond (in 1986) that a Tour de France champion raced in a major American stage race after winning the Tour. Contador and Leipheimer led the Discovery Channel team which recently dominated the Tour de France with two overall podium places, two stage wins, and laying claim to the best young rider classification and overall team classification.

Also included on the Discovery Channel roster in Missouri are: prerace favorite and current U.S. National Champion George Hincapie of Greenville, S.C.; 8 th place Tour de France finisher Yaroslav Popovych of the Ukraine; Tony Cruz of Long Beach, CA; 2007 3 rd place finisher of the Amgen Tour of California Jason McCartney of Coralville, IA; up and coming U.S. star John Devine of Dixon, Ill., and Fuyu Li, the first Chinese athlete to compete at the elite Pro Tour level.

To have Johan Bruyneel commit to bringing Discovery Channel’s Tour de France “dream team” to the Tour of Missouri is special for this race,” said Race Director Jim Birrell. Added Bruyneel: “I have always enjoyed directing in the U.S. because of our success and an amazing group of fans that come to see us race. It is sad to think that this will be one of the last times I will be directing, but I am glad it will be in front of a such great fans."



Woohoo!!!! I think I will need to take a couple of personal days. It starts in KC and ends in St. Louis. What a great event for Missouri! More info here:

Tour of Missouri (http://www.tourofmissouri.com/)

[Tiffany]

And I will definitely be watching in person. I guess it isn't bad to be from Missouri sometimes. :D

[singletrackmind]

Oh happy times! :)

And the latest trailnet emailing:

http://www.marketvolt.com/MVAPP/data/images/344-38059.jpg
As a sponsor of the Tour of Missouri, starting in mid-August, the bear-sized replica jerseys and cycling kits (including a helmet, a jersey, and pants) will be available for purchase at all 11 Build-A-Bear Workshop® Missouri locations and on their website (www.buildabear.com), while quantities last. These jerseys will replicate the jersey presented to the young athlete who places highest in the overall standings each day and will be awarded a specially -branded Build-A-Bear Workshop® Best Young Rider jersey.
Trailnet will receive a donation from the Build-A-Bear Workshop® Bear Hugs Foundation of $.50 for each bear-sized Tour of Missouri tee shirt sold and $1.00 from each cycling kit sold to benefit bike safety education & outreach.

I can't afford it but thought I'd pass it along for those of you who might like that sort of thing. Says mid-August but I can only find a Tour of MO T-shirt on the BAB website at this point.

[maillotpois]

Wow - that is super cool!!! Have fun, Missourians!

[li10up]

I'm glad to see another big time cycling event in the states. Wish I could be there to watch a stage or two (or six). :D

Missouri is a very pretty state...I'm sure the course will be awesome.

[uforgot]

It has begun! Anyone on TE going to see any of it? I'm going to Jefferson City on Saturday, and then St. Louis on Sunday.

[uforgot]

Just have to mention: Up until two weeks ago there wasn't much publicity surrounding this around here. Early in the school year, I posted it on my board and my students (high school) wanted to know if I was going to be in it! I finally started responding "Only if the St. Louis Cardinals don't need me then".

Of course everyone has been hearing about it non-stop for the past two weeks, so they now understand. :D

[PinkPilot]

Just have to mention: Up until two weeks ago there wasn't much publicity surrounding this around here. Early in the school year, I posted it on my board and my students (high school) wanted to know if I was going to be in it! I finally started responding "Only if the St. Louis Cardinals don't need me then".

Of course everyone has been hearing about it non-stop for the past two weeks, so they now understand. :D

It looked to me like the Rams needed you!!:p (I can say that since I'm still a Marc Bulger fan.)

[stacie]

my husband and son are heading up. They'll watch from St Louis on Sunday. Hope to get tickets for the cards on Saturday. No luck so far.

[Aggie_Ama]

DH and I were trying to find a way to go up there, but he just can't get time off.

I just saw the report of today - GO BIG GEORGE!!!!!

[singletrackmind]

Oooh, but poor former Missourian Dan Schmatz
( http://danschmatz.missingsaddle.com/ )....is out of the race. Sure hope he recovers quickly and well.



....so will it be stuffed armadillos instead of lions for the ToM? :D

[singletrackmind]

Oh yeah, watched it live today via http://www.justin.tv/avflive
a little jumpety but better than nothing.

[uforgot]

I watched it too, (the last half hour) and today it included sound!

[Melalvai]

I saw them come in to Columbia. I'd been watching it online and the breakaway group had a 4 min lead. I went down the street to watch them come in to town, and there was no breakaway group! I read later the rest of the pack caught up because the headwind finally took its toll on the leaders. Sure went past fast! I got a picture http://www.kemenel.org/melalvai/journal.

By the time I got back home and online, it was over. I kind of wanted to see them climb Rock Quarry. This is a road I've been taking daily lately, it's narrow and twisty but has one heck of a hill. I get up to 35 or 36 mph going DOWN that hill without trying. I go UP it every morning. These guys went up that hill.

[singletrackmind]

We saw them today on Schleursberg Road, 3rd king of the mountains spot. Really cool, rode up it on the tandem with the kid and an hour later they FLEW up it, first the break away, then the peloton. Sweet!

I'd hazard to say they were a wee bit faster than myself. :p

[singletrackmind]

Was at the start/finish at stage 6 yesterday. Awesome crowd. Got some pictures with my measly little digital, thought I'd share a fraction of them....

The crowd...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/182-8248_IMG.jpg

A tribute to Dan Schmatz, who wiped out an armadillo (and himself) on stage 2...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/182-8254_IMG.jpg

Waiting...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/182-8265_IMG.jpg

Start of the second lap, the breakaway is just ahead of Discovery...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/182-8292_IMG.jpg

Just behind Discovery...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/182-8293_IMG.jpg

Lap 5 or 6...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/183-8320_IMG.jpg

The win...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/183-8327_IMG.jpg

Random pics....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/183-8382_IMG.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/183-8392_IMG.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/183-8397_IMG.jpg

Dan Schmatz....(in sling)....announced he's retiring from pro racing...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/183-8400_IMG.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/184-8415_IMG.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/184-8439_IMG.jpg