bicycle.net -- cycling news, product reviews, original essays, podcasts & video :: tour de france 2008

Okay, so this year it seems the common thread of logic, is that to attract good money-paying racers one has to claim they’ve got the GOD AWFUL HARDEST race course e-e-e-ever.  
In our case, it’s called Hellbender - but not for reasons you would think - and it proclaims it is BAR NONE the hardest [...]

One day added, four new cities announced
Jefferson City, Mo. (Jan. 30, 2008) – Twelve cities around the Show Me State have been selected as Start or Finish cities for the second edition of the Tour of Missouri, an elite, point-to-point cycling stage race to be held September 8-14, 2008.
The second Tour of Missouri has [...]

American George Hincapie of team High Road will participate in the Tour of Missouri international cycling race, September 8-14, race organizers announced today. Hincapie, a Tour de France stage winner, also will lend his image to marketing the race.
HIncapie Interview Video
“With my new team High Road, I will attend the Tour of Missouri this September [...]

One day added, four new cities announced
Jefferson City, Mo. (Jan. 30, 2008) – Twelve cities around the Show Me State have been selected as Start or Finish cities for the second edition of the Tour of Missouri, an elite, point-to-point cycling stage race to be held September 8-14, 2008.
The second Tour of Missouri has [...]

By JT Fisher
The big question has to be, was it successful? We have a brand new US stage race, rated 2.1 nevertheless, which boils down to it being a serious enough race that top teams can and will participate — and we’ve just concluded the first running.
Of course, success can have a [...]

Tour of Missouri Stage 6 Preview

From:St.Louis Circuit Race
Miles: 74
Description:The cross-state journey for the cyclists will finish in Missouri’s largest city, St. Louis. In the shadows of the arch, the race will have gone through more than 20 counties, 50 towns and cities, and covered about 600 miles.
Start Time: 1:00pm
Finish Time ETA: 3:39pm-4:05pm
Race Format: Circuit Race
Terrain: [...]

Tour of Missouri Stage 5 Preview

From:Jefferson City to St. Charles
Distance:127 miles
Description:After a short auto transfer south, Stage 5 will start in Missouri’s capital Jefferson City and travel through the state’s wine region en route to the historic river city of St. Charles.
Start Time: 11:30 am
Finish Time ETA: 3:53 pm-5:11 pm
Race Format: Road Race
Terrain: Rolling
Stage Map: [...]

Where to start, where to start….
Okay, first, big kudos to the citizens of Branson who were perfect hosts and set up a spectacular race venue amid gorgeous sunny weather. I had the privilege before and during the race of cycling their main roads and byways – and invariably when cars honked at us [...]

Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Preview

From:Lebanon to Columbia - 133 miles
Description:The caravan transfers north to the agricultural town of Lebanon and then races north to the collegiate town of Columbia, home to the University of Missouri. The proposed finish in Columbia is Courthouse Square.
Start Time: 10:30am
Finish Time ETA: 3:17pm-4:36pm
Race Format: Road Race
Terrain: Rolling
Stage Map: Click [...]

Tour of Missouri Stage 3 Preview

From: Branson to Branson
18 mile Time Trial
Description: Cyclists will race against the clock during an individual time trial (“race of truth”) in the hilly resort town of Branson which could determine the overal winner. The Ozark Mountain Highroad will probably take in a large part of the course
Start: 11:00 AM [...]

Stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri has completed, and seems to have exceeded expectations on a number of fronts, including:

GOOD RACING: Obviously it’s common knowledge that there were breakaway attempts early on, and then a long and doomed breakaway that got up to five minutes lead on the peloton at its peak. [...]

Tour of Missouri Stage 2:
From Clinton to Springfield
Description: Starts at the trailhead of Missouri’s famous Katy Trial cross-state bike path en route to Missouri’s third-largest city, Springfield with the finish in Jordan Valley Park.
Start: 11:00 AM CT; Estimated finish: 3:30 PM CT
Stage Map - CLICK HERE
Stage Profile - CLICK HERE
Stage 2 Basic Log - CLICK [...]

Cuban speedster Ivan Dominguez earned the first yellow jersey of the inaugural Tour of Missouri, blasting across the line at the end of stage 1 on a sun-splashed Tuesday in Kansas City. The Toyota United rider’s triumph came at the expense of Canadian Zach Bell (Symmetrics) and American Kyle Wamsley (Navigators) who were second and [...]

Tour of Missouri Stage #1: Tuesday Sept 11 for 85 miles
Kansas City to Kansas City
Description: The tour starts with an out-and-back course starting and finishing at the Country Club Plaza in Missouri’s second largest city. It will be a road race making a wide loop around the metro area, including the Northland, followed by finishing [...]

On Tuesday the first running of the Tour of Missouri gets underway with 119 riders heading out for six days and almost 600 miles of racing under beautiful Midwestern fall skies where daily temps will run as low as 40F and up into the high 70s/low 80s late, with little chance of precipitation during the [...]

Though the organisers have been unusually quiet, the first Tour of Missouri is still a go for September — and promoters Medalist Sports have finally released the details on the race, including course descriptions and a partial list of teams accepting invitations.
It was recently announced that Discovery Channel would be one of the teams, and [...]