Tour of Missouri: Are you riding in it?

Several times during the last few months when I have said so to non-cycling co-workers and friends, their response was along the lines of: "Oh. That's a bike ride, isn't it? Are you riding in it?"

This makes me realize two things: One, I evidently talk too much about my cycling, running and triathlon adventures; and two, the Tour of Missouri needs more publicity.

"No!" I exclaim. "It's a professional race. With world-class cyclists! The guys who ride the Tour de France, you know?"

Unfortunately, even this explanation doesn't usually produce much excitement. Which is why some folks in the local cycling community are worried. What if nobody shows up to watch? Missouri could embarrass itself in the eyes of cycling fans all over the world.
The Tour of Missouri is only the third stage race of this caliber in the United States. There's the Tour of California, predictably a very popular venue, and the Tour de Georgia which, according to its Web site, has brought out 2.3 million spectators during the last four years. And, of course, there are numerous such races in Europe, the most famous being the Tour de France, with millions of fans lining the roadsides each year.