Tour of Missouri News & Info

Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder promised Springfield and southwest Missouri a tourism windfall when the inaugural Tour of Missouri takes to the roads Sept. 11 through 16.

The 600-mile race is patterned after the Tour de France, with point-to-point, or stage racing, for professional cyclists. It's also designed after the annual Tour of California and Tour de Georgia.

Missouri's race is expected to draw 120 national and international competitors, and Kinder called it "the third prong of the triple crown" of U.S. professional bicycle racing. He serves as chair of the race's executive committee.

Kinder told the Springfield Rotary Club Tuesday that the Georgia tour last year attracted 600,000 spectators, California's event drew 1.5 million spectators, and organizers expect at least 500,000 spectators across Missouri.