Tour of Missouri News & Info

Be a part of the action as Missouri hosts the inaugural Tour of Missouri professional bicycling race. The Tour of Missouri is one of only three stage races in the newly created USA Cycling Pro Tour, which highlights the top multi-day races in America. Similar to the Tour de France, racing teams from all over the world will be competing in this stage race across Missouri. Team Discovery Channel, Lance Armstrong’s team, has confirmed their participation in the Tour.

Trailnet, the not-for-profit that promotes Active Living through bicycling and walking activities, will be hosting a VIP ride and fun ride on Saturday, September 15 as part of the Tour of Missouri. The VIP ride includes riding a portion of the racecourse in Augusta and crossing the finish line in St. Charles. Riders also have the opportunity to pedal up Schlursberg hill, one of the King of the Mountain (KOM) points for the racers. Most of the route is on the Katy Trail.

Participation in the VIP ride is limited to 200, pre-registration is required. The cost is $250 which includes riding part of the race course route, brunch in Augusta, logo hat and shirt, reserved seating to watch the race finish and a ticket to the St. Louis Wrap party on Sunday to mingle with the racers. The proceeds from the charity ride will be split between Trailnet, Tour of Missouri and the Governors Council on Physical Fitness.

The Trailnet Fun Ride gives cyclists the opportunity to view the Tour of Missouri from several vantage points along the race route. The ride begins in St. Charles; choose your route length, out and back on the Katy Trail. The longest route, to Augusta and back is 64 miles. The ride map will include access points from the trail to watch the race and window of opportunity times to see racers on that section of the course. The ride fee is $8 for Trailnet members, $12 for non-members, and children under 13 are $3.

Services for both riding events include SAG (service and gear) support, mechanic, route markings and map.

For more information and registration for the VIP ride visit www.trailnet.org/documents/07-9-ToM_reg.pdf. There are also opportunities to volunteer for these events on the website too!

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Trailnet seeks to enrich the St. Louis bi-state region by promoting bicycle and pedestrian activities and collaborating with the public and private sectors to ensure and enhance a premier trail system.