Tour of Missouri: The Riders

“Our stage is a grueling distance,” said Lorah Steiner, executive director for the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Almost nowhere is it a flat grade.”

Thomas McDaniel, the volunteer coordinator for the fourth stage, agrees. “By far this stage is the absolute hardest,” he said. “It’s nonstop and it’s exhausting.”

The finish-line festival is scheduled to begin about 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 in the parking lot at Eighth and Ash streets. It will include a health and fitness expo, team merchandise vendors and booths for state and local sponsors. A giant TV screen will provide live updates of the race in progress.

No one is certain how many spectators will turn out, though similar races in Georgia and California drew large crowds overall.

“This is the inaugural year for the event, so we don’t have a grasp on the size of the crowd yet, but we are expecting a large one,” Russell said.

The top three cyclists to cross the finish line will immediately be taken to the “green room,” where they will undergo drug screening, a routine procedure for professional cycling events, Russell said. A random pool of other cyclists will also be tested.

“It’s going to be a very grueling day for the cyclists, but (their physical) recovery time is quite remarkable,” said Barry Bennett, director of communications for Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.

An awards ceremony will be held at the Tour of Missouri stage on the courthouse lawn 20 minutes after the cyclists have crossed the finish line.