Watching the Tour: What to do, what NOT to do

consider this your primer, a Cliffs Notes version of how to — and perhaps how not to — watch the Tour of Missouri bike race that starts Tuesday at the Country Club Plaza.

The 120 world-class riders won’t be here long, covering 85 miles in less than four hours, before moving on to stage 2 in Clinton, Mo., on Wednesday.

Race officials hope thousands of Kansas Citians line the course, but they’re just not sure what to expect. Neither are Kansas Citians, for that matter.

So we’re here to help.

•Start with this: Your dog. . . .

•Similar precautions should be taken by you and your children. Stay behind the barricade, and don’t try anything silly like high-fiving the riders . . .

•Wherever you see hay bales along the course, pop open a folding chair. . . . Hey, it doesn’t mean you want somebody to crash, but if it’s going to happen, you might as well have a good view.

•Catch at least some of the action in person, even if you’re stuck working that day. You don’t have to block out two or three hours of your afternoon because the race’s Web site — www.tourofmissouri.com — shows the approximate time that racers will be in certain areas. Sneak out of the office for 20 or 30 minutes and show some support.

•If high-flying action is what you’re looking for, check out maps on the Web site for “Sprint Line” and “KOM” (king of the mountain) areas. Riders get bonus points for reaching these areas first, so the competition promises to be intense.

•Most importantly, soak up the revelry.

Race organizers want to make it an all-day affair, particularly in stops like Kansas City, where the racers bike on a circuitous route but start and end at the same spot near Pennsylvania Avenue and Ward Parkway on the Plaza.

There will be autograph sessions at the starting line, and the race will be broadcast live on a 12-foot-by-18-foot movie screen.