Stage 2 recap

Clinton Middle School CrowdStage 2 of the Tour was a blast today. And the crowds were outright huge again--their initial estimate it 69,000 along the route for Stage 2, start to finish.
As part of my job as Statewide Volunteer Coordinator for the Tour this year, my job is to be in every start city and every finish city.

Clinton MO shop window
Clinton MO shop window
They really pulled out all the stops in Clinton this morning--all the shops around the city square had displays featuring bicycles, bicycling, or the tour--everything from antique bicycles to student art.

I think they had more people out to see the start than actually live in Clinton.

What the peloton sees . . .Then on the way out of town I left just before the lead vehicles (actually I got stuck in traffic and ended up just behind one of the lead marshal vehicles--please don't report me, as I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to be quite there). The plus side is I got to see the absolutely HUGE amount of people out to see the tour throughout the city of Clinton. I've never seen so many schoolchildren out--lining the route and they are loud.

The finish in Springfield was equally exciting--a large crowd, easily as big or bigger than last year. The volunteers in Springfield are extraordinarily well organized thanks to local Volunteer Coordinators Bob Belote & Barb Baker--which means I have little to do but take in the finish and enjoy the sites and the crowds.

This evening Wes Revels (of the MBF Board) and I are planning to take a ride around some of Springfield's trails system--and if we can figure out the logistics, in the morning we'll do the ride in Branson at 7AM--18 miles following the time trial course the pros will be riding later that day.

Photo highlights from today are below--many more photos at our Flickr page for Stage 2 (or view the Stage 2 slideshow).


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