"Race That Was Tour of Missouri Gets Top Three Finishers From Tour de France"

The Riverfront Times gave some great coverage to the political battle that ended in the loss of the Tour of Missouri.

Tour of Missouri

At the time, state Division of Tourism officials said that the Tour was an economic loser for the state and no other state would pick it up.

Well--they were wrong.  The Riverfront Times has the details:

Next week marks the start of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, a.k.a. the race Colorado gained and Missouri lost following a political pissing match last year between Governor Jay Nixon and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder. 

During its three-year run from 2007 through 2009, the Tour of Missouri attracted some of the world's elite riders for a six-day ride through the state. But the late-August race through Missouri has nothing on its replacement. 

Last week, organizers of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge announced that the top three finishers from last month's Tour de France (Cadel Evans and the brothers Andy and Franck Schleck) will compete in their race beginning August 22. Those riders join other superstars of the sport including Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, and George Hincapie (the 2008 Tour of Missouri winner).