Missouri Professional Cycling Series wrapup; thanks to Community Ride cyclists and volunteers

The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation was very pleased to be part of last weekend's Missouri Professional Cycling Series, a three-day pro racing series that includes the highest ranked pro cycling race in Missouri, the Tour de Grove.

Thanks to all of the riders and volunteers who came out for MoBikeFed's part of the event, the community bike ride held yesterday as part of the Dutchtown Classic. Riders enjoyed some great urban routes that showed off the Bike St. Louis route system, trails in the Great Rivers Greenway system, some beautiful St. Louis parks, and three of Missouri's six cross-country bicycle routes.

We're planning to be back with another community ride during next year's MO PRO--stay tuned!

MO PRO Cycling Series

The MO PRO Cycling Series includes the Tour de Grove, currently Missouri's highest-ranked pro bicycle race, which is part of the of the prestigious USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar and the USA Crits Championship Series. The Dutchtown Classic is also part of the USA Crits Championship Series.  

Altogether, the event is three exciting days of racing, plus street fairs and community events featuring three St. Louis neighborhoods.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch article about the event interviewed Mike Weiss, race organizer, owner of Big Shark Bicycle Company, and MoBikeFed Advisory Committee member, about MO PRO:

MoPro became more attractive for the top domestic teams for two reasons. First, the series improved its ranking from a fourth-category race to a second-category race. Only four weekend events have a higher ranking. MoPro also benefited from changes in the Tour of California, which invited just 16 teams this year, instead of 18, and increased the number of foreign-based teams in the field. Thus, some of the top domestic teams, such as Jelly Belly, Team Type 1, and Kenda, which have raced in California in the past, are coming here instead. . . .

"The field is almost as good as we had in the Tour of Missouri," Weiss said in reference to the week-long stage race held from 2007 to 2009. The event attracted the top riders in the world but was canceled after it lost state funding. . . .

Loop de Loop, Mike Martin, The Viking Studio, http://www.thevikingstudio.com/Cycling/Loop-de-Loop-Grand-Prix/22937899_TCZfS5

"Criteriums are not always thought of as highly in Europe, but they are a very American form of racing," Weiss said. "We're not going to get the Tour of Missouri back any time soon. But this race is not going to be the victim of a line item in a state budget or partisan politics. It's supported by communities and sponsors that are committed. And I think we're on track to keep getting better."

More local and national MO PRO coverage

• Velonews previewed MO PRO and covered the day 1 wins by Samantha Schneider and Missouri native Brad Huff:
  
  

  As the cycling world looks to Italy and California over the coming days and weeks, a fast-growing series of criterium races in St. Louis, Missouri is quietly attracting top teams from the around the country with a variety of quality courses and NRC points.

  With deep neighborhood support and a growing list of sponsors, the Missouri Professional Cycling Series, also know as MoPro – which includes the Loop de Loop, Tour de Grove and Dutchtown Classic, Friday through Sunday respectively – is working its way into the upper echelons of domestic criterium racing.

• FOX2 News video and a slideshow.

• KSDK News coverage.

Photos

 

Photo credits

MoBikeFed Community Ride Booth and Route Marking: Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation

MO PRO race photos: Mike Martin, The Viking Studio.  Visit The Viking Studio's web site to view many more photos of the weekend's race.