They’re coming — Tour of Missouri in Gallatin Saturday, Sept. 12

The race begins in St. Louis on Monday, Sept. 7, Labor Day, with a 10-lap, 75-mile circuit race that will be fast and flat and favor a sprinter taking the leader’s jersey. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the race will transfer south to Ste. Genevieve with a 112.4-mile road race to Cape Girardeau. The terrain is hilly to moderate and features finishing circuits.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, cyclists will face their toughest challenge of the race, with a hilly 114.3-mile stage in the Northern Ozark Mountains from Farmington to Rolla. After a short transfer on Thursday, Sept. 10, the race will proceed from St. James to Jefferson City, with the circuit finish featuring a steep 300-meter uphill sprint to the finish.

Riders will be able make up time Friday, Sept. 11, during the individual time trial at Sedalia with a 19-mile race against the clock around Missouri’s State Fairgrounds. On Saturday, Sept. 12, cyclists will race from Chillicothe to St. Joseph while hitting moderate to hilly terrain.

The week-long journey through the Show-Me-State concludes with a hilly circuit through the streets of Kansas City, Sunday, Sept. 13. The Kansas City circuit will feature two king of the mountain points with more than 2,000 feet of climbing over 72 miles.

Stage 1 – St. Louis, circuit race, 75 miles (120.7 km) – flat

Stage 2 – Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau, 112.4 miles (180.9 km) – hilly

Stage 3 – Farmington to Rolla, 114.3 mi. (183.9 km) – hilly

Stage 4 – St. James to Jefferson City, 109.2 mi. (175.7 mi.) – moderate to hilly

Stage 5 – Sedalia, Time Trial, 19 mi. (30.5 km) – flat

Stage 6 – Chillicothe to St. Joseph, 110.3 mi. (177.4 km) – flat to moderate hills

Stage 7 – Kansas City, circuit race, 72.3 mi. (116.4 km) – moderate with short steep hills

Tour Contacts: Steve Brunner, 719-272-7022 or Priscilla Visintine, 314-821-8232

State Contact: Gary McElyea, 417-848-4878

Astana contact: contact: [email protected]

Top Astana riders head to Tour of Missouri

The world’s No. – 1 ranked team Astana has named three-time Amgen Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, Calif., and 2007 Tour de Georgia winner and former junior world champion Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia to headline a powerful line-up for the upcoming Tour of Missouri, scheduled for Sept. 7-13.

"I’m still recovering from my broken wrist suffered in the Tour de France, but anytime I have the opportunity to line-up for a race of this caliber in my own country, I’m going to make my best effort to participate," said Leipheimer, who was positioned in the top five overall in the Tour de France when he crashed. "Since I haven’t raced in over a month, it’s hard to give an assessment of my form, but I know our entire team is very excited and motivated for this race."

In addition to Leipheimer and Brajkovic, Astana’s roster includes: Steve Morabito, Andrey Zeits, Sergey Renev; plus team-winning Tour de France team performers and strongmen Gregory Rast, the 2007 Tour of Luxembourg winner and stage winner (team time trial) of this year’s Tour de France, Dmitri Muravyev, a three-time Kazakhstan National Champion in the time trial and Yaroslav Popovych, who is a podium finisher at the Tour of Italy and former stage winner of the Tour de France and America’s Tour de Georgia. The team will be directed by Viatcheslav Ekimov, a 13-time Tour de France participant, Olympic gold medalist and winner of numerous major pro races in his career including the 1994 Tour DuPont, then America‘s top race.

Leipheimer raced in the first Tour of Missouri in 2007 as part of the Discovery Channel team. Brajkovic recently was crowned Slovenian national champion in the time trial.

"Personally, I’m also looking forward to seeing how the race has grown since my last participation," added Leipheimer. "This is the Tour of Missouri’s third year and I believe it’s another indication that we need more races at this level in this country."

"We’re very excited Levi has chosen to participate this year. He is one of the world’s super stars in the sport. Being his first race back should be great for everyone," said Jim Birrell the Tour of Missouri’s race director. "This is the No. 1-ranked team in the world. And, though Lance Armstrong and Alberto Cantador are not on their roster, it’s a very, very good and talented team. The fact that half the team rode on the winning Tour de France team is a testament to the quality of team they are sending to the Tour of Missouri. We’re glad to welcome the top ranked team to the United States."

The upgrade has drawn top pro tour teams Astana, Cervélo TestTeam, Columbia- HTC, Garmin- Slipstream, Liquigas, Saxo Bank and Quickstep, all recent Tour de France teams, of which won 14 of 21 stages of the world’s biggest race. Domestic teams participating in 2009 include BISSELL Pro Cycling Team, BMC Racing, Colovita / Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, Jelly Belly, Kelly Benefit Strategies, OUCH presented by Maxxis, and Team Type 1. Canada’s top team Planet Energy rounds out the field.

Previously announced were superstars of the sports, including: 2008 winner Christian Vande Velde, four-time U.S. National Champion in the time trial David Zabriskie and 2007 Tour of Missouri stage winner Danny Pate, all of Garmin-Slipstream; Britain’s Mark Cavendish, a 10-time Tour de France stage winner and widely considered the world’s best sprinter; 2007 Tour of Missouri champion George Hincapie; three-time world champion and 2008 Tour of Missouri second place overall finisher Mick Rogers of Australia, all of team Columbia-HTC; Norway’s Thor Hushovd, the sprint jersey winner of this year’s Tour de France and Cervelo TestTeam member Heinrich Haussler, a stage winner at the this year’s Tour de France; Italy’s Franco Pellizotti of the Liquigas-Cannondale team, the 2009 Tour de France KOM Champion and Australia’s Rory Sutherland, the top-ranked rider on the domestic circuit and teammate Floyd Landis, the winner of both the Amgen Tour of California and Tour de Georgia of Team OUCH.

Hincapie claims national title for third time

George Hincapie, the winner of the inaugural Tour of Missouri in 2007, won the U.S. Professional Championships for a record-tying third time, outsprinting Andrew Bajadali and Jeff Louder.

The race, contested for the fourth straight year in Hincapie’s hometown of Greenville, S.C., was a battle of wills as nine riders entered the final 4.2 mile circuit before the top three broke away with less than two miles to go in the 110-mile race.

Hincapie was greeted to a throng of local support, the biggest crowd in fours years of the race in Greenville.

"It was very emotional for me," said Hincapie. "It’s my hometown and I did feel a lot of pressure. But to win with all that pressure is a great feeling."

Hincapie had broken his collarbone with five days left in July’s Tour de France but finished that race. It was his first race since the Tour de France.

"I didn’t know how I would be going but knew I had one of my best Tours de France ever so I am still pretty fit," said Hincapie.

All three of the podium finishers, including Hincapie (Columbia-HTC), Bajadali (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Louder (BMC Racing) will be racing in Missouri.

Dave Zabriskie (Garmin), who won the national championship for the time trial, second-place Tom Zirbel (Bissell) and third-place Scott Zwizanski (Kelly Benefit Strategies) will all be participating at this year’s Tour of Missouri.

"To have all podium finishers from the U.S. Pro Championships racing in Missouri will be special," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports. "It’s a great preview of who to watch for next week."

Cannondale announced as official bike sponsor for Tour of Missouri

Officials with the 2009 Tour of Missouri and Cannondale announced today that Cannondale is the official bike sponsor for the third annual elite pro cycling race. This is the first year for Cannondale to sign on as a sponsor, and throughout the seven-day tour cyclists will have multiple opportunities to win a free Cannondale bicycle. People will also have the opportunity to view some of the latest top-of-the-line products at Cannondale’s booth throughout the Tour.

The company is providing 20 bikes which will be given away through a variety of promotions, including giveaways with KMBC TV, KCLive.com and at the Kansas City Air show. Plus fans can register to win on www.stltoday.com. In partnership with Mich Ultra, 14 bars and restaurants along the course are hosting viewing parties which will also include opportunities to win a Cannondale. Two full carbon fiber Cannondale Six Carbon 5 models will be given-away through www.tourofmissouri.com and www.velonews.com

Cannondale will have a large expo area where visitors will be able to see such items as Chrissie Wellington’s bike that she will use to defend her World Ironman championship at Kona, the Cannondale Slice Hi-Mod. Also on display will be Liquigas team bikes and two "project" bikes pushing the lightweight envelope of what is considered possible.

Television and live webcast schedules; announcers named for the 2009 Tour of Missouri

The Tour of Missouri, a 612-mile, seven-day world-class professional cycling race, has announced its television and live web telecast schedules for the race, Sept. 7-13.

In an unprecedented leap forward for the event, the race will be broadcast on multiple broadcast channels for 2009. Nationally, the event will air nightly with a 30-minute recap show on Versus, at midnight central time. Regionally, the event will be telecast on Fox Sports – Midwest and Fox Sports – Kansas City with a 30-minute wrap-up show, airing at various times between 10:30pm and midnight.

The Tour of Missouri also will be aired daily live on multiple carriers, including www.universalsports.com and www.tourofmissouri.com, as well as local partner affiliates in St. Louis, www.kmov.com and www.kmbc.com. The live webcast will air approximately two hours before each stage finish (see listing below).

The broadcast hosts for the Tour of Missouri on all broadcasts will be Paul Sherwen, a veteran of 26 Tour de France telecasts and Frankie Andreu, another veteran announcer who finished nine Tours de France and placed fourth at the Atlanta Olympic Games in cycling’s road race. Chris Gutowsky, an American living in France, will anchor reports from the field, including the back of motorbike.

Area youth’s t-shirt design wins big for upcoming professional cycling event

The Tour of Missouri is preparing to get underway and there will be a very special shirt fans can sport along the sidelines. Little Brother Shevon, a proud Missouri teen, is to thank; he created the winning t-shirt design and all sales will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri.

"Big Brother Ryan encouraged me to participate in the contest. It’s a cool shirt that everyone can wear – something unique and fun for the ride," said 14-year old Little Brother Shevon.

His family is proud and excited as well. "This is a great way for the kids to get involved and be a part of the community on so many levels," says Paula, Little Brother Shevon’s mother.

The Tour of Missouri is a seven day, seven stage race with 15 of the world’s top professional cycling teams competing. From St. Louis to Kansas City, the race route travels through some of the state’s most picturesque highways and roadways. Scheduled from Sept. 7 -13, the third annual race will visit 11 host cities for stage starts and finishes along the route.

The shirts are $10 a piece and 100% of the proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri. Shirts are available online at www.tourofmissouri.com and also at events along the 600+ mile race route.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri (BBBSAM) is a statewide mentoring partnership program with an overall goal to build a statewide network of quality one-to-one mentoring services for children of incarcerated parents and change the lives of our Little Brothers and Little Sisters for the better, forever. In partnership with local BBBS agencies and Missouri Department of Corrections, BBBSAM aims to ensure that children, no matter where they live or move, have the opportunity to be matched with a caring and consistent Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor to help them with the ups and downs of daily life. For more information, visit www.bbbsamo.org.

MoDOT Making Roads Race-Ready

Much like when the president came to St. Louis to throw out the first pitch at the All-Star Game, the Tour of Missouri bicycle race has Missouri Department of Transportation crews throughout the state working behind the scenes to make sure traffic moves safely and efficiently during the event.

Even though the race doesn’t start until Sept. 7, a MoDOT steering committee began preparing for the race in January, working with the race’s organizer, Medalist Sports, to identify safe race routes. One of MoDOT’s main roles is to help outline the race course by identifying construction projects to avoid during the event. The department also develops traffic management plans to minimize the race’s impact on the traveling public. The big challenge this year was an increased number of bridge closings due to MoDOT’s Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program, an aggressive project to replace or repair 802 of the state’s worst bridges.

"Our work may take place behind the scenes, but it’s critical because we make sure the race route is safe for the bicyclists, the spectators and the traveling public," MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said.

Once the race route is set, MoDOT’s focus turns to sharing information with the public about the road closings and to working closely with the Missouri State Highway Patrol to secure the routes. As in years past, most of the affected roads will be closed a few minutes ahead of the racers and will be opened back up as soon as they pass through, keeping road closings to about 20-30 minutes.

More information about the race, including maps of the race routes, can be found on MoDOT’s Web site, http://www.modot.org/tourofmissouri, and at www.tourofmissouri.com.

Cavendish retains Missouri Tourism leader’s jersey with Stage 2 triumph at 2009 Tour of Missouri

British speedster Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) proved to be the fastest man in the peloton for a second day, winning Stage 2, presented by Missouri Wine & Grape Board, at the 2009 Tour of Missouri. Cavendish finished in four hours, 16 minutes, 53 seconds. Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) secured second and Juan Jose Haedo (Saxo Bank) took third, reversing their podium places from yesterday.

In the general classification, Hushovd moves up from fifth to second overall, 10 seconds behind Cavendish. Haedo remains in third overall, with the same time as Hushovd.

"I had less people at the end from our team. It was a bit surprising, there were attacks from the other teams, like Kelly Benefits attacked with 5k to go. It upset the rhythm," Cavendish said about the sprint finish in Stage 2, which was his 25th victory of the season. "(Today’s stage) resembles central France, central-eastern, the roads you ride on in the transition stages of this year’s Tour (de France). You’re kind of laboring on these climbs; the climbs aren’t short enough that you roll up them, or long enough that you suffer up them."

A significant casualty of the day was the withdrawal of Tour of Missouri defending champion Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream). He started Stage 2 in Ste. Genevieve, but abandoned after the first few miles due to discomfort in his right hand from a hairline fracture at the base of his second metacarpal. He suffered the injury in the final 500 meters of Monday’s circuit race in St. Louis.

"However painful it was to crash yesterday, riding back to the bus by myself was even more painful. The Tour of Missouri means a lot to me, my team and my sponsors. I would have loved to have been able to finish it," Vande Velde stated shortly after pulling out of the race. The 33-year-old is a native of Lemont, Ill. and has family in Missouri. He was in good form this year, having finished 8th overall at the 2009 Tour de France.

A hot pace was matched by sultry weather today as the field of 116 pro riders averaged 26.25 miles per hour over the 112.4 mile (180.9 km) route. Three riders, Americans Kiel Reijnen (Jelly Belly Cycling) and Tim Duggan (Garmin-Slipstream), and Canadian Francois Parisien (Planet Energy), broke away for 75 miles of the race. They were caught four miles from the finish.

The start host city, Ste. Genevieve, appeared to have all of its 4,500 residents, and then some, lining the streets of the 18th Century French colony community for an impressive sendoff. Riders then followed the "Route de Vin" past local vineyards and onto the endless undulating roadways and narrow bridges along the bluffs near the Mississippi River, leading up to Cape Girardeau.

The 24-year-old Cavendish retains three award jerseys – Missouri Tourism Leader’s jersey, Edward Jones Sprint jersey and the 180 Energy/Icelandic Glacial Water Best Young Rider jersey. Moises Aldape (Team Type I) of Mexico will continue wearing the Michelob Ultra KOM jersey, and the Drury Hotels Most Aggressive Rider jersey was presented to Parisien.

"This kind of course is really my favorite kind of course. I’ve learned to race in northern France and Brittany. I’m really used to it. I really like it," said Parisien, who rides on the all-Canadian Planet Energy team. "I think Canadian cycling is going a lot better than before… It’s really important for us to show that we’re here to try to win races. We’re, maybe, underdogs, but we’re not here just for the show. The main point is to show that we’re able to do that and hopefully win a race."