TOUR ROLLS INTO CAPE; RIDERS TUNING UP FOR WEEKEND'S TOUR DE GIRARDOT BIKE CLASSIC

The riders in the 4th annual Tour De Girardot Bike Classic will have to work a little harder this year if they want to claim a share of the more than $5,100 in prize money that will be awarded.

The bike classic, which has drawn hundreds of spectators and riders to Cape Girardeau the last three years, kicks off Saturday with the first two stages of the three-tiered competition.

Bill Logan, race organizer and wellness director at St. Francis Medical Center, said a new format will force competitors to work harder in all three events.

Competitors will be awarded points for their placement in the weekend's three races. In the previous three classics, a cyclist could win the championship by doing exceptionally well in one category.

"That will make the criterium much more exciting because there's 15 places they're competing for," Logan said of Sunday's race.

The three-stage event features a 42 to 63-mile road race, a 4-mile time trial and the criterium -- short sprints on a limited track. The road and time races will be held outside the city (see accompanying map) on Saturday. The criterium is going to be contested in Doctors Park.

Logan will be competing in the 40-plus age group. He rides up to 200 miles a week to prepare for a competition.

"People approach it in different ways," he said. "The younger guys will be riding anywhere between 250 to 450 miles a week. Most people in my age group don't have that kind of time or that kind of dedication. They try to get it done in 100 to 200 miles a week."

Logan takes a few long rides a week, between 35 and 50 miles a ride, to train for the road race. To prepare for the time trial and criterium he works on shorter routes.

"I do a lot of my work in the hills; you can get a lot of workout in a short period of time," he said.

To be a competitive cyclist you have to ride, Logan said. But the top riders also have to take into account their conditioning. Many riders will work some running and resistance training into their schedule.

"There are two bases they really want to try to build. The first is the strength base and the other is the endurance base," Logan said. "Because if either of those fail you during the season you're going to have a tough time."

The best riders also have to train their brains. Logan said he always has to keep in mind how much energy he has, the type of course he's riding and how much of that energy he can afford to spend.

Jim Schneider of St. Louis is a coach and competitor. He said the element that separates good riders from great riders is the motivation it takes to work through the pain.

"There will be a time when your legs are burning and your lungs are burning, everything is burning. And you'll ask yourself if you want to push that extra little bit or give up," he said.

Schneider said he visualizes himself pushing through the exhaustion and winning the race. He said if the rider does push it and not give up, the burning usually resides after a short period of time.

The 40-year-old Schneider will be competing against Logan in the 40-plus category. He rides about 150 miles a week to prepare.

Keith Wicks, 17, a member of the Pepsi/PowerBar race team out of Chicago, said he has been learning tactics since he was old enough to ride. Wicks will be traveling with the team to the Tour De Girardot.

"There's so many different tactics," Wicks said. "It's almost like a chess game on wheels."

Wicks should know. He's been competing in bike races since he was 12 years old. He joined the Pepsi team when he was 13. Since then he has won the Illinois State Championship three years in a row and was named the Illinois Pepsi Rider of the Year for juniors age 17-18.

"My goal this year is to become nationally ranked," he said.

What Wicks, Schneider and Logan share is a love of the road.

"I work so hard to get something and when I actually reach that goal -- there's no other feeling like it," Wicks said. "I just like going out and seeing the country on a bicycle."