A big finish

It only took a few seconds for the cyclists in the Tour of Missouri stage from Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau to whiz by spectators, but months of preparation made sure the event came off without a hitch. That's because dozens of organizers, led by Tracey Glenn of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, worked hard to make sure preparations were in place for every detail.

The preparations included finding more than 350 volunteers to help with a variety of tasks, mainly making sure the route between the two Southeast Missouri cities was safe for the cyclists and their support crews. Hats off to every volunteer.

Special mention needs to be made of the local sponsors that made it possible for Cape Girardeau to be a host city for the event: Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, Saint Francis Medical Center, Southeast Missouri Hospital, KFVS12, Cape Bicycle and the Southeast Missourian.

Much has been said of the fact that the Tour of Missouri puts the Show Me State on display around the world. But the race also exposed us to world-class bicycle racing. Those few seconds were breathtaking. It was great to be part of the hoopla.