Tour of Missouri bike race coming to Cape

Entering its third year, the Tour of Missouri bicycle race will make its way to Cape Girardeau in September, a goal local cycling enthusiasts and city officials have been seeking for some time. The official announcement came late last month as Tour of Missouri organizers announced the 11 cities on the 2009 tour, which will start on the east side of the state this year. The first two races started on the west side of the state and ended in St. Louis.

This year's race will start in St. Louis and head for Ste. Genevieve. Cape Girardeau will be the host city at the end of the second stage. Local supporters who have worked diligently to get on the race schedule now have the task of raising $50,000 to $75,000 and up to 100 volunteers.

The race, which counts among its most ardent supporters Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau, has grown in stature in its first two years. The rating given by the International Cycling Union to the 2009 race is expected to draw considerable interest from well-known cyclists whose names frequently appear atop the list of leaders in other international events.

Tour of Missouri backers say the race has a major economic impact on the state. The first race in 2007 involved 368,000 spectators along the route, and that number increased in 2008 to 434,000. In dollars, this represented an economic impact of more than $25 million the first year and nearly $30 million last year.

Congratulations to everyone who has worked so diligently to make Cape Girardeau part of the Tour of Missouri.