Tour of Missouri: A Fan's Guide

Things you need to know before the guys on bikes roll into town.

The Tour of Missouri will finish its second stage in downtown Springfield on Wednesday, September 12. It’s a unique event for our city, as many of the world’s best riders will be participating—this isn’t a bunch of wannabes on overpriced toy bikes. We’re novices like the rest of you, but came up with advice to help you enjoy the tour stage:

Location is Everything

If you’re actually there for the race and not the spectacle, you’re going to want to see as much of the excitement as possible. That means being there at the finish. Stake out your spot near near the corner of Trafficway and Kimbrough, either in the Shrine Mosque’s rear parking lot or at Jordan Valley Ice Park, where you can amuse yourself at CoxHealth’s wellness expo. If you’re there by 2 or 2:30 p.m. you should have no problem catching the action. Other middle-of-it-all events include an awards ceremony in Jordan Valley Park at 4:30 p.m., followed by a free concert from Big Smith.

Drink and Bike (But Not Really)

If you can score the afternoon off work, you can get your party on. There are a number of places to still catch a bit of the race. On Commercial Street you could choose Paradise Bar & Grille or Lindberg’s. On Jefferson you could stake out a spot on Mille’s comfy patio, or hang out at Big Whiskey’s, Trolley’s or Riad and rush to the corner when the cheering starts along Jefferson. Other places to grab a brew near the route include Acoustic Café, Ophelia’s, Harlow’s, Planet Sub and Billiards.

It’s Okay to be Biased

World-class cyclist and 2006 20 Under 30 Brad Huff is a Fair Grove native, making him the hands-down crowd favorite in this race. He rides for the Chipotle/Slipstream team, recognizable for its obnoxious argyle jersey ensemble. Fortunately, there’s a good chance you’ll see Brad huff into town near the lead. Jason Feagans, a manager at Cycles Unlimited, says Brad can “outsprint anybody if given the opportunity.”

More Cowbell!

Feagans says to bring cowbells. Seriously. “Ring that shi*, loud,” he says. “It’s just ridiculousness from old-school Europe.” Otherwise, it’s perfectly acceptable to hoot and holler, blow air horns, and gawk openly at very fit men in spandex pants.

Dogs Kill Bikes, Bikes Kill Dogs

Of course, you’ll have to behave yourself. The number one rule in any race is to stay the hell out of the road. That goes for your dog too. (You may remember SportsCenter footage of more than one dog getting nailed in the roadway—bad for PETA, worse for the face-planting rider.) “Don’t be the idiot who always messes up the race,” says the helpful Feagans.

Psychodelic Paraphernalia Rocks

It may not be as iconic as wearing the Pujols jersey to a Cardinals game, but several pro teams’ jerseys and other fan garb can be found at local bike shops, including Cycles Unlimited (1254 E. Republic Rd., 417-887-3560), Sunshine Bike Shop (1926 E. Sunshine St., 417-883-1113) and Queen City Cycles (325 S. Patton Ave., 417-831-0800). If you don’t like Chiptle/Slipstream’s argyle, you might pick the slightly classier Discovery team unis, or go completely off the board. Go to bikejerseys.com for a huge selection of replica spandex.

Traffic Will Suck

If you plan on making a late entrance or a quick escape, there’s no way you’ll want to park inside the circuit—bordered, again, by Jefferson, Kimbrough, Monroe and Tampa. A good spot might be the Jordan Valley Car Park near the finish line or on Walnut west of Jefferson if you stay downtown. Crowds and barricades will be a pain the day of the race, so be sure to plan for them if you’re just driving through.

Tour de Tour: Streets to know (or avoid) on September 12

The September 12 stage, which finishes in Springfield, actually begins in Clinton. The 125-course follows rural back roads (not Highway 13) until it enters Springfield proper on Division Street (start looking at the map at the top of the page now), eventually turning north on Commercial Street. The racers then turn right (south) on Jefferson Avenue, crossing Chestnut Expressway and racing through downtown. They’ll follow Jefferson all the way to Monroe Street, where they’ll turn left (east) and then left again (north) on Kimbrough Avenue. They’ll follow Kimbrough all the way past the Jordan Valley Ice Park and over the Martin Luther King Bridge, where they’ll turn left (west) on Tampa Street and ride back to Jefferson. They’ll make that identical loop three times, all the way back to the intersection of Kimbrough and Trafficway—the finish line for Stage 2.
But ours is only the second of the Tour of Missouri’s six stages, which also include:

• Stage 1, September 11: Circuit-only race in Kansas City.
• Stage 3, September 13: Team time-trial (where teams ride in packs and shoot for the fastest time) around Branson.
• Stage 4, September 14: Road race from Lebanon to Columbia (with finishing circuit).
• Stage 5, September 15: Road race from Columbia to St. Charles (with finishing circuit).
• Stage 6, September 16: Circuit-only race in St. Louis.
For more information go to tourofmissouri.com.
—M.L.