I'll post more details on my site after the official press conference tomorrow, but here some stage details and the official route map. (A fair number of changes were made to the tentative route from several months ago). :

http://www.steephill.tv/2007/tour-of-missouri/

Stage 1: Kansas City → Kansas City (RR with finishing circuits)
Stage 2: Clinton → Springfield (RR)
Stage 3: Branson → Branson (TT)
Stage 4: Lebanon → Columbia (RR)
Stage 5: Jefferson City → St. Charles (RR)
Stage 6: St. Louis → St. Louis (Circuit)

Any idea of what the team list is going to be?

Any idea of what the team list is going to be?

The team list will not be as impressive as the Tour de Georgia or Tour of California. I know Team Discovery and Navigators will not be there but all the other big domestic teams including Healthnet and Priority Health will attend. I have no idea what European teams will show up but with theToM rating there will likely be 3 or 4.

Steephill, I'm hearing completely different things about the teams that will be in attendance. I'm hearing 5 ProTour teams right now. The names mentioned will make for a really good field.

Freddie Rodriguez was at the route presentation, so Lotto would seem to be a likely team.

Steephill, I'm hearing completely different things about the teams that will be in attendance. I'm hearing 5 ProTour teams right now. The names mentioned will make for a really good field.

I was going by the detailed race shedules that teams have posted. Discovery Channel doesn't list Tour of Missouri among it's races for September. Same for Navigators, Crédit Agricole and T-Mobile. Discovery has the Tour of Poland on their team calendar for the same period as the Tour of Missouri. However, I do see in the press release today regarding the route announcement that Discovery will be partaking. They sometimes have two squads at overlapping races. I can't see them sending the same lineup that's going to the Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia but than course will be quite different anyway. 5 ProTour teams would be great. We'll see.

I would never say that Disco would send the same team to MO as CA. I'm not sure about Navigators or T-Mobile. I know T-Mob was not among the names I heard as attendees. But, who knows, there is an English speaking contingent to the team now.

I would never say that Disco would send the same team to MO as CA. I'm not sure about Navigators or T-Mobile. I know T-Mob was not among the names I heard as attendees. But, who knows, there is an English speaking contingent to the team now.

No Gerolsteiner, Crédit Agricole, Rababank either? Lotto is scheduled for Tour of Poland but I'm sure they'll have squad for Fast Freddie.

moved

With regard to Lotto, Gerolsteiner, Rabobank, etc attending Poland. Wouldn't the fact that the Tour of Poland is a ProTour event mean that every ProTour will attend? I believe that is a UCI regulation.

That doesn't affect teams from being in two or three places at once. As an example, Pays Basque is going on at the same time as Flanders and Roubaix.

I will let you guess as to what teams have been mentioned as possible attendees. :)

Wouldn't the fact that the Tour of Poland is a ProTour event mean that every ProTour will attend? I believe that is a UCI regulation.


I wasn't aware the Tour of Poland was a ProTour event so yes you are right, the ProTour teams are obligated to go.

That doesn't affect teams from being in two or three places at once.
:)

For sure, but teams have comphrensive race calendars posted and none of the pro teams have the Tour of Missouri listed. I now assume that's because ToM is a new event and negotiations are just wrapping up.

Steep or Funk or others

Have you heard any news about race day logistics. Start Times, Expected Finish Times, Start Line Locations, Finish Line Locations.

I'm considering driving down. One thought was to leave at 4:00am or so on the 11th and drive to the race in KC directly. That would probably mean an 11:00am arrival without weather or other complications. I would then like to watch the race and drive to a hotel in the Springfield area. Watch stage 2, then go down to my parents place in NW Ark for the night. Then pop over to Branson for ITT. From there I would likely visit my folks for a couple of days and maybe (big maybe) go home via St. Louis for the last stage. That's a 4.5 hour drive from my folks then a long haul without a good direct route back to Minneapolis.

Scot

Steep or Funk or others

Have you heard any news about race day logistics. Start Times, Expected Finish Times, Start Line Locations, Finish Line Locations.
Scot

Course specifics will be announced in a series of host city post conferences in the spring. I'd expect the road race stages to start around 11 AM and the time-trial at around 1 PM.

Scot
The Springfied stage is ending in Jordan Valley Park. Nothing official but there is talk of possibly having a few small circuits for the spectators.

St. Louis is supposed to be a circuit with about 8 mile loop. I would imagine start/finish will be downtown somewhere but it is a busy weekend with the Cubs in town that weekend.

You didn't ask about these but I would imagine the Jeff City stage will start by the state capitol and finish in the old town of St Charles. This is potentially a very hilly stage.

This is the proposed finish in Columbia although the graphic is wrong since that stage starts in Lebanon, not Springfield.
http://columbiamissourian.com/images/news/013007racing.gif

Scot
The Springfied stage is ending in Jordan Valley Park. Nothing official but there is talk of possibly having a few small circuits for the spectators.

St. Louis is supposed to be a circuit with about 8 mile loop. I would imagine start/finish will be downtown somewhere but it is a busy weekend with the Cubs in town that weekend.

You didn't ask about these but I would imagine the Jeff City stage will start by the state capitol and finish in the old town of St Charles. This is potentially a very hilly stage.

This is the proposed finish in Columbia although the graphic is wrong since that stage starts in Lebanon, not Springfield.
http://columbiamissourian.com/images/news/013007racing.gif


Badger,

Thanks for that.

I Google Map searched Jordan Valley Park in Springfield. If I got a hotel near the Jordan Valley Park Ice Rink would I be in a good position to see the stage?

I thought I would skip the 2nd & 3rd to the last stage to have a little time with mom and dad. I'll likely drag them along for the Branson ITT.

I think it's going to be hard for me to get up to St. Louis as is, your comment about the Cubs is likely the nail in the coffin. :)

Thanks for the help.
Scot

Badger,
I Google Map searched Jordan Valley Park in Springfield. If I got a hotel near the Jordan Valley Park Ice Rink would I be in a good position to see the stage?
Scot
Being from StL, I honestly don't know much about Springfield other than attending a couple races there in years past. It seems like Jordan Valley would be a good place since you are apparently right by the finish area but I nothing more than where they are finishing and that there is supposed an expo area there.

PM teh moreon regarding springfield specifics. He will let you know.

as far as the teams that are invited. I mentioned in another thread that I talked to Kevin Livingston and Dan Schmatz at the press conference and the reason you arent seeing any of the domestic pro teams is that this is an invitation only race. So right now, I think they are holding out for as many of the big protour teams as possible. Then after they get those wrinkles ironed out, they will invite the BMCs, the Jellybelly, Navigators, HealthNets, TIAAs, Jittery Joes, etc etc... but they said it will depend on how those teams are doing... meaning the teams that don't have decent season results, won't be invited for the remaining number of slots. One interesting thing is that things are in the works to get this televised on VS.