Cape Girardeau to be host city for 2009 Tour of Missouri

Cape Girardeau today will be named a host city for the 2009 Tour of Missouri bicycle race, a source familiar with the city's application said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source told the Southeast Missourian that Cape Girardeau would receive the racers at the end of the second stage of the race. This year's race will be run from Sept. 7 through Sept. 13.

An official announcement of all the host cities and the route racers will take across the state will be made at 11:30 a.m. in Jefferson City. Several area business and political officials said Monday they planned to attend the news conference but could change those plans due to weather.

The Tour of Missouri is entering its third year. Promoted heavily by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Cape Girardeau native, the race in each of the past two years has started on the western side of the state and traveled through central Missouri before ending in Kansas City.

In 2007, organizers counted 368,000 spectators who attended events associated with the race. In 2008, that number grew to 434,000 spectators. The overall economic benefit to the state was an estimated $29.8 million in 2008, up from $26.2 million in 2007.

The race has gained prominence in the international cycling community, gaining a ranking called 2.HC from the International Cycling Union. That ranking means that the race will award premium international competition points to winners and makes the Tour of Missouri one of three North American races to be so designated.

To host the end of a day of racing, the organizers required a detailed proposal promising 55 hotel rooms for the advance team the night before the event and 335 hotel rooms on the evening racers arrive. The city must provide a dinner for 240 on the night racers arrive, a dinner per diem of $15 for 410 people, a team breakfast the following morning and a media lunch for 50.

In addition, the tour must be supported by a Health and Wellness Expo and provide offices for race staff and media as well as ample parking for teams, VIPs, staff, crews, Expo vendors and media.

The city, through the staff at the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, used the guidelines to make its proposal to organizers, said Tracey Glenn of the chamber. "Money will have to be raised, and how it will be raised is yet to be determined," Glenn said.

Once the announcement is official, she said, meetings with the event's contract organizers, Medalist Sports of Tyrone, Ga., and KOM Sports Marketing will determine the locations where events will occur during the race and other logistical issues.

"Once cities are laid out, with the starts and stops, the group that puts on the tour meets with you and determines the best route," Glenn said.

Mayor Jay Knudtson said the city has not committed any tax dollars to the event. But he added that "this is something we have been working very hard on" and noted the interest of enthusiastic bicyclists in the area as a spur to the city to make a strong offer to participate.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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