Got this today from the Missouri Bicycle Federation. It’s a fairly comprehensive guide for spectators who want to check out the Tour of Missouri, which like all bicycle races is free to the public. FREE!

A Fan’s Guide to the Tour of Missouri

With the biggest pro bicycle race in the history of Missouri–some
say the biggest sporting event ever–coming next week, do Missourians
know how to watch a bicycle race?

“It’s not just a race, it’s a rolling parade, a traveling festival,”
says Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh.
“Every seat is free, and every seat is a front row seat. You can get
within inches of the athletes as they speed down a straightaway at 40
miles per hour or climb a Missouri hill at breath-taking speeds.”

As other sports fans know, watching the race is just part of the fun.
“Experienced race fans make the race a big party–just like fans who
‘tailgate’ at a football game,” says Hugh. “You bring your friends,
your food, your barbecue, your beverage of choice–and you have a good time.”

“At the Tour of Georgia, they tripled the number of spectators from
the first year to the second–because those who came the first year
went home and told their friends what a great time they had.”

Here are some tips for those who want to watch the Tour–and have a great time:

* There is no bad place to watch the Tour. But seasoned fans do tend
to seek out certain spots:

- Start line, finish line
- Sprint points or “King of the Mountain” points mid-race
- Feed zones
- Long or difficult hills on the route
- Any point on the route nearest where they live or work

* Course logs, available online at
http://www.tourofmissouri.com/route-maps-5.html, list all these
points and estimated times of arrival.

* Finish line areas will have giant-screen TVs showing live race
footage along with color commentary. Fans can watch the race develop
on the big screen, then watch the finish live.

* Start and finish line areas will have health and wellness expos,
exhibits, bands playing, and other events. “It’s like a parade, a
festival, and a party all rolled into one–and a race besides,” says Hugh.

* It is possible to plan your day to watch the start, one or more
important intermediate points, and then the finish as well.

* Those along the route can watch the race live via video feeds at
TourofMissouri.com, then go outside at the right time to see the race
come by live. This is very popular–last year the Tour of Missouri
garnered more than 400 million web impressions, many from fans
logging on to watch the race.

* The Tour is one of the “big three” U.S. pro tours, along with the
Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia. Some individual stages in
the Tour de France attract over a million spectators.

* Pro bicyclists are very approachable before and after the race.
Part of the fun is showing up at a pre-race event with one of the
athletes, getting an autograph during “Autograph Alley”, and watching
the awards ceremonies with athletes and celebrities after each stage.

* Cycling is a team sport that incorporates a huge amount of
psychology and strategy in addition to pure athleticism. Much of the
interest is in watching how each of the teams uses their members
offensively and defensively throughout the tour. More at
http://mobikefed.org/tag/tailgate

Pro bicycle racing is a much bigger sport internationally than it is
in the U.S. That means that the international exposure–including
world media that is attracted to the major cycling teams, top U.S.
racer in the Tour de France Christian Vandevelde, World Time Trialing
Champion Michael Rogers, winner of four Tour de France stages Mark
Cavendish, and Tour of Missouri winner and former Lance Armstrong
teammate George Hincapie–will be a huge benefit to Missouri.

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