One of the logistical issues facing the Tour of Missouri for Thursday’s stage was a one-mile stretch of U.S. 65 heading north out of downtown Branson. The dilemma was how to keep the highway open, yet keep the cyclists safe…

Who knew there were armadillos in Missouri?

St. Louisan Dan Schmatz found out the hard way Wednesday in Stage 2 of the Tour of Missouri.

A wayward armadillo — locals say they’re migrating north from Texas — found its way onto the…

Post-Dispatch sportswriter Kathleen Nelson provides this update for “10 Speed” readers:  

The Tour of Missouri has all the amenities of the grand tours of Europe, including podium girls.

At each stage of the Tour de France, a pair of fetching beauties stand…

 When team publicist Sean Weide offered the chance to ride shotgun in the team car of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team at the Tour of Missouri, “10 Speed” instantly accepted.

Sport writers dream of this kind of unfettered access, being within…

Here are some roadside observations from 10 Speed’s sidekick, Kathleen Nelson:

You would have thought that Alberto Contador, winner of the Tour de France, was running for office because of a sign taped to the side of a truck in Country…

The first stage of the first Tour of Missouri is in the books, and Ivan Dominguez of Toyota-United is the first man in the yellow leader’s jersey as the stage winner.

Dominguez crossed the finishing line about a bike length…

 With native Missourians Dan Schmatz of St. Louis, Brian Dwieza of Farmington and Brad Huff of Springfield riding alongside Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, and U.S. cycling stars George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer at the front of the peloton,…

 It is customary before the Tour de France for the major teams and riders to do a little reconnisance — “recon,” as the cyclists call it — of the major stages and major climbs of the race. Seven-time Tour de…

 One of the cool things about professional bike races is that the races continue despite the weather conditions. The weather often is brutal for the spring classics in Europe - cold, wet, snow - and the Alpine passes in the…

In less than a week, the Tour of Missouri starts in Kansas City and rolls through Missouri toward its conclusion on Sunday, Sept. 16, in front of Union Station in St. Louis.

Though some of the race circumstances aren’t ideal -…