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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Blunt-Kinder Laud Successful Tour of Missouri, Commend Tour Volunteers


            JEFFERSON CITY – The inaugural Tour of Missouri was a remarkable success, and Gov. Matt Blunt and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder today commended the countless volunteers whose tireless efforts helped the tour get off to a great start.

            "We had high hopes as we first began this effort to bring a world class cycling event to our state, but the Tour of Missouri surpassed all expectations. It was a tremendous success thanks in no small part to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers who contributed their time and efforts," Gov. Blunt said. "Spectators and cyclists experienced Missouri's warm hospitality and we are already working to make the next Tour of Missouri even more successful.  The professional assistance provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol was also critical and was cited by all involved in the management of the race."

            "The Tour of Missouri owes a great deal of its amazing success to the volunteers from all of our host cities," Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder said. "I saw volunteers helping spectators, organizers and athletes on every street, road and corner of the race route. I want to thank them all for their belief in this great race."

            The Tour of Missouri was an even larger success than organizers anticipated.   It demonstrated its value and benefits to the Show-Me State by pouring new tourism dollars into host communities and showcasing Missouri's natural beauty to a world audience.

            Blunt lauded the overwhelming success, spectator turnout, and professional and organized crowd and traffic management now synonymous with the inaugural Tour of Missouri.  The Tour of Missouri is slated to be one of the top three professional cycling races in the United States and attracted some of the world's top-ranked cycling teams. According to estimates from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, more than 265,000 cycling enthusiasts turned out in host cities alone, exceeding expectations. 

            Every community along the route saw first hand the Tour of Missouri's many benefits and reported a better than anticipated interest and impact. The tour has also provided a great venue to promote the benefits of physical activity and health and wellness.  

            The Tour of Missouri is a 600 mile, six-day world-class bicycle race featuring internationally recognized professional racers.   The six-stage race started in Kansas City on September 11 and traveled through Clinton, Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Columbia, Jefferson City, St. Charles before concluding in St. Louis on September 16.

            Blunt initiated bringing the international bike race to Missouri. In 2005, Gov. Blunt received a letter from a friend and avid cyclist in Springfield who noted the economic impact of the 2005 Tour de Georgia professional cycling race and suggested the state consider sponsoring a similar concept. Gov. Blunt and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder formed a steering committee with stakeholders and for the next year and a half they pursued the idea of a professional cycling race in Missouri while also committing $1 million to bring the race to the state. Missouri's application was accepted in October 2006 and Blunt and Kinder announced that the inaugural Tour of Missouri would take place in 2007.

            More information on the Tour of Missouri can be found at www.tourofmissouri.com.

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Comments on "Blunt-Kinder Laud Successful Tour of Missouri, Commend Tour Volunteers"

 

Anonymous MPNblog.com | Missouri Political News said ... (January 27, 2008 at 10:44 AM) : 

Tour of Missouri had $26 million impact, $330k deficit in 2007

A report that will be released by Gov. Matt Blunt (R) later this week will show the Tour of Missouri, a professional cycling event that traveled to cities throughout the state, had a $26 million impact on the state's economy in 2007....[continue reading here]

 

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