The Rolla (Mo.) Daily News reports that although the course for the inaugural Tour of Missouri professional bicycling race in 2007 hasn’t been set, it appears that Rolla has a good shot at being one of the towns it will traverse.
The Tour of Missouri is expected to cover roughly 600 miles, and highlight urban as well as rural parts of the state. The six-day race will most likely start in the western part of Missouri around Kansas City and finish near St. Louis, according to race organizers who will start negotiating with potential start and finish cities immediately.
Morgan Bearden is working hard to make sure Rolla is one of the cities on that privileged list. He’s also been instrumental in mapping possible routes to and from Rolla for the riders.
“I have been working with the Tour of Missouri committee and have put together tentative plans to have the Tour of Missouri come through Rolla,” Bearden, who helps run several bike races in Rolla, said. “The Tour of Missouri will very likely have both a Springfield-to-Rolla and a Rolla-to-Jefferson City stage — one of the few, if not the only, Missouri city to have both a finish and start. Hopefully this draft schedule for the Tour of Missouri will survive through the final planning.”
Considering that Route 66 has been used for bicycle events in Rolla previously, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mother Road also is used for the Tour of Missouri.