Even though the Tour of Missouri was listed as part of the 2010 USA Cycling Pro Tour, a recent news story suggests the race is not sure to happen without state funding:
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — Lieutenant governor Peter Kinder remains hopeful the dollars will be in place soon enough for 2010 Tour of Missouri planning to begin in earnest.
As chairperson, Kinder says the professional cycling event could still go on, even if state funding falls through, “It’s possible, but it becomes much more challenging because the $1.5 million in tourism tax money is about 45% of our budget.”
This would be the fourth year for the event, which has grown in popularity each year.
Kinder says last year’s Tour of Missouri drew 500-thousand spectators and provided a $38.1 million economic impact for the state and its host communities.
The International Cycling Union calendar shows the 2010 event would begin August 31st and end September 6th.
Hopefully the Tour of Missouri will not go the way of the Tour de Georgia.
USA Cycling has announced the dates and venues for it’s 2010 Regional Development Camp schedule for Road, Track, and Mountain Bike Development Camps.
Open to all athletes between the ages of 14 and 22, the regional camps provide aspiring young riders with opportunities to develop their skills while learning from some of the top coaches in the nation. Camp discussions cover topics ranging from event preparation to becoming a healthier cyclist. Daily on-the-bike skills work includes cornering drills, paceline/echelon riding, and practice taking a feed, among other skills deemed essential by the USA Cycling National Team Coaching Staff.
In addition to helping riders develop their skill sets, the camps are an integral part of USA Cycling’s talent identification process, providing an entry point into the USA Cycling Athlete Development Pathway.
Camp participants at all camps will be tested in the field, and their results will be compared to those of all other camp participants, nationwide. Field testing results, along with national race results will be used as the main criterion for issuing invitations to USA Cycling’s National Talent Identification Camp in October on the grounds of the Olympic Training Center. As in previous years, many of the regional camps also plan to field composite teams for top international junior events like the Tour of the Red River Gorge and Le Tour de L’Abitibi. USA Cycling uses results from select races such as these, along with results from Regional and National Development Camps, to invite riders to participate in the National Development Program’s international race trips.
The 2010 Regional Development Camp schedule is as follows:
ROAD CYCLING
June 6-11: Texas Tech University – Lubbock, Texas
June 6-11: Furman University – Greenville, SC
June 7-12: Location TBD (Colorado Springs or Fort Collins, Colo.)
June 13-18: Northern Arizona University – Flagstaff, Ariz.
June 13-19: DeSales University - Center Valley, Pa.
July 5-10: St. Mary’s College – Moraga, Calif.
August 1-6: Pacific University – Forest Grove, Ore.
August 1-6: University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse – LaCrosse, Wis.
MOUNTAIN BIKE – CROSS COUNTRY
June 13-18: Colorado College – Colorado Springs, Colo.
June 21-26: Terra Nova Center – Cedar Mountain, NC
TRACK
Date TBD: Marian University – Indianapolis, Ind.
