MattBlunt.com - Governor Matt Blunt

Sunday marked the end of what is being called the largest sporting event in Missouri history - the inaugural Tour of Missouri. Governor Blunt and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder worked together to plan the tour, and cycling teams from all over the world converged in Missouri to participate.
The Tour of Missouri puts our state on the map in the cycling world and is slated to be one of the top three professional cycling events in the United States. This year's event attracted top-ranked cycling teams, including the Discovery Channel team which chose the six day, 600-mile Tour of Missouri as its final race in the United States.

The tour began in Kansas City on September 11 and traveled through Clinton, Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Columbia, Jefferson City, and St. Charles and ended in St. Louis on September 16. The Missouri State Highway Patrol estimates that more than 250,000 people turned out to cheer on the cyclists. Its impact on Missouri's tourism industry will be tremendous, with tourism dollars pouring into host communities and drawing national and world-wide attention to Missouri's natural beauty and tourist attractions. The tour also is a great way to promote physical activity along with health and wellness.

"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," Governor 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."