Vintage

Women’s Cycling Event Precedes Hard Charging Finish of Men’s First Stage

St. Louis, MO – (July 17, 2008) – The Tour of Missouri, a seven day professional cycling event featuring elite international men’s teams, is pleased to announce the addition of an invitational pro-am women’s race taking place on Monday, September 8th in Kansas City, Missouri. Top professional women’s teams and riders from across the US will compete in this inaugural event for a $7500 cash purse.

Starting while Stage 1 of the men’s event is underway, the Tour of Missouri Women’s Criterium will showcase the speed and energy of these exceptional athletes on a one kilometer course with multiple turns and hills. The men’s event is the 1st stage of the seven day race, heading from St. Joseph to Kansas City, Missouri, and expected to finish approximately one hour after the women’s finish.

The location of the women’s race is the world-famous Country Club Plaza, Kansas City’s premiere entertainment, shopping and dining destination. The challenging course includes several turns through the winding streets of this dynamic location. As racers fly past the many fountains, high-end boutiques, restaurants and pubs in the Country Club Plaza, spectators will find the course extremely easy to navigate with clear views of their favorite racers from multiple angles. The Spanish-style architecture and high-energy atmosphere of the Plaza provides a backdrop unlike any Criterium course this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Women’s Criterium will start at 1:00pm and will cover 55 minutes plus five laps. In addition to the cash prizes, qualified finishers will also be awarded a commemorative jersey and jewelry courtesy of Kansas City’s Silpada. A combined awards ceremony will be held for the men’s and women’s races in the Country Club Plaza, following the finish of the men’s race at approximately 4:30pm.

Program for Children of Incarcerated Parents Benefits from Pro Cycling Race

St. Louis, MO – (July 7, 2008) – Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, along with officials with Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri (BBBSAM) and the Tour of Missouri, today announced a partnership between the two organizations. In addition to enhancing awareness of BBBSAM by selecting it as the official beneficiary of the Tour, charitable activities throughout the seven day race will benefit the program for children of incarcerated parents.

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder has been a strong advocate for Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri. Through his leadership, the Missouri Mentoring Initiative was created allowing 300 eligible, full-time state employees one hour per week of paid approved work to mentor in Missouri public primary and secondary schools for up to 40 hours annually. Kinder introduced the Missouri Mentoring Initiative model at the National Lt. Governor’s Association annual meeting where it was adopted with unanimous consent. The mentoring initiative is now in place in many states across the country. Last month Lt. Governor Kinder was awarded the Big Brothers Big Sisters Visionary Award for his dedication to children with incarcerated parents.

“I am pleased that Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri will be the official charity of the second Tour of Missouri Professional Cycling Race,” said Lt. Governor Kinder. “This program is changing lives and bettering the future of young people across our state. It is my hope that this partnership will be beneficial for a number of Missouri children.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Missouri (BBBSAM) is a statewide mentoring partnership program with an overall goal to build a statewide network of quality one-to-one mentoring services for children of incarcerated parents and change the lives of our Little Brothers and Little Sisters for the better, forever. In partnership with local BBBS agencies and Missouri Department of Corrections, BBBSAM aims to ensure that children, no matter where they live or move, have the opportunity to be matched with a caring and consistent Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor to help them with the ups and downs of daily life.