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Martin Gilbert, Planet Energy, Stage 7 Winner:
"All week we had few opportunities for the sprint, we always finished close to the podium. Today we took it a different way, really by the back used the momentum of the hills, no mistakes today. We put it together."
"It's really nice of the team to be invited to as big a race as here, first year team… We are really happy with the sprint today. For sure, I think the team got in this race by the back door, kind of. We weren't supposed to be here at the beginning. We had our chance to be here. For us, the form is always good. We're really happy to be invited in the race here and we want to take our chance and show that we can be there with the big dogs, the big teams. It's a really nice race, well-organized, so me and the whole team enjoyed our week up here."
Dave Zabriskie, Garmin-Slipstream, 2009 Tour of Missouri champion:
" It would be very disappointing if it didn't continue (Tour of Missouri in 2010). lt's really important to have races like this in America. As you can tell, the fans love it, and the riders love it. Everyone enjoys racing here (in Missouri)."
"It's a little added pressure for the team coming in here (Stage 7). We really wanted to win and we pulled it off, and we're gonna have a nice dinner with Garmin tonight."
"My guys, they're gonna get some big hugs from me tonight. I really appreciate what they did for me. The last two days…that's why they call it a team sport."
Gustav Larsson, Team Saxo Bank, 2nd overall at 2009 Tour of Missouri:
"We need to race really a lot just before the worlds to have the preparation for it. It's been really good (this week), and all these rolling hills have been excellent for building some form for Worlds. Today was also good to stretch the legs a little bit."
Jens Voigt, Team Saxo Bank:
" The crowds have been really nice, really welcoming to us here. Me, coming from Europe, I'm fascinated by how different, even in the same state, all the cities are. When I was young I said yeah, when I end my career, I'll hang up my bike, get a motorbike and ride Route 66."
"I really enjoyed the race, it's great to be here, perfectly organized race, everything went really well. Great crowds, you know, nice spectators, enthusiastic, really going for it, cheering everybody. I can almost promise you to come back next year."
Christian Vande Velde, 2008 Tour of Missouri champion, who pulled out of the race on Stage 2 due to a broken bone in his hand:
"I'm very proud of Dave (Zabriskie) and the team for what they accomplished this week – the Tour of Missouri looked very hard again this year. It was important for me to come back and watch this last stage (in Kansas City) and be here with the guys. The crowds and the support were amazing. It was great to watch the team win from the other side of the fence."
Allen Lim, acting team director during Tour and team physiologist for Garmin-Slipstream:
"The team was incredible this week. They proved they have what it takes under unrelenting pressure. I'm especially proud because it was an all American race won by an all-American team, many of whom were part of our original TIAA-CREF development squad. It not only shows the depth of our current program with Garmin, it shows that the investment we've made to bring up American riders is paying off."
Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder:
"We were able to hit new cities, go to new parts of the town this year. And now that many more people know that professional cycling is exciting, and what a great opportunity it is to showcase our state."
"Today (in Kansas City) was just an absolute blowout crowd. It seems to build each year in interest and excitement and viewership."
"No rain throughout the whole 7 days, we were pretty lucky with that. We're very pleased with the results from this year, we feel we surpassed all the expectations and the metrics we'd set for ourselves."
Jim Birrell, Race Director and Managing Partner for Medalist Sports:
" It was exciting racing, every single day from St. Louis to the streets of Kansas City."
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