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Commentary: Saving the Tour
The future of state's cycling event could be up to one man

By Tom Rackers
sports@newstribune.com

What do you think? Comment below.

Published: Friday, September 11, 2009 3:01 PM CDT

The circus came to town Thursday. Who knows when, or if, it will be back.

The third edition of the Tour of Missouri arrived late Thursday afternoon in downtown Jefferson City. And it met with enthusiastic support from the fans on High Street.

"There was drama today in the streets of Jefferson City," said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner for Medalist Sports, which promotes and plans the Tour.

Now the drama shifts to the guys in the building with the dome on top to decide whether this was the final Tour of Missouri. This is the final year of the contact for the cycling event, and future funding by the state is uncertain at best.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, the Tour's biggest backer in state government and chairman of the Missouri Tourism Commission, lays the blame one rung up the governmental ladder.

"Uncertain support at best by the executive branch," Kinder said. "I'm hopeful we will be able to continue the bipartisan support we have statewide for a fourth (Tour)."

Earlier in the summer, Gov. Jay Nixon threatened to withhold the $1.5 million the state was providing to sponsor the Tour when he directed all state departments to make cuts in the midst of budget woes. He later changed his mind and funding continued.

But one thing's for sure. No bucks means no bikes.

Aronhalt said he has received nothing but favorable feedback during the first four days of the event.

"All positive, from the spectators and the communities, to the sponsors," he said. "We certainly hope those in the Capitol will support that."

But Medalist Sports is located in Georgia, and he wasn't about to get into the middle of a Missouri political fight.

"Our job is just to focus on producing a wonderful race in 2009," Aronhalt said. "We're confident we'll do that, to show a return on investment to the state. We'll leave that up to the offices of Lieutenant Governor and Governor to hopefully continue support of this race far into the future."

A study of the 2008 race estimated attendance at 435,000 and spending by spectators at almost $30 million.

Even without state funding, the Tour could continue with a corporate sponsor. Kinder said he's been working for four years without success to find one.

"To find that right partner, not only for the race itself and for what it represents, it's great opportunity for a corporation to partner with the state of Missouri," Aronhalt said.

But if a corporation was going to step in, they would have done it by now. A lack of sponsorship killed the Tour de Georgia this year. It would seem the Tour of Missouri would suffer the same fate.

But there's one man who could save the Tour of Missouri all by himself. It's not Nixon, it's not Kinder.

It's Lance Armstrong.

Organizers were hoping Armstrong would continue his comeback in this year's Tour of Missouri. That didn't happen. But with the world's most famous cyclist starting his own U.S.-based team in 2010, Armstrong would almost certainly enter his team into the Missouri event. And the dollars would almost certainly follow.

Lance, the Tour's future is likely in your hands.


Zabriskie wins Tour of Missouri time trial		Tour Stage 4 finishes to cheers and some concern

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Thanks.

Byron W. wrote on Sep 21, 2009 11:00 AM:

" pioneers wrote "The race is a great investment. Missouri spends $1,500,000 to get an influx of over $20,000,000."

Something tells me that $20,000,000 is a fantasy. "

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pioneers wrote on Sep 11, 2009 10:43 PM:

" The race is a great investment. Missouri spends $1,500,000 to get an influx of over $20,000,000. Nixon is smart, and capable of doing math. He also is politically smart. Getting rid of the race would improve Lt. Governor Kinder's standing in the state and Nixon would lose supporters.

This is like a stimulus package that we don't have to depend on the federal government for.
The tax revenue generated is then available to the state - to pay salaries, and other priorities. Meanwhile, businesses that got some of the over $20,000,000 spent in the state have income.

I heard JeffCity had the highest turnout - someone working for the race told me that. "

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boscoe wrote on Sep 11, 2009 10:27 PM:

" Seems if Kinder has been working for years to find a corporate sponsor but cannot find one that should tell the government that the bike race is a loser. If it were profitable, a corporate or private sponsor would jump at the opportunity.

2011's state budget is gonna be a lot worse with more employee layoffs and cuts to programs and services when the stimulus money ends. Missouri government has no business contracting for more bike race foolishness even if both Lance and Niel Armstrong are in the race. "

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gofish wrote on Sep 11, 2009 4:56 PM:

" I'm guessing Lance probably doesn't read the News Tribune. Ya'll might want to write him direct. Plus I'm guessing the article meant to say "final year of the contRact", not contact. Spell check does not replace proof reading. "

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Commentary: Saving the Tour The future of state's cycling event could be up to one man

By Tom Rackerssports@newstribune.com

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Commentary: Saving the Tour
The future of state's cycling event could be up to one man

By Tom Rackers
sports@newstribune.com