SPRINGFIELD -- Nearly 100 local volunteers are still needed for the Springfield/Greene County Stage Two leg of the 2008 Tour of Missouri elite professional cycling event.  The Springfield-area portion of the event will be on Tuesday, Sept. 9.  The overall Tour of Missouri event is Sept. 8-14, featuring seven separate competitive race stages, and covering more than 600 miles.

  Approximately 250 volunteers are needed to successfully complete Stage Two activities for the Springfield area, particularly for the critical roles of course marshal, security and medical control support. Those interested need to apply online at www.tourofmissouri.com, hit the “race info” button, then go to the “get involved” section. Following submittal, volunteers will then be contacted by local committee organizers in order to properly plan for duties associated with the September 9 event.         

  Both registered volunteers and prospective volunteers are invited to attend the next Springfield Area Volunteer Orientation from 4 - 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, at Mediacom Ice Park, 635 East Trafficway.  For more information, contact: Bob Belote, (417) 864-1327, or Barb Baker, (417) 831-6200, committee co-chairs.  

The 2008 Tour of Missouri will take place as follows:

• Monday, Sept. 8 – St. Joseph to Kansas City, road race with circuits (90 mi / 144.81 km)
• Tuesday, Sept. 9 – Clinton to Springfield, road race with circuits (125 mi / 201.13 km)
• Wednesday, Sept. 10 – Branson, individual time trial (18 mi / 28.6 km)
• Thursday, Sept. 11 – Lebanon to Rolla, road race with circuits (105 mi / 168.95 km)
• Friday, Sept. 12 – St. James to Jefferson City, road race with circuits (100 mi / 160.9 km)
• Saturday, Sept. 13 – Hermann to St. Charles, road race (110 mi / 177 km)
• Sunday, Sept. 14 – St. Louis, circuit race (75 mi / 120.68 km)

About the Tour of Missouri

After an exceptionally successful inaugural Tour of Missouri in 2007, the Show Me State will again welcome 120 of the world’s elite cyclists on a 600-mile point-to-point race.  The second edition of the Tour will include seven days of racing, from Kansas City to the Ozarks, over the Katy Trail, along Route 66 and the historic Missouri River, with a fantastic finish under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.  

The race is sanctioned by the UCI and USA Cycling, the international and national governing bodies for cycling, respectively. It is ranked as a 2.1, second in ranking to only the Tour de Georgia and Amgen Tour of California in North American cycling.  The event’s management group is Medalist Sports of Tyrone, Ga., the organizers of both the California and Georgia races. KOM Sports Marketing of Colorado Springs, Colo., is the event’s marketing agency.

For more information: www.tourofmissouri.com.