2008 Tour of Missouri Live Updates: Stage 1

for live coverage of the 2008 Tour of Missouri

Good day and welcome to VeloNews.com’s Live Coverage of the Tour of Missouri.

Today’s first stage from St. Joseph to Kansas City is a rolling 90-mile adventure.

The race start was just a few yards from a monument to the Pony Express, which also started here.

Ok, we are off.

We join the race mid-way, with 48 hilly miles ridden.

We have three riders off the front: Martin Kohler (BMC) and Tom Zirbel (Bissell Pro Cycling) and Jonathan Sundt (Kelly Benefit Strategies – Medifast). They have 4:28 on the pack.

Tom Zirbel is one of those big guys — 6-foot-four, about 195 pounds at last check — who, against all odds, can climb with almost anyone.

Today’s finish circuits in downtown Kansas City feature a 300 meter climb, leading into a very fast flat sprint. Our threesome is getting close to a five-minute gap with 38 miles to go.

Mr. Zirbel, of course, was second at the USPRO time trial championships last week, finishing just five seconds behind winner David Zabriskie. Zirbel also recently won the TT at the Tour of Utah.

With 30 miles to go the gap is 6:47.

Sundt is likely the best sprinter in this group. He’s also known as a top team lieutenant.

With 26 miles to go the gap is back under five minutes. Team Columbia may be looking to reel these boys in to set up a sprint.

The gap has come down signicantly as the race approaches Kansas City. The peloton is starting to break up from the pressure as Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia drive the chase.

It was misty earlier but the sun is peaking out a bit now. It’s still a bit muggy.

The break is giving up, coming back rapidly

just a matter of a mile or so

with 20 miles to go, the break is caught

We called it a peloton, but it’s very whittled down
We are trying to get IDs on the riders remaining, there are only 20 or so in this front group.

bernardo Colex of Mexicos Team Tecos is off the front

There are KOM points awarded on the first time up the Michelob Ultra KOM hill. Colex would like to grab the climber’s points here and wear the jersey tomorrow.

Toyota-United Dominque Rollin grabs the KOM points

And what’s left of the pack is all together.

The group is together, Columbia is driving, Mark Cavendish is sitting pretty. We would NOT take bets against Cav’ at this point.

Symmetrics’ Will Routley has a small gap.

Routley has passed around a traffic circle and is headed back the other direction. He will get a good look at the chase pack.

Routley has about 10 seconds with one lap to go

Routley is back in the bunch

You don’t see that phrase in domestic racing very often
We are in the last 1.5k of this lap

the 1k “kite” is swaying in the wind, almost hitting the riders.

Liquigas still there. Some Rock Racing riders getting blown out the back

And Cavendish nails it!

And Cavendish nails it!

Garmin’s Tyler Farrar gave Columbia’s Cavendish a run for the win, but couldn’t match him in the final meters.

IN the final K a few riders went down in the peloton. They have rolled across the line now. They should get the same times as the winner.