Tour of Missouri ‘set to cancel’ 2010 race

A Missouri tourism oversight commission on Thursday approved an annual spending plan that does not include funding for the Tour of Missouri, and the race’s organizers are all but conceding that the battle is over and the race will not be held this year

“This may be a win for the Missouri Tourism Commission and the governor, but a huge loss for the state of Missouri and its citizens,” said Mike Weiss, chairman of the Tour of Missouri, Inc., in a statement released after the commission’s decision.

“It has been an insanely complicated battle for something so beneficial, and it’s left all of us absolutely baffled.”

Weiss and Vice Chairman Brent Hugh said the committee’s decision was contrary to the race’s bi-partisan support in the legislature and the public.

“All you really have to do is look at the hundreds of comments posted on various news sites and social media forums to see the overwhelming support for (the stage tourism department) to fund this event,” said Hugh.

Weiss and Hugh conceded that unless the tourism commission members have a last-minute change of heart, or a corporate partner steps up in the 11th hour, the event will be history.

“Unfortunately, it’s proven once these events are gone, they don’t come back,” Weiss said.