danrphoto

Sunday was a great day for racing and the final stage of the 2009 Tour of Missouri did not disappoint.

Garmin closing the gap on the final lap.

I was able to catch the action from several different spots as I walked the course from downtown to Summit St. through Penn Valley Park and then to the finish for the final couple of laps at Crown Center. It was an incredibly fast race 72 miles in 2:33! 28 mph average for this twisting, hilly course is amazing.

Gibert beats a world-class field

This is the first year the stage race has finished in Kansas City. St. Louis has been the host for the final stage the first two years of the ToM. This year, stage 7 was a hilly 10.2 miles circuit that finished on a long, wide stretch through downtown KC. Thousands gathered at the finish line at Crown Center.

Garmin-Slipstrem’s David Zabriskie won the general classification, 30 seconds ahead of Saxo Bank rider Gustav Larsson of Sweden. Columbia-HTC’s Marco Pinotti (ITA) came in third. Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) ran away with the sprint jersey, more than doubling the points of his closest competitor.

It’s possible that this is the last year for the Tour of Missouri. The state does not have the money to put into it, but I hope when they take a close look at the numbers, they will realize that this event is a big asset for Missouri.

See some more of my images from stage 7 here.