By Angie Hutschreider, Jefferson City Tribune, September 6, 2009

Spectators and cycling enthusiasts will line Jefferson City downtown streets on Thursday to witness the fourth-stage finish of the Tour of Missouri.

For those who aren’t interested in cycling, there will be plenty of other events on Wednesday and Thursday, including entertainment, a local celebrity bike race and a chili cookoff.

The 120 cyclists making up 15 pro cycling teams will sprint to the finish line of the fourth stage of the Tour of Missouri on Thursday in downtown Jefferson City.

Dan Miller, a local cyclist and volunteer coordinator for Jefferson City’s leg of the tour, has been cycling for about 18 years. As he began working out with friends, his interest peaked and he branched out from mountain biking to road biking.

“It (cycling) is something you can do your whole life,” he said. “You can push yourself to your limit — to your absolute maximum.”

Miller said Missouri should be honored to have an event like this, especially with the excitement a finish will bring.

“You are going to get to see them actually make three loops through town and then sprint toward the finish,” he said. “It is going to be very exciting and will give most people a little better feel for the excitement of cycling.”

Some cyclists competing in the Tour of Missouri are the same cyclists competing in the Tour de France.

“It is like if you were a NASCAR fan and your ultimate is to go to the Daytona 500,” Miller said. “Going would be cool but it would be even better to have it outside your back door.”

Being lucky enough to be a host city with a finish, Miller said, will also allow for interactions with the riders after the race.

“These guys are really accessible and they want to be.”

Numerous events come before and after the tour’s sprint to finish Stage 4.

A kids’ activity area and a health and wellness expo begins at 3 p.m. Thursday on the Capitol lawn.

For more information about local events, go to www.jctourofmissouri.com.