The 2013 Tour of KC is over, and another great weekend of racing is in the books. The Tour of KC has taken its own wild ride over the past decade: course changes, location changes, three races to 2 and then back to 3, and varying levels of participation. Sponsorship support has been harder to secure in recent years, and there were a couple of seasons where it was questionable if the race would even take place only to be saved in the 11th hour.
The event is finding new success in its newest iteration, with two races in Lee’s Summit and one in the Cliff Drive area. Riders from around the region spent the weekend in Kansas City to participate in the three-day event.
The new course at Cliff Drive received generally positive reviews from riders. They said the pavement was good, and the course was challenging yet fun. Some riders thought the roundabout was sketchy but liked the course overall. The Longview course continues to get mixed reviews; many riders do not like this course and feel it could be changed to be a little safer. However, this second day of racing does provide racers with a very challenging course that is technical and contains a deceptive amount of climbing. The last day of racing in downtown Lee’s Summit allows riders to compete on a classic criterium course with four corners and fast speeds. Many of the participants consistently rate this course as one of their favorites. Despite their inherent differences, all three venues provided great spectating opportunities.
Both Saturday and Sunday offered riders and spectators a festival-type atmosphere with beer tastings, booths, and music. This allowed participants and spectators the opportunity to relax with a cold glass of their favorite beverage while they enjoyed the racing action.
For the first time, the Tour of KC weekend also included two recreational ride options: the Rock Island Ramble on Saturday and the Rotary Ride on Sunday. Riders who participated in both rides could complete up to 160 miles in the two days.
Photo Credit: Erik Riker
