Here are some tips for watching the Tour of Missouri’s KC Stage on Tuesday. You have two basic options – 1) The start/finish line on the Plaza and 2) along the route.

Start/Finish Line - It all begins and ends on the Country Club Plaza, so that’s the place to be if you want to see the start and finish line. It starts at 1:00 p.m. and is expected to end around 4:00 p.m. From Noon until 5:00 p.m. the Plaza will be a huge festival ground, including giant TVs showing the race and lots of vendors, food, drink, etc. So bring your picnic blankets and chairs and spend the afternoon.

Along the the Route – The route goes north on Main Street to Downtown, crosses the Heart of America Bridge, and then passes through NKC, Riverside, Parkville, Platte City, and returns the same way. Especially good places to watch will be along Main Street, Burlington Street in NKC, Parkville, anywhere in rural Platte County, and Ward Parkway south of the Plaza. Estimated arrival times along the route are available in the course log. Depending on how the race is going, it will take 10-20 minutes for all riders to pass by. The race will also be televised online, so you can follow the action and get an idea of when it’s getting close to your location.

There will also be several sprint lines along the route where the action should be especially good. These are listed in the course log. The race ends with sprints around Ward Parkway, between the Plaza and the Meyer Circle Fountain. They’ll do three laps and finish on the Plaza.

More resources:

• Map of the Route (PDF)
• Course log (PDF) – arrival times at each location
• Tailgating the Tour – Missouri Bicycle Federation’s guide for spectators.
• Tour web site – more info
• Bus reroutes and delays
• Road closure information