Waynesville Police Chief Bob Carter updated members of his city’s Police and Emergency Services Committee Thursday afternoon on plans to handle next week’s bike race coming through Pulaski County.
The Tour of Missouri, a cross-state bike race that brings top-level competitors to Missouri, will pass through Richland, Swedeborg, West Waynesville and Fort Leonard Wood on Sept. 11 before exiting the post through the east gate on its way to Rolla. That requires local law enforcement agencies to shut down some of the area’s major roads, and Carter explained how that will work in Waynesville.
Road closures are expected between 1 and 1:30 p.m. in Waynesville, Carter said.
Mike France said he’s seen the Tour of Missouri before and said it is “absolutely fabulous,” but also extremely fast. The bicyclists will be moving at very rapid speeds and will be in and out of observer’s sight in just minutes, French said.
“They come through in a group that is wheel-to-wheel, and they are moving, really moving,” France said.
“I tell you, it doesn’t take them long to do anything,” France said.
Councilwoman Adele Nickels was surprised to hear France’s reports of how fast the bicycle racers can move.
“That’s faster than I can drive!” Nickels exclaimed. “These people must be pretty strong to ride that fast.”
Carter cautioned that even though the bicyclists move through quickly, their support teams follow at a slower pace and it could take up to half an hour for all of the following vehicles to clear an area. During that period, the road will be blocked off and traffic will be detoured out of the area.
A complete list of Pulaski County road routes is in a page two article in today’s Daily Guide prepared by local tourism officials.