Torrential downpours in St. Louis caused race organizers to shorten Stage Seven Sunday, trimming the previous 70 mile circuit down to 50 miles. But the weather changed just as the race began, and it wasn’t the only thing that turned out to be beautiful.
By the end of the first 10 mile loop, Jelly Belly rider Jeremy Powers found himself in a two-man breakaway, and he wasn’t looking back.
“There was one part of the course that was really narrow, so it pulled everyone back, and as soon as it opened up again, I moved up and really pumped it as hard as I could,” Powers said. “I was up there by myself for a little bit, and then I was joined by Kirk Obee from Healthnet.”
A few riders tried to join the men in the front, but their power proved too much.
“When Kirk joined me we really pushed hard and created a significant gap,” he said. “For the first four laps there wasn’t anyone who could catch us.”
Powers stood up to his name for the last stage of the Tour of Missouri, pulling more than three minutes ahead of the pack for four out of five laps in St. Louis. He won the Sprint line as well, earning the team some extra time in the spotlight and in the eyes of their fans.
At the end of the day, all the riders on the team agreed Missouri was one of the most fun races they’ve ever competed in.
“It’s the end of the season, and the weather isn’t always great, but the courses are awesome,” said Team member Bernard Van Ulden. “And it didn’t really matter what the weather was, the fans were always there, and we really appreciate that.”
