Tour of Missouri was Years in the Making
By: Chris Grogan
Updated: September 12, 2007
Cyclists in the Tour of Missouri
make their way through Greene county.
The race left
This is stage two of a six stage
race, and a lot of people don't realize what kind of training goes into
preparing for a professional race like this.
We found out its a race years in the
making.
What began in
Brad Huff knows all too well how
your body feels.
"A lot of suffering,” he said.
After 126 miles of cycling, the Fair
Grove native came in 31st in this leg of the tour, but drew some of the biggest
fan attention due to his hometown status.
“A lot of people don't understand
how much time is involved in becoming a competitive cyclist, he said. “Because it's such an aerobic sport."
"I remember him as an up and
coming cyclist,"said Cheryl Deboer:
As an avid cyclist, Cheryl follows
the sport intensely. This Cox fitness trainer says Huff is a prime example of
just how hard it can be to turn pro in this sport.
“It's a hard life and they don't get
paid well,” said Deboer.
In fact, many of these cyclists have
been training for years, some even decades. Deboer says it's a sport that
involves training day in, day out and a intense mindset to keep pedaling.
“And honestly,” she said, “I think
most cyclists are the best athletes in the world as far as endurance sports
go."
Huff is one of the more recent
cyclists to turn pro and says this first ever Tour of Missouri is a highlight.
After all, when can you start and finish in front of friends and family. The
race is also a motivator for huff to become one of the top names in the sport.
“You train
better, you eat better, and you just become stronger year by year. And
hopefully in a year or two, I’ll be able to be more competitive in this race,”
Huff said.
Although he finished 31st today,
huff still ranks 20th overall in the tour of
He and the other racers will
continue tomorrow in a timed race around Branson tomorrow.
They then continue through the state
and wrap up the race in
