As we all know by now, The Show-Me State is literally packed with quality gravel roads. It doesn’t matter if you wanna ride 10 miles or 300 miles, there’s a way to make it happen. And fortunately for us, there are plenty of folks who want to make it happen.
Take for example, the L’Eroica Aux Arcs, which is happening this weekend. Dan Fuhrmann put this one together free of charge, so all you have to do is show up. If your significant other will let you out of the house this weekend, you should definitely be there.
The Tour of Hermann is put together by Jeff Yielding, who is best known for his ability to create excellent cyclocross courses and take selfies during Cardinals games. Click on that link and sign up; Jeff knows his shit and you’ll get what you pay for. I missed out last year and I still regret it, so don’t be a dumbass like me.
Hopefully by now everyone knows about the Hairy 100. Mr. Butthead Johnson organized this race last year and literally everyone I’ve spoken with said it was a solid event. The finisher’s glasses were totally badass as well. This one is held in Columbia, so there’s really no reason to miss out.
And who can forget the Ogre, put on by Bonk Hard Racing. Any race whose mascot is a mythical beast with a green forehead-vagina has got to be worthwhile. I still have nightmares about the climb into Checkpoint 1. And seeing Dave Beattie’s reaction when the finisher’s glass slipped from his hand and exploded on the concrete….totally priceless.
He didn’t even move his feet as they swept up the glass
But why am I promoting other races on this website? I’m glad you asked. Mainly it’s because these are all great events IN MISSOURI that we should be supporting anyway. Secondly… Jeff, Dan, Josh and I have decided to give away free race entries to one another’s events. So right now, I’ve got 2 free passes to each of the OGRE, Tour of Hermann and the Hairy 100 to give away, however I please.
But how to choose the winner? I’ve never really wielded this kind of power before. Searching for inspiration, I decided to look thru some old Cedar Cross photos where I found these:
Both of these pics really capture what Cedar Cross is all about: Good times, good friends and good scenery. I can’t remember the Cowboy’s name, but our friend in front of the nuclear reactor is Michael Raine Kauk, and he is today’s winner. Yyou can email me or post in the comments section regarding your free entry into one of these kickass Missouri gravel events.
The Cedar Cross 
I’m interested in joining some of these rides/races if there are still free passes to any one of them. If not, that’s okay too. I just moved to Jefferson City a year ago and bought my first cross bike a month ago, so I’m ready to try and find ways to put it to good use.
Also, I’m planning a two-day ride for Special Olympics Missouri in the fall if you want to check it out (www.somo.org/cycleforthefuture).
Where are the race results from 2013?
That’s a good question….I’ll see if I can find them tonight.