The official website does not contain any of this information, that I could find…
I assume this event will be very much like the already-established events like the Tour of California and Tour of Georgia, therefore I am hoping some of you who have attended these events can chime in.
What time of day do the stages start/finish?
Can regular Joes like us go out on the course and ride portions of the stages a couple hours prior the real racers?
Do they have big parties set up at the finishing areas each day? Or is this one all dependent on the local host community?
Any other suggestions/tips for us locals who want to take in the whole experience?
I can not answer all of your questions but this website has had a lot of info and I am sure will continue to be updated Here is a quote about stage one:
"Stage One kicks off at 1 pm from the beautiful Country Club Plaza and takes the racers right up 47th St. through the heart of the Plaza, into downtown and through many of Kansas City’s most beautiful parks, before heading north through North Kansas City, Parkville, Platte City and back, for a total of 85 miles (137 kilometers). Three five-mile circuits up Ward Parkway and down to the Plaza will offer spectators an up-close view of team tactics and any last-minute attacks before the finish, which could see speeds upwards of 50 miles per hour."
I believe the Tour of Missouri is being organized my Medalist Sports, who also put together the Tour De Georgia and the Tour of California. My experience over the last 3 years at the TdG has been great. For the most part, sections of the race course remain open to motor vehicle traffic until the riders get within an hour or so of passing through. The security staff allowed spectators who are walking or cycling to walk/ride anywhere they wanted until the race got pretty close. This has been the best part of attending in my opinion. There were cyclists riding around everywhere, all over the courses, until just a few minutes before the actual racers’ arrival.
Most of the stages started between 11am and 1pm, and ended in between 4pm and 6pm.
You should definitely attend if you have the opportunity. It is a great time. I also recommend using a GPS unit (for travel), as you can often catch the race as it passes through one area, and hop in your car and beat them to another location further ahead on the course. This routine has made for a lot of exciting days the last few years. Also, if you’ve got one, a police scanner is a great item to have, since it allows you to pick up all of the race radio communications.