Gateway Cup - NE

St Louis, Missouri, USA, September 3-6, 2004

2003 results Stage List Preview Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - September 3: Lafayette Square
Stage 2 - September 4: Greentree Park
Stage 3 - September 5: Giro della Montagna
Stage 4 - September 6: University City Corners

Gateway Cup brings racing to the people

By John Musselman, www.stlbiking.com

This weekend, St Louis Missouri plays host to the Gateway Cup, a four-race criterium series that brings top-level racing to the streets of the city and always gets a strong reaction from locals, who turn out in large numbers to watch.

Each event has its own flavor as the races are staged in various older neighborhoods within the city. Tim Ranken, the race director said, "Bottom line, to have a good race you have to have it where the people are. Yeah, a race course in a rural park is a cool challenging race. But you're not going to get people to go out there to watch it. We put these races right smack-dab in the middle of the best neighborhoods in St. Louis." This aspect of the Gateway Cup is where it draws its strength. This year over 300 riders have already registered online before the day of the event.

Race action begins with a night race under the lights in historic Lafayette Square. The course is lined with huge dignified homes dating back to the mid 1850's with a few bars and restaurants mixed in to ensure a party atmosphere. It's always a grand way to kick off the Gateway Cup.

Saturday's Greentree Park venue is the only criterium that includes a test of climbing power and long downhill sweeping turns. A series of right and left turns while climbing is where spectators will sit under surrounding trees to watch the strength of the riders close up.

Sunday's Giro della Montagna doesn't start until the afternoon giving the residents of this strong Italian neighborhood a chance to exit from Church. Locals call this area "The Hill" which has some of the best Italian restaurants this side of New York. The homes are modest but the owners always welcome the racers with open arms. If it's hot, residents will spray the racers with cool water and yell loudly for their favorites.

The final race of the weekend is in University City's "Loop Area" which is well known for its unique mixture of "urban funk" clothing stores, bars, restaurants and the Midwest alternative music scene The Pageant. All this on Monday, which is Labor Day in the states. It's a holiday and the locals will be looking for an excuse to party.

2004 Olympian Jason McCartney of the Health Net team should be the rider to watch this weekend. He travels here from his home in Coralville, Iowa with team members Brice Jones, John Lieswyn and Dan Schmatz in tow. But there's always a core of other pro riders waiting for someone to make a mistake and take advantage of the situation. The Health Net team has strong ties with St. Louis. THF Realty, one of the Health Net strongest team sponsors has its corporate office located in St. Louis. Schmatz grew up in suburban St. Louis and still has strong ties here.

Bike racing in this area has always been strong. Kevin Livingston, former U.S. Postal rider, started his racing career in St. Louis. Last year, former U.S. Postal Team manager and 1984 Olympian Gold Medal winner, Mark Gorski, moved to St. Louis to begin a new career outside the cycling industry but still emerges from time to time such as during the Gateway Cup.

Race director Tim Ranken is pushing for the Gateway Cup to become an NRC event but for right now he will have settle for this event being the largest Labor Day race in the Midwest United States. Growth takes time and a lot of funding from sponsors. With over $20,000 in prize money no one should consider this pocket change. The overview from the street is that the Gateway Cup is one great venue for the average amateur rider to participate in one hell of a weekend if you've got the legs and duration to still consider spiriting toward the finish line on the fourth day of racing. It's long a long weekend. For those of you on the way here there is good news on the horizon. Temperatures should only be in the mid 80's. Normally this time of year racers find racing in temperatures near the 100 degree mark painful.

Past winners

2003 John Lieswyn             Kerry Soraci
2002 John Lieswyn             Kori Kelly