Fall and Team Discovery in Kansas City

just headed up the street for some afternoon coffee and was met with that great fall weather...it'll be here in KC for about another hour, so go outside and try to break a sweat. my coworker and i both agreed it's perfect running weather (after we'd had perfect running weather all weekend, finally). and i'd get out and run in this, but i'm headed to the Trek Store with some buddies to see the folks from Team Discovery. this is about as exciting as when i was four, and my parents took me to the mall to see santa. santa hincapie, santa liepheimer and tour winner santa contador (wait, that name actually sort of works) will be in town, among other teammates.

Disco's here for the Tour of Missouri, which starts tomorrow. i'm going to try to break out of the office for an extended lunch to head to the Plaza for the start. or maybe that persistent cold is back....if you're a cycling fan, own a bike, or are just a sports fan addicted to high performance, try to catch tomorrow's circuit stage. the finish will be back at the Plaza, around 5.

i can't underscore the magnitude of hosting such an event. we're talking tour of california, USA cycling championships. not to mention the last tour Team Disco will be riding as Team Disco. this is a huge deal for kansas city, where our athletics (loose term) are located as far out of fans' way as possible and we have more arenas than interested professional teams. but we do have Jayhawk football. and that arena team.... so now's your chance, sports fans, to check out a true top-notch sporting event in your backyard.

*UPDATE: we showed up to the Trek store at 5:30 and there was a line of hundreds...yes, HUNDREDS of people wrapped around the SM Parkway strip mall. about as many inside where Disco had set up autograph tables. the rules were: buy a 10 buck ticket ($ went to the Headstrong for Jake and Major Taylor foundations - helmet safety and bikes for underprivileged kiddos, respectively) and then hope you're either one of 200 people to get inside, or are inside before 6. needless to say, we didn't pony up the dough for autographs. we sneaked some peeks inside, then headed to what is quickly becoming one of my favorite KC joints: Stonewall Inn for pizza and brews. few things make me venture past 75th street, but Stonewall has joined the list of a few apartments, Backwoods and The Great Mall of the Great Plains (damn you, cosmic mini golf).

anyway, i've decided to bike to work tomorrow, and take a long lunch to ride down to the Plaza and catch the start. should be easier to get around on two wheels, than four. plus, i might just sneak past the hay bales and don my Woolard Racing jersey for a fast spring out of the gate.