Cyclists unite for Gateway Cup over Labor Day weekend

ST. LOUIS - The Gateway Cup, Missouri's premier cycling competition, concluded over Labor Day weekend, drawing both professional and amateur cyclists to the metro area.

The event is described as "Missouri's top cycling event" on its website, attracting some of the best professional and amateur cyclists in the U.S. Held throughout the holiday weekend, the Gateway Cup featured races for various age groups and skill levels, culminating in a series of exciting finishes on Monday evening.

"It's fun. You know, that's really it. I mean, it's fun," said Theo, a young cyclist who won first place in the 11/12 year-old age class.

The professional women's race was another key event, with cyclists demonstrating impressive speed and skill. Heather Laufer, a cyclist who recently recovered from an injury after being hit by a car, expressed her determination to compete.

"The fact that I was able to get on my bike and race it at all this year is just the icing on the cake of my recovery," Laufner said.

For many participants, the Gateway Cup represents not just a competition, but a cherished tradition and a way to spend their holiday weekend doing what they love.

"I've done this race for the last few years and I really enjoy doing it," said Christian Perpinan, a participant in the men's professional race. "And it's, you know, we get to hang out with some friends, long time friends."

As the Gateway Cup wrapped up, cyclists and spectators alike celebrated the spirit of competition and camaraderie that defined the event.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.