From the producers of So ILL Fat Tire Fest, Ridin’ Dirty Gravel Camp, O’Fallon Grand Prix, MGM Double Down and Tour de’ Surgeon, comes Cannonball Rides, a fun new concept in competitive cycling. Cannonball Rides are epically fun gravel and adventure road races, held on open roads, completely self-supported, utilizing Strava for tracking, navigation and timing/scoring. No traditional timing clock, no corner marshals, no closed courses; just you, your bike, and your honor.

The first two Cannonball Rides of this year’s calendar will happen as a series in February. Cannonball Chester 2/3/18 and Cannonball Sauget 2/17/18 will compose this early season Mississippi Levee race series. Trophies will be bestowed on the top three overall time holders, scored on the cumulative total time for events in the series. To keep it exciting for everyone we will include others on course segments. So even if you are not in the running for overall you can still compete for some day-of bragging rights. The coolest part; complete both events and earn the one-of-a-kind custom forged Cannonball Ride inaugural edition belt buckle.

This ride series is co-sponsored by River Ratz Cycling! This is a super rad effort in Chester Illinois focused on getting kids on bikes. We are proud that they have chosen to help sponsor the Mississippi Levee Cannonball Rides! Check them out and show them some love.

February 17th, Sauget, Illinois, 73 Miles, 1,100’

Downtown St. Louis Airport Fire Station Parking Lot North End, 9AM Race Start

This course will have a neutral start from the airport riding ~4 miles south with vehicle support/coverage riding past the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum, the Jarrot Mansion and the Emeth Lodge before passing over Dead Creek and starting the race on the Mississippi Levee’s. The Levee’s will take us south along the Mississippi turning slightly east before rolling over 255 and descending thru the Columbia bottoms south to Fountain Creek. The route then takes us East and up into the bluffs climbing to new Valmeyer (mile 35, ½ way) where the rest area of the adventure rider exists, a convenience store! From there the route rolls West and South getting back on the levee at Harrisonville and starting the ride back North. At mile 45 you are back on the route that brought you South and you will follow it all the way back to the finish at the Airport.