On a beautiful afternoon in early May, Race Director Todd Parker called all volunteers together at the home of Karl and Lori Schulz in St. Mary for a pre-race volunteer briefing.

The pre-race volunteer meeting is one of the more important aspects of preparing for a large and successful event such as the Le Tour de Ste. Genevieve. It's overlooked by less professional race directors promoting lesser events; but Todd knows and understands the importance of well prepared volunteers.

"Asking volunteers to show up on race day and then just giving them a job and hoping for the best is a recipe for failure. Le Tour de Sainte Genevieve is too important to me, the bicycle racing community, and to the city of Ste. Genevieve to leave this base uncovered."

Asked if he was patterning his race management philosophy after the big professional races such as the Tour of Missouri and the Tour de France, Todd replied, "I don't know if they do a pre-race meeting for volunteers, but they should. I mean look around, everyone's having a great time."

Yes the volunteers were indeed having a great time. Karl and Lori, the hosts for the afternoon, had fired up their wood-burning oven and assembled all the ingredients for a pizza fest. Every volunteer had responsibility for assembling his or her own personal pizza. Once created volunteers were welcome to try their hand at operating a pizza peel.

Average cooking time: about 90 seconds.

After pizza (and ample beverages and dessert), Todd addressed the army of volunteers. In a few minutes' time all were apprised of what to expect on race day. All that was left was the paperwork. (Yes, there is no shortage of paperwork when putting on a bike race. Each volunteer signs a release.)

Come race day, look for one very well prepared volunteer contingent at Le Tour de Sainte Genevieve.