History of Tour de Corn
Tour de Corn began when a local cyclist and farmer, Mike Bryant, had the idea of starting a charity ride in East Prairie.
In 2001, Mike approached Silvey Barker, then-coordinator for East Prairie Tourism, with his idea. He said, "I wish the Office of Tourism would sponsor a ride." The potential was discussed for a few minutes, and Mike said, "I don't know what we'd call it, but I think it can be done!"
Soon after the conversation, a committee of local cyclists and interested citizens gathered to form the first Tour de Corn Committee. Today, the dedicated Tour de Corn Committee continues to be the backbone of the ride -- working to make it fun and safe event for riders, visitors and local neighbors alike.
Attendance at Tour de Corn has grown from 175 in 2002 to nearly 1200 in 2019!!!
The Tour de Corn Committee works year-round to create the best ride possible for the one-day event each June. Many of our cyclists have been attending since the first ride, and they continue to be our best advertisement – helping spread the word about Tour de Corn.
The rest stop and road marking were clear. Every person who was helping at the stops registration tables, etc. were some of the best mannered people. So to sum this AWESOME JOB.
--- Brad Davis
If you total our 13 years times -- 33 miles for each year -- we have ridden in Mississippi County at total of 429 miles. There must be some magic in that old blacktop road(s) that keep bringing us back. Folks, this is the creme de la creme of all rides. These organizers know how to run a ride.
--- Larry McGuire
