<table> </table> A year ago, Cuban pro cyclist Ivan Dominguez didn&#8217;t know much about Missouri.</p><p>&#8220;I knew where it was because I was studying to become an American citizen,&#8221; said Dominguez, who now lives in Los Angeles. &#8220;But I had never been there, and I didn&#8217;t know much about its land or its people.&#8221;</p><p>My, how things have changed. This September, Dominguez couldn&#8217;t wait to return to the Show-Me State, the site of one of his best moments in pro cycling.</p><p>Dominguez, nicknamed &#8220;the Cuban Missile,&#8221; electrified crowds in both Kansas City and St. Louis by winning stages there in the inaugural Tour of Missouri pro cycling race.</p><p>Now he feels like he&#8217;s coming home as he prepares for the second running of the international event, which opens Monday with a St. Joseph to Kansas City road race and continues through Sunday.</p><p>&#8220;Kansas City and St. Louis are my two new favorite cities,&#8221; said Dominguez, who races for the Toyota-United team. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know much about Missouri before, but I do now.</p><p>&#8220;What made this race great was the people. They were so open and kind to us. The crowds were just great.&#8221;</p><p>Indeed, images of the inaugural Tour of Missouri remain fresh in the memories of racers and race organizers as they prepare for year No. 2.</p><p>There were huge crowds at Kansas City&#8217;s Country Club Plaza and in downtown St. Louis. In Lebanon, crowds of schoolchildren mobbed the racers. And enthusiastic fans lined rural roads and the streets of small towns to get a glimpse of the race.</p><p>Those receptions surprised even the most optimistic of race organizers. They had been hoping the event would go over well. But not in their wildest dreams did they anticipate it would be so successful.</p><p>By the time it was over, police estimated that 365,000 fans had watched the race. And a study estimated that the event had pumped $26.2 million into Missouri&#8217;s economy.</p><p>&#8220;We had some concern going in, wondering if Missouri would embrace an event like this,&#8221; said Jim Birrell, race director. &#8220;Pro cycling isn&#8217;t something that the state as a whole was that familiar with.</p><p>&#8220;We were just overwhelmed by the reception. The crowds were just unbelievable for a first-year event.&#8221;</p><p>All of which begs the question: What does the Tour of Missouri do for an encore?</p><p>Will fans return in force? Or were they just curiosity-seekers who will drift away now?</p><p>Birrell and other race organizers want to think that this year&#8217;s crowds will be larger. They hope to make the Tour of Missouri a tradition &#8212; an annual sporting event that generates excitement in urban and rural venues &#8212; from Kansas City and St. Louis to St. James and Hermann.</p><p>&#8220;A lot of people in these small towns don&#8217;t ever get a chance to go to an Olympics, a Super Bowl or a World Series,&#8221; Birrell said. &#8220;But with the Tour of Missouri, world-class athletes came right to their hometown.</p><p>&#8220;I think that really caught the interest of a lot of people.&#8221;</p><p>One thing is certain: The field is even stronger this year.</p><p>Top riders George Hincapie, the race&#8217;s defending champion; Christian Vande Velde; Michael Rogers; Mark Cavendish; and David Zabriskie highlight a star-filled lineup. And top teams, such as Columbia, Garmin-Chipotle, Toyota-United, and Liquigas should make the race for the team title closely contested.</p><p>&#8220;Top to bottom, I don&#8217;t see any weaknesses,&#8221; said Michael Creed of the Rock Racing team. &#8220;This is going to be a very good race.