If Cathedral of St. Joseph school children had it their way, perhaps they would’ve renamed the international bike tour that started from St. Joseph Monday to Tour “de” Missouri.

Britain, Paraguay, Ireland and Spain were just some of the countries represented on flags the pupils anxiously waved for the cyclists at the starting line — a little reminder of home before the riders pedaled around the Pony Express statue.

The world-class athletes weren’t the only first-timers to St. Joseph Friday.

They brought with them a slew of other foreigners there to either cover the event, watch it or work other aspects of the race.

For one example, look to Luis Barbosa, who calls Bogota, Colombia, home. He travels the world covering bike tours for ciclismohoy.com.

“It’s a beautiful place here. I’d hope to see the sun so I can take better pictures, but I like the architecture a lot. Just look at that old house,” Mr. Barbosa said, pointing up to the Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast, a red brick Victorian home on Felix Street.

After covering the Tour of Missouri, the journalist returns to Colombia for one week before flying to Italy to report on the Cycling World Championships.

Mr. Barbosa said he prefers American races because of the greater accessibility to the riders.

“I like the passion of the new fans of cycling in America,” he said.

In other countries where cycling is extremely popular, he explained that the athletes are treated much like baseball and football players in the United States in that they’re mostly kept away from the public.

In the United States, he said fans can stand just a few feet away from big-name cyclists and children have little trouble getting autographs.

“It’s very special to watch for me,” he said.

The coaches were more accessible, too.

Tristan Hoffman, the Dutch coach of Team Columbia, stood around and joked with Team Health Net staffers just minutes before the race’s wheel-off.

“America is greener than I thought. You see all the movies and when I think America, I think desert,” Mr. Hoffman said.

Instead, several downpours doused St. Joseph on race day.

His next statement illustrated how brief his stay here was.

He and many internationals, including the cyclists and world media, stayed overnight in Kansas City hotels and drove to St. Joseph shortly before the race’s gun start.

“I cannot say anything much about this village. I have not been here long enough,” Mr. Hoffman said.

St. Joseph left an impression on domestic out-of-towners, though.

Neil Browne of Road Magazine out of Long Beach, Calif., described St. Joseph as a “charming” town — other than the “loud claps of thunder” — with a “real country feel.”

“It’s not like where I come from with strip malls and Starbucks on every corner,” Mr. Browne said.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.