It took nearly five months, but St. Joseph recorded a well-deserved victory Tuesday with the announcement that the Tour of Missouri will return to the city this summer.

Organizers and sponsors of the prestigious professional cycling race will include both St. Joseph and Chillicothe as hosts in the final stages of the event when it unfolds Sept. 7-13, this time running east to west from St. Louis to Kansas City.

The tour presenters had plenty of other options when they sat down to map the 2009 course. About 30 communities bid to host legs of the seven-stage event. Without being in the room, it’s hard to say what swayed the final decision but we suggest these possibilities:

* Scenic and varied terrain is a key to a well-regarded course. Staying mostly to the north of Interstate 70, and off many of the heavily traveled routes, a ride from Sedalia to Chillicothe and on into St. Joseph made a lot of sense. It sets up a final stage similar to last year’s first stage — a competitive dash into the heart of Kansas City.

* The St. Joseph Parkway System holds great possibilities for racing within the city, and can be used to greater advantage than last year. Three options for a finish line have been discussed — Civic Center Park, The Shoppes at North Village or Riverfront Park. Whether arriving or departing, the approximately 120 cyclists will find the Parkway System a highlight of the tour.

* Last year’s stage hosted in St. Joseph was well-organized and drew an enthusiastic crowd of race fans. This year, it’s much more likely the racers and their followers will stay overnight in St. Joseph. The city demonstrated it is more than capable of meeting the race needs for hotel rooms, related services and security.

Over the years, St. Joseph has proven to be an exceptionally enthusiastic host for events ranging from NCAA Division II basketball championships, to the U.S. Olympic weightlifting trials, to softball championships and last year’s installment of the Tour of Missouri. We take pride in these events and know how to pull them off.

And now we get a chance to do it again, this time taking the race handoff from our sister city in Chillicothe. Boosters in both communities should take a breath before the hard work begins and bask in the recognition: We must be doing something right.