Joe Martin Stage Race steps it up

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - With just under three months until the opening road stage in Fayetteville, Ark., the 27th edition of the Joe Martin Stage Race appears almost certain to be not just the most competitive in the event’s history, but among the best in North America. The Pro/1/2 Men’s race will include six-man entries from both Health Net Presented By Maxxis and Jelly Belly Presented By ARAMARK, while the Pro/1/2/3 Women’s field is almost certain to be the best gathering of elite-level female racers that Arkansas- and perhaps the entire Southeast- has ever seen. All of this is a testament to race promoter Bruce Dunn of All Sports Productions, Inc., as well as the entire JMSR organization, says Kelly Benjamin of the Athletes By Design women’s team: “Bruce does such a great job of promoting and running the race that we wouldn't miss it for the world! The courses are challenging & fun, and the race is always run well and very safe.” From its modest beginnings in 1978 as the Fayetteville Spring Classic, organized by the man for whom the race is now named, the Joe Martin Stage Race has earned a Category 2.3 rating on the National Racing Calendar, as well as a reputation for being one of America’s premier stage races.

While at least a half-dozen other domestic professional squads are close to confirming their entries in the 2004 Joe Martin Stage Race, Health Net Presented By Maxxis and the Jelly Belly Cycling Team Presented By ARAMARK are leading the way by six-man entries each. Though official rosters have not been released, the Health Net Presented By Maxxis entry could include defending men’s champion Jason McCartney, as well as 2000 U.S. Under-23 National Road Race winner & Arkansas native Brice Jones, while the Jelly Belly Cycling Team Presented By ARAMARK lineup might see the return of Aussie Ben Brooks (3rd overall in 2003) and Adam Bergman (5th overall in ’03). “We’d love to improve on our performance of last year,” notes Jelly Belly Presented By ARAMARK team director Danny Van Haute, “particularly since the race is in the proverbial backyard of our bicycle sponsor, Orbea. The Joe Martin Stage Race is one of the top events in the country, and a victory here would be a major coup for the team.” Other teams that have confirmed for the Pro/1/2 Men’s event include the Bianchi/Grand Performance squad of 2002 winner Gustavo Carillo, and the Endeavour Cycling Team, the replacement for the former Saturn Developmental program that includes some of America’s top young talent.

But, as good as the Men’s race is shaping up to be, the distaff side of the Joe Martin Stage Race could well be even better. While Equipe Cycliste RONA, Quark Women’s Cycling and Team T-Mobile have not yet confirmed their participation, the teams that have include some of North America’s finest. The Genesis Scuba/FFCC squad of 2003 runner-up & former Olympian Sue Palmer-Komar will be out in force, with an eight-woman entry that will include Palmer-Komar, fellow Olympian Iona Wynter, and former U.S. National Criterium Champions Tina Mayolo-Pic & Laura Van Gilder. “We thoroughly enjoyed the first class event that Bruce Dunn and his staff put on in 2003,” says team director Michael Skop, “and are looking forward to returning with an even stronger team this year.” However, at least three other women’s entries are going to be on hand with enough firepower to definitely play spoiler. Team Basis, which includes 2002 ‘The International’/Tour de ‘Toona winner Heather Albert and 2000 Olympian Nicole Freedman, will have a full squad on hand, and hope to turn in a strong performance. “Javelin Bicycles is our bicycle sponsor, and they are based in Little Rock,” notes Freedman. “They just built us the most incredible bikes, and we would love to support them by helping Javelin gain any PR possible.” Also on hand will be TDS/Schwalbe High-Speed, whose leader, German climbing sensation Karen Bockel, went to college at the University of Arkansas and is very familiar with the Boston Mountains. A former winner of both the Mt. Evans and Mt. Washington Hillclimbs, Bockel was one of Genevieve Jeanson’s top lieutenants on RONA over the past two seasons, and will have the support of a veteran TDS/Schwalbe lineup. And then there’s UCI Trade Team Victory Brewing, which is bringing a quartet spearheaded by former Canadian National Road Champion Sandy Espeseth and Kiwi mountain goat Johanna Buick. Team director Mike Tamayo is excited about the competition, and offers his full support of the race organization: "It is crucial for teams and athletes to support back the organizers that hold quality racing for women. It is also nice to see an organizer who challenges the athletes with a good race layout that offers some exciting racing, with epic stages.” The Pro/1/2/3 Women’s field will also include entries from squads such as America’s Dairyland, Athletes By Design, Team Kenda Tire, OBRU/The Bicycle Store, and worlddiff.com Women’s Cycling.

The Joe Martin Stage Race is a three-day, four-stage event (two days, three stages for USCF events) that will be held on May 14-16, 2004. Featuring cash purses of $15,000 for the Pro/1/2 Men and $7,000 for the Pro/1/2/3 Women, it is a National Racing Calendar event (Category 2.3), and features two road races, an uphill time trial, and a downtown criterium in the race’s hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas. The race is named for the late Joe Martin, a cycling enthusiast from Fayetteville whose dream was to have a national-calibre race in his hometown. Martin founded the JMSR’s predecessor, the Fayetteville Spring Classic in 1978, and served as the event’s director until he was stricken with cancer in 1988. Since his passing the following year, the race has been known as the Joe Martin Stage Race. Race sponsors who confirmed include Nature Valley, Gillette, Tyson Foods, Inc., City of Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Radisson Hotels, Fayetteville Athletic Clubs, Bank of Fayetteville and Lewis and Clark Outfitters. For more information on the Joe Martin Stage Race, please visit the race website at www.joemartinstagerace.com.

This Article Published 2004-02-20 09:01:13 For more information contact: