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32nd ANNUAL JOE MARTIN STAGE RACE ATTRACTS TOP U.S. PRO CYCLING TEAMS
Fayetteville, Ark. (April 3, 2009) – The 32nd edition of the Joe Martin Stage Race will kick off May 7-10 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

When the late Joe Martin began the Fayetteville Spring Classic cycle race in 1978, he might not have realized it would become one of the longest and continually held races in the country.

On May 7-10, the Joe Martin Stage Race will commence its 32nd year in existence. Renamed after Martin’s death in 1988, the race has become one of the premier events on the National Race Calendar. The NRC is the pro and elite amateur cycling tour of USA Cycling. The JMSR is only one of two events in Arkansas on the NRC.

“Being able to celebrate the 32 years of any event, especially this race, speaks a lot about this community, the racers, and the fans that come and support it,” said Bruce Dunn, race director and owner of All Sports Productions, Inc. “A lot of great races aren’t around after ten years, and here we are, celebrating our 32nd year as a race. That is such a great accomplishment for the community and for the supporters of this event.”

The four-day, four-stage race will offer more than $55,000 in cash and merchandise to competitors across 11 categories. This year event planners are expecting 700 riders with approximately 1,500 support personnel for the three-day event.

“We like to see more racers each year in this event,” Dunn said, “but what we’re seeing is an incredible increase in the quality of riders. Quantity is great and the race reputation will increase this year because of the quality.”

The races begin Thursday, May 7th with a Pro/Elite Men and Women uphill time-trial from 3:30 to 7 p.m. that will push some of the most qualified athletes. A racer will start every 30 seconds to race the 2.5-mile climb out of Devil’s Den State Park on Highway 170.

The next day, May 8th, the Pro Men’s road race begins at 2p.m. The men will race 110 miles south from the Wal-Mart on 62 West and will continue on Highways 62, 45, and 59 until riders hit Mountainburg and will turn and head north on Highway 71. Racers are expected around 6 p.m. and will finish on Dickson Street. The women will start their 64-mile race at the First Baptist Church in Cedarville at 2:30 p.m. and are slated to finish around 5 p.m. on Dickson Street.

Saturday morning, the amateur categories will begin their race with the uphill time-trial from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Devil's Den venue.

A road race for both the professionals and amateurs will start Saturday at noon, May 9, at the University of Arkansas parking lot at 15th Street and Razorback Road near Baum Stadium. The course length will vary between 46 and 92 miles depending on the level of the rider. The finish line will be at the intersection of 15th and Razorback. The exits of Cato Springs/ Razorback Road will be closed from 2pm to 3:15pm and 5:3pm to :15 p.m. on Saturday for the finish of this stage.

Races on Sunday will be very family and community-oriented as the final day of racing falls on Mother’s Day.

A free fun ride for kids between the ages of three and 12 will begin at 12:30 in downtown Fayetteville. All the mothers who have entered her children in a race will receive a rose from race organizers. Inflatable toys, vendors featuring food, outdoor productions, refreshments, and demonstrations will be on the Square from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Prizes will be given away to the public throughout the day.

The final race of the event, the criterium, will begin and end at the corner of Church Avenue and Center Street. This course will be one of the easiest to observe for the community and usually presents some exciting finishes. The pro women will start at noon and the men will follow at 1:30.
“The neat thing about the Joe Martin is the people that return to Fayetteville,” Dunn said. “These are the people that make this race bigger and better every year. But more importantly, this race has attracted those riders back to the area for vacations with their families. They come back every year for the race, but we know that they are starting to come back because of the attraction of the area and the city of Fayetteville.”

For more information, visit www.joemartinstagerace.com.

About All Sports Productions, Inc.
The Joe Martin Stage Race is promoted by All Sports Productions, Inc., a sports event management company, which promotes cycling, triathlon, running, adventure race and outdoor events. The company also provides consulting services to other sporting events. All Sports Productions, Inc. is owned and operated by Bruce Dunn.

About the National Racing Calendar (NRC)
Entering its 13th season, the National Racing Calendar (NRC) is an all-inclusive road cycling series sanctioned by USA Cycling. It is designed to provide a ranking system for all elite-level cyclists, both amateur and professional, through participation in the nation’s premier cycling events. For more information on the NRC, visit http://www.usacycling.org/nrc/, or contact Justin Rogers at (719) 866-3266 or jrogers@usacycling.org.