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Media Contacts:
Jill Tompkins - 479-200-6824, jillayne.tompkins@gmail.com
Tom Ewart - 479-254-0105, tom@nwaphoto.com
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Women's
Prestige Cycling Series Press Release - click here
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. |