Joe Martin Stage Race

2003 NEWS:

4/14/03

CEO OF USA CYCLING, GERARD BISCEGLIA, TO SPEAK AT PRESS CONFERENCE FOR JOE MARTIN STAGE RACE

The CEO of USA Cycling, Gerard Bisceglia, will be the keynote speaker at an April 17th press conference for the Joe Martin Stage Race. The press conference will be held on the plaza of the Fayetteville Town Center from 12:15 pm to 1pm. Lunch will be served to the media immediately following the press conference. In case of inclement weather, the press conference will be held inside the Town Center. Members of the media are invited to attend the press conference to learn more about this year's 26th Annual Joe Martin Stage Race. Details of the race such as event timeline, racecourse maps, participating cyclists, prize list, community impact and more will be discussed. Speakers at the press conference will include:

• Bruce Dunn, director of the Joe Martin Stage Race
• John Lewis, president of the Bank of Fayetteville
• Dan Coody, mayor of the city of Fayetteville
• Bob Corscadden, senior vice-president of Tyson Foods Inc.
• Tony Gunter, general manager of Saturn of Northwest Arkansas
• Alex Cornett, team leader of General Mills' Wal-Mart region
• Allison Twigg, manager of Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Gerard Bisceglia, CEO of USA Cycling

3/20/03

UCI TRADE TEAMS COMMIT TO THE JOE MARTIN

Several of the top teams in the U.S. have committed to the Joe Martin Stage Race. Both the Saturn Men's and Women's teams, Sierra Nevada/Clif Bar, 7UP/Maxxis, Prime Alliance, Jelly Belly, Team T-Mobile (women) are making the trip to the Boston Mountains for a great weekend of racing. More UCI teams will be announced in the coming days. In addition to the UCI trade teams, several men's and women's Category 1,2 teams from across the US, as well as, several independent professional riders from around the world will be racing.

2/19/03

NRC Status for 26th Annual Joe Martin Stage Race, May 9 - 11, 2003

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. - More than $40,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded this year to cyclists participating in the 26th Annual Joe Martin Stage Race. The race is part of the 2003 National Race Calendar (NRC), with a ranking of 2.4. This year's event will feature two road races, an uphill time trial and a criterium, contested over three days. A $15,000 cash purse for Pro1,2 men and a $7,000 cash purse for Pro1,2,3 women will be awarded.

Friday's event, a Men's Pro 1,2 and Women's Pro 1,2,3-only road race, will be held on a demanding course featuring more than 5,000 feet of climbing over 113 miles for the men, and just over 3,000 feet of climbing and 70 miles for the women. The finish line will be located in the retail and entertainment district of downtown Fayetteville, with fans lining the streets to cheer on the riders.

The second event, also a road race, will be held Saturday morning. The course is a demanding 23-mile loop with 1,500 feet of climbing on each lap. The Pro1,2 men will race 92 miles and the Pro1,2,3 women 69 miles.

The third event, a time trial, will be held at Devil's Den State Park near Winslow, Arkansas, Saturday afternoon. The course is a challenging 2.5-mile uphill race with an average grade of 6.8 percent.

The final event, a criterium, will be raced on the streets of downtown Fayetteville Sunday, May 11. The course is a demanding one mile stretch with eight 90-degree turns, a fast downhill section and one tough climb to the finish.
The Amateur, Junior and Master's Category Stage Race will be the same as previous years with a Saturday Road Race and Time Trial and Sunday Criterium.

For more information about the National Race Calendar (NRC), visit www.usacycling.org

2/14/03

Arkansas State Police Approve Rolling Enclosures:

The Arkansas State Police, in conjunction with city and county officials, will escort both the Pro1,2 Men and Pro1,2,3 Women during Friday's and Saturday's road races. The rolling enclosure will not only make the race much safer for both racers and spectators, but also will give the riders a European-racing experience.

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