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2005 NEWS:

28TH ANNUAL JOE MARTIN STAGE RACE ATTRACTS TOP U.S. PRO CYCLING TEAMS

Fayetteville, Ark. (March 25, 2005)-All levels of competitive cycling return to Fayetteville, Ark. May 13-15 as the 28th annual Joe Martin Stage Race returns for another year on USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar (NRC). One of only 39 events to earn that distinction in 2005, the Joe Martin Stage Race continues its rich tradition of hosting men's and women's top-level professional athletes in addition to 14 other categories catering to junior, senior and master-level riders.

The three-day, four-stage Joe Martin Stage Race offers a combined $30,000 prize list for the pro men's and women's categories and again features demanding courses sure to test the mettle of some of the nation's most gifted endurance athletes. The pros will open the event with a road race on Friday before tackling a second road race and a time trial on Saturday. Competition then concludes on Sunday with a spectator friendly criterium.

With a mid-May spot on the calendar sandwiched in between NRC events in Georgia and Russelville, Ark., The 2005 Joe Martin Stage Race will attract a world-class field of elite cyclists. Last season's top-ranked domestic cycling team, Health Net presented by Maxxis, has already confirmed a full roster that includes three-time Olympian and Canadian National Champion Gord Fraser (CAN), sprint talent Ivan Dominguez (CUB), and seasoned veteran John Lieswyn (Ames, Iowa). "The Joe Martin Stage Race is easily one of the most challenging events on the calendar," explained Health Net team director Jeff Corbett. "This year the race is an extremely important component in our preparation for the USPRO Championships in June. Last season, we relied on the Joe Martin Stage Race to help prepare us for the Olympic trials and Jason McCartney, who actually won two stages in Fayetteville, ended up with a trip to Athens."

The Jelly Belly-PoolGel team also plans on fielding a strong team that will include last year's third-place finisher Ben Brooks (AUS), 2001 U23 world time trial champion Danny Pate (Colorado Springs, Colo.), and Fort Smith, Ark. native Brice Jones. Like Corbett, Jelly Belly-PoolGel team director Danny Van Haute feels the Joe Martin Stage Race offers the best scenario leading up to the USPRO Championships. "This race is very important to us for a couple of different reasons," Van Haute explained. "Joe Martin offers us the perfect preparation for the Wachovia series and the terrain and courses are exactly what every pro team in the U.S. covets that time of year." Although several other pro teams are expected to attend, the early commitments of two of the nation's top teams are a testament to the quality of this year's event. 'This just goes to show that the organization puts on a top-notch race," says Van Haute. "Already you can expect to see two talented teams battling it out."

Several of the country's most notable women's teams have also confirmed including Ford-Basis, DeFeet and Velo Bella. Colavita-Cooking Light is sending a four-woman squad that includes Dotsie Cowden and Canadian Olympic team member Sue Palmer-Komar. "This was one of the first races I put on our schedule when the NRC was announced," said Colavita-Cooking Light team director John Alsedek. "It's well run, the courses are fantastic and it has a great spot on the calendar, not to mention the Fayetteville area is a beautiful place to spend a long weekend,"

Complementing the challenging pro events are 14 additional categories including the future generation of elite-level athletes. The Joe Martin Stage Race is also part of USA Cycling's Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Series (LAJORS). Junior level riders, as well as senior and master categories will contest a three-stage, two-day event beginning on Saturday, May 14. With an additional $8,000 in cash up for grabs in these categories, the total cash and prize purse for the 2005 edition is $50,000.