Joe Martin kicks off with Devil’s Den time trial
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
The 31 st rendition of the Joe Martin Stage Race started out with quite a bang Thursday as riders took part in a 2. 5-mile uphill time trial at Devil’s Den State Park.
This year’s race also has a new feel to it due to the fact it started Thursday instead of Friday.
“ Pretty much everything went off without a hitch, ” race director Bruce Dunn said.
Normally the time trial held Thursday is held on Saturday, but was instead moved this year to establish a front-runner early on.
Things started promptly at 3 p. m. in the professional division as John Murphy of Athens, Ga., came out of the blocks to mark the beginning of the race. Murphy is a member of Team Health Net presented by Maxxis.
Last year’s winner in the pro division, Rory Sutherland, also belongs to Team Health Net presented by Maxxis. He was the last of the pro riders to go out, but managed to post the fastest time of the day at 8: 14.
Sutherland, a native Australian who now resides in Boulder, Colo., didn’t just win the Joe Martin Stage Race in 2007, he also won the North American Elite Road Cycling individual points award while his Health Net presented by Maxxis squad brought home the National Race Calendar (NRC ) overall standings trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
A strong showing will only help Sutherland and his team as he is well on his way to a repeat of his individual title and Joe Martin Stage Race win while his teammates vie for a fifth straight NRC championship.
For the professional women, who went next after the pro guys, the lead-off rider was Michelle Jensen of Lawrence, Kan., who represents Mercy Cycling. She was joined by 40 other women riders.
While the women may not post as fast of times as the men do, it is not due to lack of effort or concentration. On a course as physically demanding as Devil’s Den proved to be on Thursday, the ladies managed to post some good times.
Mackenzie Woodring, who rides for Colavita Sutter Home PB Cooking Light, finished Day 1 in first place with a time of 10: 28.
Wrapping the day up were the riders in the Men’s 1-2 division who went off after the Pro men and women had finished up.
Even though they got a later start, they faced the same conditions as the earlier groups, and fought the uphill climb in order to record a fast time.
There were also a few more local riders in this division, and they included Justin Jackson of Fayetteville, who rides for Mercy Development Cycle Team, and Lance Hughey of Lowell, who rides for Accelerade Cycling Team.
A teammate of Jackson’s was Bella Vista’s Scott Barnes. Fort Smith residents Kolt Bates and Brooks Brenham rode for Mercy Development Team.
Dewey Dickey of Cokato, Minn., led the Category 1-2 pack with a time of 08: 52. He cycles for Mercy-Specialized Team.
Today, the riders will attempt to improve on their showings from Thursday in road races that will all wrap up on Dickson Street. The anticipated finishing times range from 5 to 6 p. m., but could change.
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