I got an email from Bruce Dunn, czar of the Joe Martin Stage race, in Fayetteville Arkansas, yesterday, and it said that Joe Martin is adding another race for the Cat 1/2 men. The email said that the Elite 1/2 race sold out super quick, so they were adding another race, a 3-stage, 2 day race, for the other guys that still wanted to race.
I’m not sure what to think about that. I guess it is great is my initial thought. It is kind of strange racing the same category of race, but not racing the same races.
The difference is the “normal” Elite 1/2 race mirrors the Pro race. Which means it isn’t just two days, it has the Mt. Gaylor road race and starts earlier in the week. The new race will mirror the other amateur categories and do the TT, the Hogeye Road Race, then the criterium on Sunday. Both are good races, just different.
It is kind of cool when the promotor of a big event adds a race to allow for the overflow of riders wanting to do the event. But, like I said above, it feels a little strange, from the view point of a Elite rider, knowing that you’re not racing with all the other guys in your category, at the same venue, the same weekend. I guess it is the same as when you are racing the 1/2 race and there is a Pro race going on at the same time.
Anyway, Joe Martin is probably going to be a little early for me to be racing on the road this year. Maybe not, but from what I’m been experiencing so far, it is slow going and I’m not going to be “taking chances” starting to take chances without knowing it I’m up to the challenge.