Holding our Own at the Joe Martin Stage Race

Now that racing season is in full swing, our riders are finally able to compete in some big races. Our first couple of national caliber races were pretty tough on our young team, but the guys have stepped up and are starting to hold their own with the best riders in the country. At the recent Joe Martin Stage race, the team made great strides in their development as pros, riding strong through some tough stages and ending the race with a good result.

The toughest moment for our team at Joe Martin, was during Stage 2. The previous day featured a short, 10 minute uphill prologue so the guys were anxious to put their legs to the test on a long 177km road race stage. Toward the end of the stage things began to get hairy as speeds increased over the rolling terrain. That's when Alder Martz and Blair Turner hit the deck (along with 15 other guys) at somewhere around 40mph. Alder and Blair quickly did a bike exchange and rolled into the finish line a few minutes behind the peloton. It was obvious that something was wrong with Blair's arm. He was in some pain on the ride to the finish and a post-race x-ray revealed a fractured elbow. Blair was of course disappointed for his race to be over so quickly, but the good news is that the doctors should have him riding his trainer within a week and back in the peloton in just a few weeks.

The last stage of Joe Martin is a brutal criterium. With a climb in the middle of the course, it has a reputation of being one of the hardest crits in the country. The guys rode like seasoned veterans in the race, staying well positioned and using their energy wisely. The front group was slowly whittled down to around 30 riders and Jovan Zekavica and AJ Meyer both stayed with the leaders. As the race neared the final laps AJ worked his way into the train of the big sprint teams and finished the stage with a solid 10th place.

Now that the Joe Martin Stage race is complete, the team is heading to Silver City, New Mexico for another tough stage race – the SRAM Tour of the Gila. Gila features five stages of hilly racing at 6,000 feet elevation and higher. The guys will also be challenged by the strongest field they've ever faced, with some of their competitors testing their legs before the upcoming Amgen Tour of California. Be sure to follow the team during the SRAM Tour of the Gila on our twitter feed and Facebook page. The race also has a mobile app to help you follow the action on the go.