Joe Martin Stage Race cancelled for 2024

The Joe Martin Stage Race, one of the last remaining UCI stage races in the United States, has been cancelled for 2024.

Bruce Dunn, the race director, announced the news on 21 March, citing rising production costs and a lack of additional funding.

The Joe Martin Stage Race is an institution on the American racing calendar and the 2024 edition was set to be the race’s 47th year in operation, with the race operating as a UCI stage race on the America Tour for the last 10 years. The organisers are hoping to bring the race back in 2025.

“After 46 years of amateur stage racing, 21 years on the USA Cycling professional calendar and nine years on the UCI international calendar, we’ve had to make the very difficult decision to cancel the 2024 event due to the rising costs of producing a multi-day stage race coupled with limited corporate and stakeholder sponsorship and funding,” Dunn said in a statement.

Just last year, the race saw a thrilling edition between Riley Sheehan and Miguel Ángel López. Sheehan came out on top, securing a crucial win on his palmarès which contributed to his ascension to the ProTour with Israel-Premier Tech by the end of the year.

• Read more: Riley Sheehan turns professional with Israel-Premier Tech in 2024

Beyond the elite men's field, the race was also a key event for the women’s peloton, junior field and amateur racers as the event gave vital opportunities for all of those different levels of racers to get experience in European-style stage racing in the United States.

The Tour of the Gila, Maryland Cycling Classic and Gran Premio New York are the only remaining UCI races on the calendar in the United States for 2024.

According to sources with an understanding of the changes in Arkansas, the race postponement comes after Walmart, the main title sponsor of the race and a company from the northwest Arkansas area where the event takes place, pulled its funding leaving a vacuum too large to fill in time for the race to proceed in 2024.

Nevertheless, the area has seen big growth in the outdoor industry over the last decade and has a full arsenal of cycling events that will be continuing in 2024, like the Rule of Three gravel race, the UCI-sanctioned Highlands Gravel Classic, and the Life Time Big Sugar and Little Sugar gravel and mountain bike races.

The organisers of the event hope that the race’s legacy matched with the emphasis on cycling in the area will help them to find the necessary investment to continue after a one-year hiatus.

“With 14 months to plan for 2025, we will be working tirelessly to secure a top-tier line-up of sponsors. This race would not have been possible over the years without the sponsors, volunteers and others within the Fayetteville community who have done so much and I look forward to continuing in partnership with them in the future.” Dunn said.

“The Joe Martin Stage Race was [All Sports Production’s] first event and started our career in event production. We have literally been bringing the world of professional cycling to Arkansas for over two decades and the pathway to the Olympics, World Championships and the WorldTour teams and events such as the Tour de France have included the Joe Martin Stage Race.”