Aevolo Cycling will make its racing debut at the Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Thursday. While several Aevolo riders have pinned on numbers already this season, the four-day UCI stage race marks the first team race for new US outfit.

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“I hope that we can show that we’ve provided our athletes and our staff with the tools to succeed,” said team manager Mike Creed. “We have no real backbone or spine. We didn’t merge with another team or poach their sponsors. This is the first outing for a brand new team, and we want to have a respectable start. Hopefully our colleagues see what we’ve done in a short amount of time and have some respect for that.”

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Aevolo’s roster includes Jack Burke, Jokin Etxabe Leturia, Laurent Gervais, Lance Haidet, Michael Hernandez, Jason Saltzman, Tyler Stites and Luis Villalobos. The group is a mix of climbers and fast finishers that are well-suited to contest the challenges that Joe Martin throws at them: an uphill prologue, two road races and a dynamic criterium.

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“I have no hard expectations,” said Creed. “I’m very curious to see how they stack up and what they and we have to work on. I’m treating this race as a real diagnostic tool to see what we have to work with and where we can go from here.”

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Creed anticipates the 40th edition of Joe Martin will be the most challenging yet.

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“It’s the strongest men’s field they’ve ever had, and I think it will be the most aggressive race I’ve known of with Joe Martin,” Creed said. “A time that would have gotten you in the top ten two or three years ago won’t get you inside the top 20 this year. I welcome a fast and aggressive race. It will more accurately show any flaws in our game and what we have to work on.”

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Admitting that he’s slightly superstitious, Creed was hesitant to name his ambitions for his squad in Arkansas. He sees opportunities for Villalobos, Stites and Extabe Leturia on the prologue and stage one. He hopes Hernandez, Gervais and Stites will contest the flat, fast finishes.

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“The final stage suits us as a whole, and I’d like to see us do something there,” said Creed. “It’s hard to say exactly what that ‘something’ would be until I have a better sense of how we stack up.

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“We’re here to learn and grow,” said Creed. “For us, Joe Martin is a starting point – and I think we can have a solid start.”

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Aevolo Cycling for Joe Martin Stage Race:

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Jack Burke (CAN)

Jokin Etxabe Leturia (ESP)

Laurent Gervais (CAN)

Lance Haidet (USA)

Michael Hernandez (USA)

Jason Saltzman (USA)

Tyler Stites (USA)

Luis Villalobos (MAC)