History of BMC

The Boston Mountain Cyclist's (AKA BMC) club was started in 1979 in Fayetteville, AR by Joe Martin. The racing team included two racers from Fort Smith, AR and several racers from Fayetteville who would frequently cross the Boston Mountains to meet and ride together. This is where the team name 'Boston Mountain' Cyclists originated from.

The Boston Mountains are the tallest range within the Ozark mountain range and reach heights of up to 2,570 feet in elevation with valleys as deep as 1550 feet. The Boston Mountains cover over 5,770 sq. miles, and they form the southwestern part of Ozark plateau of which they are the highest and most rugged. The highest peak of the Boston Mountains lies within the city limits of Fayetteville, Arkansas in Washington County. The Boston Mountains, along with the rest of the highlands, have become a popular recreation center for many outdoor activities including camping, hiking, hunting, and cycling.

The BMC club was the first cycling team in Arkansas. Joe Martin organized and ran the team out of his small bicycle shop called Stratta Sports which was located in a back room in Joe's home in Fayetteville. The 1st BMC jersey were 100% wool and very warm and itchy. The 1st Sponsor of BMC were Stratta Sports and McNaturals in Eureka Springs. Other sponsors throughout the history of the BMC club have been Gianna Motta, Pneudan Tubular Tires, CKR in Tulsa, Tommasins, and Wal-mart.

Joe Martin started the first stage race in Arkansas called the Fayetteville Spring Classic, which included a road race around the Hogeye loop, a time trial at Devils Den, and a criterium in downtown Fayetteville. Joe Martin passed away in 1989 when he developed a rare type of leukemia. After Joe's death the Spring Class was renamed the Joe Martin Memorial Stage Race, and it has grown into one of the top National Race Calendar (NRC) and amateur events in the nation.

BMC has certainly had a lot of success over the years, and there have been many State Championships won in the Road Race, Criterium, and Time Trial disciplines. In the 1990's, the BMC club was responsible for the organization and sponsorship of 7-8 races each year, and the team included many strong racers from the central district and an elite team which traveled to races in a BMC team van. Outstanding individual accomplishments of those BMC team members include:

Buster Brown was the 1997 Master's National Champion in both the Criterium and Time Trial events which was held in Tallahassee, FL.

Carl Sunquist was the 1998 Master's National Champion in the Time Trial event which was held in Tallahassee, FL.

Carl Sunquist was the 1992 Silver Medalist for the US Olympic Track Team in Barcelona, Spain, as well as the 1994 Silver Medalist at the World Championships in Palemo, Sicily, in the team pursuit event.