Ben Jacques-Maynes is pedaling in his 14th and last professional road season, the culmination of a career defined as much by versatility and longevity as it has been by victories.
Now in his third season with Jamis-Hagens Berman, Jacques-Maynes has won prologues, individual time trials, team time trials, criteriums and more than 50 races as a pro. But beginning May 10 he'll compete in the Tour of California as the only rider to start all of the race's 10 editions. He's finished eight times while riding for three different teams.
As much as any event in his career, the TOC has allowed the now 36-year-old rider to showcase his skills in his home state. It's also the event four years ago in which the lingering effects of crash put his life in jeopardy.
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"The Tour of Georgia was like the first big resurrection of cycling in the United States," Jacques-Maynes said. "The biggest stars in the sport at the time. It was Lance Armstrong but also Mario Cipollini and all the big European stars were coming back to America. I think the promoters saw that as an opportunity to bring it to California and take it to the next level.
"Coming into 2006, there was already a lot riding on the Tour of California. But at the time it was in February and it was going to be a training race and a spectacle for the Europeans. Still, from the first prologue going up Telegraph Hill, it absolutely fulfilled its promise. The crowd was there and there was a buzz in the peloton."
After finishing 24th overall in 2006, Jacques-Maynes was third a year later in the TOC prologue, five seconds behind winner Levi Leipheimer. As he's throughout his career, he's excelled as a climber, stage tempo rider and a team rider, often getting stage and race KOM honours.
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