The peloton took off like a rocket Thursday at the Tour of Hainan. The second stage was 159km long and guided the cyclists from Wanning to Wenchang. It wasn’t long before Jelly Belly riders decided they wanted to be at the front. The second break that broke from the pack had Keil Riejnen and Nick Reistad in it, and it remained a good 30 seconds in front of the field for most of the day.
Unfortunately, Matty Rice hit a rock in the road with about 50 km to go. He also brought down Reistad, who was on his wheel at the time. Although they were both bleeding in a few spots, their determination prevailed and both riders got right back up and caught the pack.
The pack came together with about 10km to go, and remained that way until the finish. With 5km to go, the Jelly Belly team pedaled to the front and sat behind the Russian team for protection. Finally, Bernard pulled the team to the front at 1km. And the fast and furious JB train opened up which allowed Brad Huff to sprint to a 3rd place finish in Wenchang.
Molly Saunders
PR Jelly Belly Cycling Team
