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Hagman takes team message to school kids

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda rider Alex Hagman recently visited a school in Fort Collins, Colo. He sent this note:

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This was a really fun school visit. We had about 50 to 60 students at the IB Lesher Middle School, here in Fort Collins.

Georgia Gould (Bronze Mountain Bike Olympian, and multi-time national champion) was there as well. It was awesome. The kids were super engaging and this went really far for our community. I gave the teachers some Beans to give out during the rest of the week however the saw fit. They’re going to have a bunch of hyper kids on bikes running around! 🙂

Thanks y’all,
Alex

Team signs ‘Fast Freddie’ Rodriguez

The Jelly Belly Cycling Team presented by Kenda has signed three-time U.S. National Champion and seven-time Tour de France rider Fred Rodriguez, it was announced today.

“We’re more than excited to obtain Fred Rodriguez and have him part of the team for the remainder of the season,” said team General Manager and Director Danny Van Haute. “Fred’s experience and leadership will be a huge asset for Team Jelly Belly p/b Kenda, not to mention he’s a great bike rider who will no doubt garner great results.”

Rodriguez raced for the now defunct Exergy team last season and showed well at major U.S. races like the Amgen Tour of California and USA Pro Challenge in Colorado, notching several top 10-stage placings.

“After dialogue with several teams, I decided Jelly Belly was a good fit,” said Rodriguez. “There are a lot of things this team does both on and off the bike that makes sense for me at this stage of my career.  The team has been a staple of American racing for more than a decade and I admire that stability. Plus, Jelly Belly Candy Company is a great company with great values to support.”

Van Haute added that Rodriguez had impressed him in recent races, and, coupled with his character and business approach, were an intriguing mix for both Jelly Belly and his team. He noted that along with current sprinter Brad Huff, the squad has a strong one-two punch in fast finishes.

The 39-year-old Rodriguez, who resides in Berkeley, said he’s been rejuvenated in recent years after racing his early career primarily in Europe.  He said he hopes to show well in major North American races Jelly Belly competes, beginning with the U.S.A. Cycling National Championships for road race later this month in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Nicknamed “Fast Freddie”, Rodriguez’s professional career spans more than 15 years. His career highlights include three U.S. professional road race wins in 2000, 2001, and 2004; stage wins in big European stageraces: Tour of Luxembourg, Tour of Switzerland and Tour of Italy.  He has won sprint points jerseys in the Tour of Switzerland and twice in the Tour de Georgia, at one time the largest American stage race. He was the long-time lead-out man for Aussie sprinter Robbie McEwen who amassed 12 Tour de France stage wins, many thanks to Rodriguez’s work.

Rodriguez also has many business interests, including his inaugural Fast Freddie Gran Fondo, scheduled for August 17, 2013, in Berkley.  Go to www.FFgranfondo.com

Smooth riding at Tour of the Gila

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda rider Nic Hamilton sent this report after the Tour of the Gila.

More often than not our race programs involve stacked races in a variety of locations which all coincide in one single trip from home. This can make packing a challenge as the weather in North America can fluctuate dramatically from one region to another. Having packed an entire line of Ironclad gloves and Pactimo clothing, suitable for anything from the coldest wintery weather to full-blown summer desert heat, I was pleased that the Tour of the Gila arrived with a great forecast.

It turned out that we had little need for our cold weather gear and didn’t need to make any trips back to the car during the race to get the “rain bag.”

Photo by Brian Hodes

Photo by Brian Hodes

While the weather cooperated marvelously, there was no changing the altitude factor. The most challenging aspect of racing the Tour of the Gila is coping with the lower pressure up in the high desert. Nutrition, hydration, race strategy, sleeping and recovery are all dramatically affected and whoever can deal with it the best comes out on top. The five-day race featured a dynamic range of events including three road stages, a downtown crit, and a challenging time trial course. With such variety in the stages our mechanics were pumped to have 3T wheels onboard; the Mercurio 40 carbon race wheelset was light enough for the first day’s Cat 1 mountain finish and extremely aerodynamic and strong for the big power sprints in the crit and rolling breakaway. One wheel, any conditions — the fewer decisions athletes need to make the better.

Photo by Brian Hodes

Photo by Brian Hodes

We stayed safe throughout the race, always keeping close to each other and near the front, and it paid off well as the first few days saw some carnage on the road. The non-altitude guys were the helpers for the tour and kept those on the squad who were acclimated and ready to climb sheltered and fueled. The most notable ride of the tour was Serghei Tvetcov finishing in the top ten on the queen stage, the Gila Monster, among some of the best climbers in North America.

Our lives were made much easier throughout the tour as we were staying in a massive 1800s home only two blocks from the heart of Silver City. The house itself showed the character of the region with adobe style walls, several courtyards, and great gardens throughout the property. It was large enough to sleep 10 people and the kitchen was up to the test of pumping out some gourmet and extremely healthy meals. What a difference home-cooked food makes on the road! We were so thankful to have the option to choose our own menu and have a few “tastes of home” which are often lost when traveling.

Photo by Brian Hodes

Photo by Brian Hodes

The proximity to all the races allowed us to ride to and from most stages, which again, made an enormous difference. Thank you to the great hosts we had in Silver City and Mel at the Three Dogs CafĂ© who took great care of our caffeine and dessert needs. Silver City was a town full of smiles, warmth, and unique culture – something that was not lost on us. Many of us are already talking about coming back to train and all of us are certainly keen to return next year and have another crack at the top step in New Mexico.

Thanks for reading and look for the Jelly Belly p/b Kenda team in St. Louis, Missouri next weekend for the Tour de Grove.

-Nic

Riders show mettle in Joe Martin Stage Race

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda put riders in the breakaway each day of the Joe Martin Stage Race, an event that includes one of the hardest criteriums in the U.S.

Ricardo Van der Velde, Christiaan Kriek, Brad Huff, Morgan Schmitt, Luis Lemus, Nic Hamilton and Sean Mazich represented the team in Fayetteville, Ark.

In the 110-mile road race, the break moved early. Lemus joined three other riders and stayed away for 80 miles. Lemus dropped his three partners for the last 15 miles. He put in a terrific effort, getting caught with just 5k to go. Van der Velde placed fifth, and Kriek finished 13th.

The next day, at about mile 20 of the 112-mile road race, Schmitt jumped into an eight-man breakaway. Later on, Hamilton and 13 other riders bridged up to the break, giving Jelly Belly p/b Kenda two riders in the front group. Hamilton went on to finish ninth, and Schmitt 11th.

The 85-minute crit on the final day covered a 1-1/2 mile course with a .4-mile climb on every lap. Huff got into a four-man breakaway that kept the field at bay for an hour. They rode hard and were caught with only 100 meters to the finish.

Hamilton ended up seventh in the GC, and Schmitt was 19th.

“The boys showed a lot of heart in a very hard race. Great riding,” said team director Danny Van Haute.

Next up for Jelly Belly p/b Kenda is the Tour de Gila, May 1-5 in Silver City, N.M.

Photos Of Sea Otter Classic

Photo: Wil Matthews

Team work pays off at Sea Otter Classic

Alex Hagman took first place in Stage Two.

Alex Hagman took first place in Stage Two.

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda executed a terrific team effort at the Sea Otter Classic last weekend, earning multiple podium spots including first place in Stage 2.

Morgan Schmitt, Ricardo Van der Velde, Christiaan Kriek, Sean Mazich, Alex Hagman and Emerson Oronte rode for Jelly Belly p/b Kenda in the four-day race in Monterey, Calif. When they weren’t racing, the riders held an autograph session at the Northwave booth and made  guest appearances at the Focus, 3T and Kenda booths.

The Focus booth displayed the team bike.

The Focus booth displayed the team bike.

In Stage 1, an hour long circuit race, the riders were surprised by the fast start. But they battled hard, and Van der Velde took third place with Kriek right behind in fourth.

The 70-mile road race on Day Two is when the team really excelled. With a breakaway two minutes ahead and just 20 miles to go, all six Jelly Belly p/b Kenda riders went to the front to try to bring it back. The effort paid off, and Hagman took the victory. Schmitt was fourth.

Van der Velde and Schmitt took fifth and sixth, respectively, in the time trial, and on the final day the squad led out Van der Velde to a second place finish. Mazich was fifth on the stage, and Schmitt finished third overall.

“The guys put together a great team effort. I am proud of their results and how they all worked together,” said team director Danny Van Haute.

Nic Hamilton: Giving it all at Redlands

Christiaan Kriek won the green points jersey at Redlands.

Christiaan Kriek won the green points jersey at Redlands. Photo by Brian Hodes

Nic Hamilton describes the team’s successes at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

During my time as a cyclist there have been very, very few constants. The Redlands Bicycle Classic is one of just a handful of races that I have been able to measure year to year. It’s one of those events that provokes those “my, how much has happened in a year?’ self-dialogues.

First, our host house puppies had grown into full-fledged dogs. But more importantly, Jelly Belly p/b Kenda had developed into a more experienced machine, ready to show ourselves on the road.

Day Uno: TT at Big Bear

A new Time Trial at Redlands created a lot of intrigue in the peloton. What would be the effect of this new course, held at a pretty decent altitude, just shy of 7000 feet? The newest member of the team, Serghei Tvetcov, wasn’t phased and had a solid rip placing eighth. Times were much tighter than with the previous uphill TT, so the GC battle was very much up for grabs and the Twitterverse was blowing up with projections of a war-like, street fight on Day 2.

Beaumont:

One of the many fantastic things about our generous hosts in Redlands is that they have more freshly laid eggs than an entire cycling team can eat. Trust me, we tried. Then it was off to Beaumont. The race was energetic. Christiaan Kriek, the South African import, took the Green Jersey from a breakaway effort and the team really came together to accomplish our objectives, not always done the easy way, but we got ’em done. Brad Huff was sixth on the day thanks to a good dig from Alex Hagman to get him where he needed to be for the bunch kick, just a few seconds behind the leaders.

Criterium:

With a later race time we had a causal morning, but the routine was no different. Cyclists are creatures of habit. We threw a leg over the Focus Cayo EVO bikes in the morning to shake some of the “junk” out of our legs from the previous day’s 200km adventure and set off for some course recon and coffee shop time. Reconnecting with old friends is bound to happen at bike races as many of us only ever see each other at the races. We took the morning to drink coffee and catch up.

The evening event went by without too much drama. We realized we have a bit of work to do collaborating throughout the race to stay organized and on point. We eventually figured it out and Brad did a good sprint to finish second. Chris earned enough points to keep his jersey, and with that we had two boys walking the steps to the podium.

Brad Huff finished second in Stage 3. Photo by Brian Hodes

Brad Huff finished second in Stage 3. Photo by Brian Hodes

Sunset, oh how poetic:

The final day was the sunset loop road race, touted as one of the most challenging courses in the U.S. Like any course, it’s how you race it that makes it challenging or not, but with that said there is no hiding on sunset.  First order of business was locking up the points jersey in the opening criterium laps. Kriek did a great job muscling his way to win both bonus sprints and effectively lock up the jersey.

I have to take a quick few words here to express my thanks to the Redlands community. Turns out we aren’t the only team with hosts going way above and beyond for the teams. I was blown away by the Community as a whole supporting this event. There were people congregated enjoying the sun everywhere on the course. It both elevated and smashed our morale as we struggled up climbs past BBQ cook-outs and ice cold coolers of choice beverages. But in the end it was definitely a net positive on the morale – thanks for the “Jelly Belly” cheers.

From the race perspective we were well-represented and took some chances going on into the breaks and giving ‘er a go on ALL parts of the course. We finished with three guys in the final kick and another trip to the podium where Kriek could rest easy and take that points jersey home with him.

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda riders relax after a well-fought race. Photo by Brian Hodes

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda riders relax after a well-fought race. Photo by Brian Hodes

We are off to Sea Otter, then Joe Martin and Tour of the Gila, which are all new races for this author. Don’t be shy – come say hi!

Thanks for reading,
Nic Hamilton

Q & A with Christian Prudhomme about anti-doping efforts

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Jelly Belly p/b Kenda is part of the Movement for Credible Cycling, whose members agree to abide by ethical criteria that go beyond the World Anti-Doping Agency code. MPCC members commit to not to sign riders who have been suspended for doping, to control the use of corticoid injections and to immediately suspend riders from racing if they fail an anti-doping control. Check out this interview the organization did with Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France.

How did you take into account MPCC members while choosing the teams invited for the next Criterium International (March, 23rd-24th)?

We have invited all the MPCC teams who applied to the race, 11 teams in that case. Then, we chose the rest of the teams given the roster they were proposing. This is a rule we wish to apply to all our HC races (Tour of Qatar, Tour of Oman, Paris-Tours).

As the AIOCC president, what message did you want to convey to organizers in relation to MPCC ?

The AIOCC position hasn’t moved since November, when I presented it during its general assembly: priority goes to MPCC teams. Obviously, it doesn’t mean that organizers have to invite only MPCC teams. But MPCC sets harder rules to its own teams and riders, and I welcome it. When two teams are at the same level, we have to show that the MPCC one defends a cycling we love, a cycling from a better world. Not a perfect world, but a better one. For instance, on ASO races, all the wild-cards for World Tour races are reserved for MPCC teams.

Is the notion of probationary period, set by MPCC for some of the new members, important ?

Yes, I’m fully satisfied with this decision, it’s definitely what the MPCC philosophy is. We all want to tend towards a better cycling, and sometimes, it’s necessary to wait a bit to assess the evolution in behaviors. MPCC stated from the beginning that it would not close the door on new members. But if we consider what happened in the past, it is a good decision to implement a probationary period. Teams that are concerned have one year to show their efforts, and if everything goes well, they become then full MPCC members. This probationary period was indeed an appropriate decision for MPCC, its credibility and the credibility of those who defend its values.

Should UCI align its rules with those set by MPCC, as it started to, taking position on corticosteroids ?

The problem is that the rules set by MPCC are even harder than those of the World Anti-Doping Code. In fact, MPCC is going beyond sport in general and its rules. If those rules were adopted by a federation, they would obviously have to be applied to everybody, and that would be better understood by all.

Isn’t there a risk of a two-tier cycling since eight World Tour teams are not MPCC members ?

No, because all the teams, MPCC members or not, have anyway the obligation to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code. Some teams decide to set harder rules for themselves, but it doesn’t mean that the others don’t comply with the anti-doping rules that govern the world of professional sport, beyond cycling.

LCL, the yellow jersey sponsor for 25 years, and PMU, the green jersey sponsor, recently joined MPCC. Are you behind this decision ?

No, but I am pleased that we share the same values. This is exactly why LCL is the Tour de France’s first private partner and its most loyal sponsor for 30 years. The same is the case for PMU, which has been a Tour de France sponsor for more than 20 years. There is no coincidence. Through all the difficulties, we have always been there for each other. It simply means that we share the same philosophy, and that we wish for a more credible cycling, a cycling that has the values defended by MPCC.

See the interview and other MPCC news at http://mpcc.unblog.fr/category/info-news/

Riding strong in Tucson

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Jelly Belly p/b Kenda competed in the Tucson Bicycle Classic last weekend, earning podium spots in two stages and finishing the race with four riders in the top 10.

First-year rider Ian Burnett took second in the Stage 1 time trial, missing first place by just four seconds.

Christiaan Kriek was third in the final stage, a 50-mile rolling road race that ended with a field sprint. And in the final GC, Morgan Schmitt placed fourth, Kriek was fifth, Luis Lemus was sixth and Sean Mazich finished seventh.

“I’m very happy with the results from this weekend,” said team manager Danny Van Haute. “The team is riding very strong.”

Next up is the San Dimas Stage Race, March 22-24, followed by the first NRC race of the season — the Redlands Bicycle Classic, April 4-7.

Photos by Rebecca Reza

Photos by Rebecca Reza

Success at Tour de Murrieta

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Rider Emerson Oronte gives the rundown on the Tour de Murrieta.

Jelly Belly presented by Kenda turned its attention last weekend to a few domestic races as a means of getting some racing in the legs before the first NRC event on the calendar—the Redlands Bicycle Classic. In southern California, a six-man squad contested the Tour de Murrieta while Brad Huff and Luis Lemus raced circles around downtown Tucson, Ariz., in the Old Pueblo Grand Prix. In the end, Brad finished ninth in Tuscon, while Christiaan Kriek and Sean Mazich went 1-2 overall in California.

Racing kicked off Friday in Murrieta with a 4.1 mile-time trial that finished on a 1-mile dirt climb. Despite everything said about “sunny” southern California, we were pretty bummed to wake up and see wet pavement and rain clouds on the horizon. By the time we got on the course, the skies had opened up and we all were sufficiently soaked. Regardless of the elements though, the team went out and put on a good performance—placing three riders in the top five and six in the top 12. Being a points race, this put us in great position heading into the next day’s criterium.

With Saturday’s criterium, our goal was pretty simple (at least on paper):
stack the breakaway and win—thereby securing as many points for as many riders as possible. Once racing started, it took only a hair over 10 minutes for this tactic to come to fruition withme, Christiaan, and Sean getting away with three other riders.

Our gap never reached much more than 25 seconds, so we had to work pretty consistently to stay away. With five laps to go, tactics came into play and guys started attacking to try and get away. With one to go, I put in a bit of a dig to make the other three guys work while Sean and Chris sat on. Despite being caught with around half a lap to go, Christiaan and Sean were still able to seal the deal by finishing first and second on the stage — making Christiaan the overall leader as well.

Sunday’s final stage consisted of 16 laps of a rolling 3.5-mile loop. Even with the leader’s jersey, we still planned to race with the intention of putting as many guys into a winning move as possible. However, with the success of the previous day’s break, I think a lot of the other riders had the same plan in mind as racing was aggressive pretty consistently throughout the day. In the end, only in the last five miles a move containing Sean and one other rider broke clear and stayed away. When all was said and done, Sean took second on the day while back in the pack Christiaan and Ricardo Van der Velde finished in fifth and sixth respectively. With their results, Chris and Sean triumphed as first and second overall in the race. And with four riders in the top 10 overall, Jelly Belly p/b Kenda took home the team prize.

All-in-all, I would say it was a successful weekend for the bean team—good racing, good results and a few good laughs. We plan to keep the ball rolling at the upcoming Tucson Bicycle Classic, so be sure to check back for updates on how it’s going. For more immediate information about what we’re up to, you can check out our Twitter (@JellyBellyTeam) and Facebook pages.

As a final note, see the links below for more photos, videos and even a race report by Christiaan Kriek on this weekend’s racing from our friends at Cycling Illustrated and SoCalCycling.com.

http://socalcycling.com/2013/03/11/rider-diary-tour-de-murrieta-circuit-race-pro-race/

http://cyclingillustrated.com/news/tour-de-murrieta-stage-two-by-christiaan-kriek/