Yesterday at the team presentation Jelly Belly Professional cycling team ran in to some major fans!

photos from: Ryu Yukawa

That was the team’s strategy for staying with the best climbers in the mountainous, 209-km stage: get in a break and hold on.

TrainingPeaks used its unique software to follow Powers’ energy output during the grueling stage. According to their analysis, he burned 4200kJ while in the break and scored 317 Training Stress Score Points. Powers spent a ton of energy in the breakaway, but that was his job to get as much visibility for his sponsor as he could.

On the climb up Cottonwood Pass, according to TrainingPeaks, ”when he went over 9,000 feet, it was like an internal governor turned on and he was heavily affected by the altitude. His power went from averaging around 300 watts to averaging 260 watts.”

Fortunately for him, the rest of his breakaway companions were similarly impacted and Powers stayed in the break over the massive climb.

TrainingPeaks’ conclusion: Heck of a power file!

Read More or Download Jeremy’s Files On Training Peaks ->

Thanks to www.TrainingPeaks.com and Hunter Allen for the great power file analysis.

Kiel Reijnen’s thoughts on a stellar season:

This was a special year at Team Jelly Belly p/b Kenda. Danny not only found a great group of guys who love to ride their bikes, he found a set of sponsors that were willing to put 100% of their support behind the team. Having sponsors that make the extra effort and step forward to make an impact on the team are hard to come by.

I have never worked with a group of sponsors more dedicated to making sure we had everything we needed come race day. Every sponsor took the time and made the extra effort to stay in contact with the riders, ask us what we needed and what we thought of products. To have a hands-on relationship with the team like that is not something you come by everyday.

From start to finish it was a stellar year. From the staff to the riders and sponsors, everyone put in 100% this year and it made a big difference. I can only hope that at some point down the road that I have the opportunity to race with you all again.

Thank you for your support all season long. Without sponsors like you we wouldn’t have the opportunity to follow our dreams. If there is anything I can do in the future for any of you please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you again,

Kiel Reijnen

credit to steve harlan

“We’re happy with what the young one and the old rider have done for Jelly Belly today,” said team manager Danny Van Haute.

Jones, 21, was the first racer of the day and he held the fastest time until van Ulden bested him by three seconds.

Taylor Phinney of Trek-Livestrong won the overall, edging out his teammate Levi Leipheimer.

Van Haute said he was thrilled to have two riders finish in the top 5.

“It was a fun race,” he said.

Sunday is the road racing championships. Jelly Belly p/b Kenda will have seven riders in the field. Mike Friedman is not racing due to illness.

“We have seven guys who could win the race,” Van Haute said.

Check out Canadian National Champ Will Routley, proud Jelly Belly p/b Kenda rider, in his new kit!

After a hard-fought battle at the criterium national championships, the Jelly Belly p/b Kenda riders are off for a few weeks to train for the road and time trial championships  in September.

Daniel Holloway of the Bissell team placed fourth at criterium nationals — behind three foreign riders. But as the first American to cross the line, he won the crit champion’s jersey.

Jelly Belly team director Danny Van Haute said the first part of the race went well for his squad, with riders getting into breakawys and protecting sprinter Brad Huff.  Jelly Belly riders Mike Friedman and Bernard van Ulden got in the one break that stayed away, with Friedman getting caught right at the end.

“We had some mistakes that cost us the race, and at this level when you make those mistakes you’re always playing catch up,” Van Haute said. “It hurts us in the long run.”

But the season not over yet. Next up are the USA Cycling road and time trial national championships in Greenville, S.C., on Sept. 18-19.

“The team has done alot of racing internationally and nationally these last six months, so the approach to time trial and road nationals is to train at home, get some good rest and homemade cooking for the next 3-1/2 weeks,” Van Haute said. 

The team is coming off some strong racing: Kiel Reijnen, third at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, and Mike Friedman, fourth at the Tour of Elk Grove.

“For the time trial nationals, we will count on Mike and Bernard to be on the podium. They both have a good chance to be in the top three,” Van Haute said. “In the road race we have many possibilities to win. We’ll have to be alert at all times in the race and make no mistakes.

“If we do this, we will have a rider on the podium again two days in row.”