After riding 120 km from Inverloch to Warragul, Bernard Van Ulden of the Jelly Belly Team lost the KOM jersey by a mere two points. And that’s not all the team lost.
At the end of Stage Two of Australia’s 2008 Sun Tour, the Jelly Belly Team has only four out of seven riders left. Time cuts and health problems have forced three members of the team to call it quits with four stages to go.
But Team Director Danny Van Haute said it’s not all bad. One of the best things about cycling is the energy from the fans, and Jelly Belly fans can be found all over the world.
“It’s really amazing actually,” Van Haute said. “We drive official Lexus vehicles all decked out in Jelly Belly beans in the states. But over here we have a car from the race promoter with maybe eight stickers on it, yet we still constantly hear, ‘Go Jelly Belly!’ We have fans everywhere, even in Australia.”
Two other Jelly Belly Team sponsors, GT and Champion Systems, are helping to spread the Jelly Belly word at the race expo. At their company booths they are handing out the coveted team post cards and samples of Jelly Belly beans to fans of all ages.
Stage Three from Warragul to Marysville will cover more than 135 km of forests and farmlands. This stage includes the first long climb out of the tour and a long technical descent into Marysville.
By Molly Saunders
2008 Stories
Sun Tour – Stage 2
