The old man is still snoring in what is, usually, sunny California and the riders are feeling it. Even though the Jelly Belly Team trains in this weather and is prepared for it, that doesn’t mean the riders welcome it with open arms.
“In this weather a few things change,” said first-year Jelly Belly rider Phil Gaimon. “Clothing is now one of the most important decisions of the day, since wearing too much to stay warm may slow you down with extra weight but wearing too little could take you out of the race.”
Jelly Belly rider Brad Huff said the weather has been a huge issue because they always have to prepare for the worst.
“It’s also hard to see potholes when there is an inch or two of standing water on the road,” added Jelly Belly rider Kiel Reijnen. “And when the shorts get that wet they can rub pretty badly.”
As far as the racing goes, the team knows what it has to do to stay in the game.
“It’s time to get in some breakaways and get some stage results,” Reijnen said. “The last two stages have been all out warfare so hopefully the GC will straighten out soon.”
“We will attempt to get in the move that sticks,” Huff added.
Even though the rain isn’t supposed to lighten up today, the team’s endless supply of SportBeans will help them to keep pushing forward as they climb through the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Gaimon said “our goal is to get in the break and we’ll keep trying until it happens.”
Molly Saunders
PR Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team
