The tables have turned for the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team. While they have been racing very well for the first part of the 2009 Tour of Hainan, things changed quickly, as they often do in this sport, and the team is now fighting to stay in the peloton.
During Stage Seven, a 183km stage with two Cat 3 climbs and one Cat 2, a big break got away near the start of the day. Only one Jelly Belly rider was in the group, Kiel Reijnen. He ended up getting 3rd in the first KOM and 2nd in the Cat 2 climb which put him in 5th in the KOM at the end of Stage Seven. He sprinted at the end and placed 9th for the day. Stage Seven did not go so well for Nick Reistad and Bernard van Ulden, as they lost 15 minutes and 25 minutes on the group, respectively.
“When you are in such a good position, as Bernard was, going into this stage,” van Haute explained, “you really need to be paying attention to the breaks, and he was not.”
“I’m not pleased with the ride they did today, and they were riding so well until this point.”
Stage Eight was 182km and included two Cat 3 climbs and one Cat 2 climb. The team was working for Kiel on this stage, to help him improve his KOM standing, which put him in 5th at the start. The work they did definitely paid off by putting him in 3rd at the end of the day. Sprinting toward the finish, the team didn’t place any higher than 50th for the day.
-Molly Saunders

Stage Three of the Tour of Hainan ended in another field sprint. This time though the Jelly Belly squad couldn’t get into it in time. Bernard van Ulden stayed in a break of nine riders and for quite a while the break was out by 25km. “The next three stages will be flat,” van Haute said. “So we will try again to be in the winning break.”

Stage Four offered high winds for the riders during their 158km trek. There was one big field sprint and the four Jelly Belly riders protected Kiel enough to help him get a 15^th place finish. There will be one more day of flat riding, then the team heads for the hills.

-Molly Saunders

PR Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team

Stage One of the 2009 Tour of Hainan led cyclists over 148km of moderately undulating terrain. It included a Cat 3 climb, in which Kiel Reijnen got a point. Near the sprint finish, the team’s job was to set up sprinter Jonny Clarke. He was in 3rd place with 200 meters to go but he just didn’t have the legs to finish it off.
The riders are quickly getting used to the extreme change in weather so their performances will reflect that in the days ahead. Tomorrow’s stage is one of the longest, at 185km and two Cat 2 climbs and one Cat 1 climb. Team Director Danny van Haute agreed it would be a very long climbing day for the team.

Stage Two proved to be as hard as predicted, but as usual the Jelly Belly boys came through. There was one big field sprint at the end with four Jelly Belly riders in it. This allowed the team to set up Kiel for a 6^th place finish.

Phil Gaimon also had a great day in the 90 degree heat of Hainan. He was off the front for 50 km and therefore collected KOM points on the 3^rd climb and bonus seconds on a points sprint putting him in 9^th in the GC. “It was an awesome ride for Phil,” Van Haute said. “He received lots of TV time.”

With good new sometimes comes bad news, and on the second stage that meant Jonny Clarke, who has had bad luck all season with a stomach condition, is retiring from the race.

-Molly Saunders

PR Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team

The Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team’s last race of the 2009 season will be the Tour of Hainan in China. It will be the second year the team will compete in this ten day battle against 19 other teams from all over the world. This year, the mileage has been increased from 900km to 1300km and will lead the peloton in a counter-clockwise route around the Island of Hainan in the South China Sea.

Traveling to race this year will be Jonny Clarke, Bernard van Ulden, Will Routley, Kiel Reijnen, Nick Reistad and Phil Gaimon. Last year the team placed well with two stage wins and ended up in 5^th overall. This year most of the team knows what to expect so the expectations are higher for positive and winning results.

“We would like to win two stages again this year,” said van Haute, “but I really would like to improve the GC standings from last year to a top three.”

Confident in the riders he’s chosen for the trip, he said he really thinks ‘we can do this with the team we are sending this year.’

Be sure to check the website for up to the minute reports on the last race of the 2009 season!

-Molly Saunders

PR Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team

The sixth stage of the 2009 Jayco Herald Sun Tour was a 65km circuit race in downtown Melbourne. From the very start the crowds were huge, at least 50,000 strong. The Jelly Belly Team bolted out of the gate and rode tough all day.

Matty Rice, Jonny Clarke, Kiel Reijnen and Bernard van Ulden used smart tactics and skills to get what they wanted.

“It was too bad that Will (Routley) was sick all week,” said Danny van Haute, Team Director. “He gave it the old college try to finish today but the speed was just too fast for him. He will be much better next month when we race in China.”

At the sixth stage, the Team planned to keep track of who was going up the rode, and to stay in front just in case a break happened.

“We didn’t want anybody getting away that could move in front of Bernard in the GC,” Van Haute explained. “But we also needed to take care of Jonny at the end, in order to give him a chance to sprint for the win.”

Clarke’s protection unit succeeded in allowing him to take 6^th place at the end of Stage Six. Van Ulden passed the finish line with a 10^th place finish but took 5^th in the GC. Not far behind was Kiel in 15^th for the day. Kiel also placed 3^rd in the KOM, for the week.

“The results we got this week were great,” van Haute said. “I’m very happy with the team’s performance. Now we will race in China and go for the win.”

-Molly Saunders

PR Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team

The Stage Five 10 km ITT brought Bernard van Ulden even closer to the top today.

As predicted by van Haute, Bernard’s ride sent him into 5^th place in the GC. He stood on the podium in 3^rd, which was great, said Van Haute, since the two riders that beat him are on pro tour teams.

“This was an outstanding ride for Bernard. It shows that he is in top form for his next stage race in China in three weeks,” Team Director Van Haute said.

-Molly Saunders

PR Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team