He was banged up but not beaten down.
Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis rider Serghei Tvetcov finished third overall in the Tour de Beauce. A crash left him a little ragged, but consistently strong riding and support from his teammates put him on the podium in Quebec.
Tvetcov grinds it out on Stage 5.
Triumphant.
Battle scars.
Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis team director Danny Van Haute talks about the wild ride following his guys down the road during a race.
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25953868/north-star-grand-prix-bike-racers-go-zoom
While this was the first time that the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay included pro teams and a UCI 2.2 statu,s it was far from the event’s first edition. Originally a Nations Cup espoir race, the experience in the organization was evident in the flawless execution of the event and a rock-solid group of volunteers and staff.
Serghei Tvetcov leads the pack.
This was the first time in as long as I can recall that Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis has travelled to Quebec for a double-up on UCI races. We are extremely happy to be racing in the homeland of our bike sponsor, Argon 18. The bikes responded very well to the steep pitches of the circuit races in Saguenay with the lightweight frameset giving our guys a chance to be very aggressive.
While our numbers waned when we lost two riders on the first day due to sickness, the remaining guys never missed a break and were very actively pushing the pace. Impressive riding by Kirk, Serghei, Ian and Jacob kept everyone on the edge of their seat while each one of those guys took turns rolling breaks as the “virtual leader on the road.” The 3T Mercurio wheels were an advantage for us in dealing with the rough Quebec roads, which are battle-worn from harsh winters. To the same extent I think we are the only team to not lose any water bottles due to road conditions, so a big thank you shout out to Arundel for the best cages on the market as well as comfortable bar tape to limit the jarring effects of the roads.
Ian Burnett gets reinforcement from the team car.
At the end of every stage the bunch was more or less in tact, despite massive efforts and high average speeds recorded on the Cateye Stealth computers. At the end of the day the top 20 were all within 20 seconds, a race decided by intermediate and stage time bonuses; there was no room for error and thankfully Maxxis tires are especially resilient and light-weight as we had no flats.
While the results don’t necessarily show the strength of the team assembled for the Quebec UCI races, the competition and spectators know we brought a top-quality team. We are extra hungry to showcase that strength, and the upcoming Tour de Beauce, part two of the Quebec combo, will be the perfect platform with more difficult courses and time trial as well.
Stay tuned for more updates from Canada and pictures of the best-looking squad around with our brand new customized Bonts, coveted Defeet socks, and Fast Freddie clothing.
-Nic
Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis rider Jacob Rathe takes the podium for winning Best Young Rider at the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic.
Jacob Rathe in the chase group.
Ian Burnett takes the lead.
New video of the team car getting its custom wrap.
ISM, the saddle sponsor for Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis, featured the team in its February newsletter.
Read it here!
Follow us on our 2014 race program. See you at the races!
March 1-10 Training camp, San Marcos, Calif.
March 7-9 Tour of Murrieta, Murrieta, Calif.
March 14-16 Tucson Bicycle Classic, Tucson, Ariz.
April 2-6 Redlands Bicycle Classic, Redlands, Calif.
April 18-19 Winston-Salem Cycling, Winston-Salem, N.C.
April 30- 4 Tour de Gila, Silver City, N.M.
**May 11-18 Amgen Tour of California, California
May 24-26 U.S. Pro Road National Championship, Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 1 Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic, Philadelphia, Penn.
June 11-15 Tour de Beauce, Canada
June 11-15 Northstar Grand Prix, Minneapolis, Minn.
June 21-23 Mexican National Championships, Mexico
June 21-23 Canadian National Championships, Canada
July 15-20 Cascade Cycling Classic, Bend, Ore.
August 7-16 Training camp, Evergreen, Colo.
**August 4-10 Tour of Utah, Utah
**August 18-24 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Colorado
**September 2-7 Tour of Alberta, Canada
**September 13-15 Tour of Hokkaido, Japan
**October 18-19 Japan Cup, Japan
** Invitation Races
The Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis team has signed Pro Tour rider Matthew Lloyd for the 2014 season.
Lloyd, 30, turned pro in 2007.
The former Australian National Australian Road Race Champion (2008) rode the last two years for Lampre-Merida. In 2010, while racing for Omega-Pharma Lotto, he claimed a stage victory in Stage Six of the Giro d’Italia and won the overall King of the Mountains competition. This weekend, he’ll compete again in Australia’s road race national championships.
“Matthew will bring a huge GC threat in all the major races that Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis contests,” said team director Danny Van Haute.
In addition to Lloyd, the team also signed neo-pro Andrew Sjogren, a rider from southern California where Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis is headquartered.
“Andrew will give the team some good exposure in our home state races,” Van Haute said.
