The San Diego area provides certain advantages for a training camp, including weather and spectacular coastal riding.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
The team car carries bikes to an early-season criterium in southern California, a race used as a test lab for team leadout training.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Training camp rides range from two hours to almost six, including one climb up Palomar outside San Diego.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
The American Continental team Jelly Belly presented by Kenda is heading to Asia this week to participate in the eight-stage Tour of Korea, which begins April 22.
The team is hoping to recapture the kind of results they obtained in 2010 when Mike Friedman won the overall while riding for Jelly Belly, and perhaps go one better and win a stage or two.
"This is a good race for us. I know we can win," said director Danny Van Haute. "The riders are very motivated to race and to win next week."
The team will line up with Nic Hamilton, Alex Hagman, Emerson Oronte, Brad Huff, Jeremy Powers and Ricardo van der Velde, who will be one of the team's protected riders.
"We all are coming to this race in good shape. We are fresh and very motivated to win stages," Van der Velde said.
22-year-old Oronte will be getting his first taste of international racing, and the second year professional said he's feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Pretty much the range of emotions you would expect whenever you embark on something new and challenging," Oronte said. "I've been training hard and trying to get as much advice from some of the veteran riders on what to expect. We plan on racing hard and representing our sponsors and ourselves to the best of our ability."
The team will split its squad between Korea and the Sea Otter Classic in California, where Menso de Jong, Sean Mazich and new rider Christiaan Kriek will compete in the April 19-22 race.
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