The Jelly Belly Cycling Team Interview

The 2008 cycling season is well underway, and the men of Jelly Belly are hitting their stride. The team has already amassed some quality performances, and we sat down with four of them along with team manager Danny Van Haute at the recent Jelly Belly Charity Golf Tournament. Danny, climber Mike Lange, Australian sprinter Nic Sanderson, Time Trialist Bernard Van Ulden and veteran Aussie all-rounder Matty Rice answered questions about the big races in Georgia and California, their strengths, weaknesses and much more in this in depth interview.

Jelly Belly: You just finished the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T. How was that experience?

Bernard: Hot and hard.

Nic: It was a great tour - lots of spectators. The weather was fine compared to the (Amgen) Tour of California, we started with a very good result which sort of carried us through to stage four. And team morale was very high.

Danny: And the result that Nic is talking about is that he placed second in the first stage and won a few jerseys that day, and for four days in a row he was in the best young rider jersey for riders under 25. So we started off on a very good note.

JB: Nic, was that the biggest accomplishment of your career?

Nic: Yeah. It was certainly a highlight.

Bernard: Georgia’s such a highly ranked race.

Nic: And this is my first time in America and to pull a result on such a big tour was great for my confidence and I think I worked with the team really well. We approached the Tour full of confidence and ready to race.

JB: Was that part of a plan to get you there?

Mike: The first couple days were sprint days. And I was out in the breakaway that day, so if that stayed away (from the rest of the pack) we could get a good result. And knowing that the chances were high that the stage would end in a sprint, Matty and Nick Reistad did an excellent job getting Nic where he needed to be, and he’s got the speed to go against any of those guys.

JB: So the result didn’t surprise you at all?

Mike: Nic’s just as fast as anyone out there. We just had to get him to the line.

Matty: I think it was a kind of a surprise, but we also knew Nic was a very fast sprinter. He just hadn’t had the chance to show it yet. And in the Tour de Georgia, probably our biggest race to date other than California, we pulled off a great result. He showed that he can sprint with the best of them.

JB: Was it as hard, or harder than you expected?

Bernard: I thought it was harder.

Matty: I’ve done Georgia three times, and this one was the fastest one I’ve ever done. So many teams were attacking; it was really on from the start, whereas normally a break goes up the road and everybody else sits back for two or three hours before chasing it down. But this one was fast from the beginning. One day we did 50 kilometers (31 miles) in an hour.

Mike: It was really fast.

JB: They changed the course, right?

Mike: Yes, they change it every year, but this was the most dramatic change from the previous year. This is my fourth year racing it, and the first three years has a fairly similar layout, but this year was a big departure from that.

JB: So was it the course that made the difference in the speed or was it the riders and how they were riding?

Matty: I think it was the racing. They cut some of the stages back from 200K to 130-120K which made the riders much faster and more aggressive.

Mike: I’ve noticed in the past couple years that race organizers are keeping stage lengths down a little bit so they’re more around 90-100 miles rather than 100-125. Normally in that extra hour riders hold back a little bit more, but the shorter stages make everyone get more aggressive and more confident to go all out from the beginning.

JB: Do you think the stages are shortened for marketing purposes?

Matty: Yes, it makes it more exciting. Instead of a four-hour long race doing 30K an hour, you have three hours of racing that’s flat-out.

Nic: Everyone’s trying to get in the break.

Mike: Yes, there were a couple of days where it was two hours before the break went away, and the pattern in large races like that is usually the riders trying to hold gas (conserve energy) until the break goes away, and you sprint for a couple minutes, then you take it easy for a couple minutes, then someone else will attack and it’s on again, then the break will go out. With the shorter stages, you can’t let the break go out 10-15 minutes ahead. It’s gotta stay at five-six, then 50-60 kilometers from the finish it starts ramping up again.

JB: Mike, you’re a climbing specialist, how did you feel on Brasstown Bald (the notoriously steep mountain near the end of the Tour de Georgia)? You’ve done it before, but do you ever get used to it?

Matty: No (laughs).

Mike: It’s nice to know what the climb is like but it’s also intimidating going into it knowing how hard it is, because it has to be one of the top climbs.

JB: What’s the grade (steepness) on that climb?

Nic: Too steep (laughs).

Mike: It probably averages 12% for 5K. It’s one of the harder finish climbs anywhere.

Matty: It was 20% in some spots.

JB: How did the rest of you guys feel on it?

Matty: SUPER!

Bernard: I was getting pushed by spectators all the way up the hill so I felt alright!

JB: Nic, Mike and Bernard are all new to Jelly Belly. How does it compare to your previous teams? How is the chemistry?

Mike: It’s good. Everyone has a good time. After the stages, before the stages, at the hotel. Everyone’s happy to be around each other. There’s no infighting going on. It’s nice - fairly relaxed but just enough pressure to keep you focused.

Nic: I think it’s great for me. I’ve been in Italy for the last five years and to be in a place where everyone speaks English is a bonus.

JB: Do you find this program to be more casual?

Nic: It’s a little more laid back; everyone gets along.

Bernard: The morale is great. Everybody’s kind of fighting to talk at the dinner table every night, which is a really good sign. Everyone’s joking around, ripping on each other in the bus. This is great. Even here, where we are today at the Jelly Belly Charity Golf Tournament - this kind of stuff really brings guys together. It’s a really positive atmosphere.

JB: Did you have any expectations about the program, or had you heard anything about it before you signed on?

Mike: Yes, but nothing bad (laughs). I was really excited; Danny has a great reputation as a director.

Danny: They also knew every month they’d probably get 500 lbs of jelly beans.

Mike: That’s a nice perk!

Bernard: Even at our after-race parties in Georgia, we’d have like 30 people from all different teams coming around and hanging out with us and increasing our circle. I think that says a lot about the team, that everyone’s coming to this team and hanging out and having a good time and relaxing.

JB: Matty, you’re a veteran of Jelly Belly, did you have any kind of advice to offer the new riders, or did they ask you about the program at all?

Matty: Nic and I knew each other before, but I think Jelly Belly has a great reputation that makes people want to join the team. They ask to join the team. It’s a long-standing team, eight years, and people realize it’s a global sponsor. They also know that we race really hard but we have fun too. That’s what most of the guys came on for.

JB: Matty, has the program changed at all since you first joined (besides the new riders)?

Matty: Danny’s still The Beast running the team. You don’t want to tick Danny off. Each year I’ve been here the team’s gotten bigger and better, and we’ve expanded our race program to Asia; we go there for two-three weeks of the year to race, so we’re more than just a domestic team now.

Danny: It’s the longest running title sponsor in cycling. Eight years ago when we started this we were pretty much just racing west of the Rockies. And now, like Matty said, we’re all over the United States and starting to dip into Asia, and hopefully next year and maybe this year there’s a chance for a tour of Ireland so we’re dipping our feet into Europe a little bit too. As far as changes in riders, the talent is coming our way now. They think of Jelly Belly Cycling as one of the top-notch teams in the country.

JB: Nic and Matty, Australia is a big country, but were you two familiar with each other at all through Australia’s cycling circles?

Matty: For sure. We knew each other even though there’s a five-year age difference. Nick Reistad was saying that it’s funny how all the Australian guys know each other, but we grow up racing with each other and we know who’s who. You might not be real good friends with each other, but you know each other pretty well.

Nic: I think track racing plays a pretty big role in that. In Australia track racing is big.

Matty: A lot bigger than it is here. And that’s where we met each other, at the velodrome. You just meet each other and you race against each other and you talk during the races and between races and start friendships.

Mike: Cyclists are a fairly close-knit group. The same goes for the Americans. Bernard has raced over in Europe. You may not know someone on a really personal level, but when you race you definitely have a connection. I think that goes for any country. There’s a connection with everyone.

JB: Nic, Bernard and Mike, do you see any difference in the crowd’s reaction to you at races now that you’ve got jelly beans all over your jerseys?

Bernard: It’s unreal. It’s huge.

JB: You’re “Jelly Belly” now; you’re not “Bernard” anymore.

Bernard: Yeah, the people are screaming “It’s Jelly Belly!” I’ve had people tell me at Georgia, you see the HealthNets and the Slipstreams and those are so corporate. It’s just so obvious that it’s just a company trying to market themselves. Whereas Jelly Belly, it’s fun. Who doesn’t want to cheer for a candy company? It’s still advertising, but people see Jelly Belly differently.

Mike: Everyone relates to it.

Danny: They relate to it so well, that in the Tour de Georgia on Brasstown Bald, our guys were the only ones getting pushed up by the spectators. It’s like Bernard was saying, the fans can’t relate to Slipstream or Navigators. We know what those companies are because we’re in cycling, but everyone, from two-year-olds to 80-year-olds knows the Jelly Belly brand, and of course we are ambassadors for Jelly Belly. And you see it at the races all the time - we choose our riders because they’re good on their bikes but also because they’re great ambassadors for all our sponsors, not just Jelly Belly. People pick up on that. And our riders that were a little behind Mike on Brasstown were getting pushed up the hill. Those were the only guys that were getting pushed. There was George Hincapie and all those big name cyclists, and the fans didn’t want to touch them. They wanted to touch us.

Matty: They love our jerseys. They say, “They’re the Jelly Belly boys! They’re so pretty!”

Danny: It’s the same thing being in the car. Of course, we have beans that we can give out and the other teams don’t. And once you give them that, you’ve got fans for life.

JB: The Amgen Tour of California was cold, wet, windy and a lot of riders got sick. Was that the hardest race/cycling experience of your careers?

Bernard: I don’t think so. I think Georgia was harder than California.

Danny: California only had two stages that were really hard. Georgia had eight in a row.

Matty: It depends on who you were. I got sick on the very first night of California. And I had to use everything I had in one day. That was by far my worst day on the bike. It was really, really tough. That whole tour was hard.

Mike: Because it was so early in the season, February, not everyone had the ability to train all winter in a nice warm place, so we definitely had some fitness difficulties. I got sick. I think outside of Bernard, everyone got sick.

Bernard: I think 2/3 of the peloton got sick.

Mike: Once you’re sick during a stage race, it’s hard to recover. You really have to struggle. And the weather didn’t help. The stage into San Luis Obispo was seven-eight hours. We were on the bike for eight hours that day. Your body gets run down so much. You pick up sicknesses so much easier. And the recovery is much harder. It’s so difficult to get it going after that.

JB: What would each of you say is your biggest strength?

Matty: I’m a good guy (laughs). I’m a jack of all trades and a master of none, really. The steepest climbs sort of bring me unstuck, but I can get over most. I’m not quite as quick in the sprints as Nic. My role as the old man on the team is pretty much to give out orders (laughs).

Mike: He’s our race captain. There’s a lot of respect for his experience and knowledge. I suppose my biggest strength is climbing. And stage racing. Stage races with a couple climbing days are more my type of racing. It’s the flat crosswind days that put me in trouble.

Nic: Sprinting and track racing.

Bernard: Time trialing. There haven’t been too many time trials this year, but I’d like to say time trialing. I’m also kind of a jack of all trades.

JB: What would each of you like to work on?

Matty: Winning more.

Mike: That goes for all of us.

Bernard (in mock Australian accent): To dish out a few more “pearlers.”

JB: Pearlers?

Matty: Words of wisdom.

Bernard: Oh! I was thinking insults.

Mike: I’d like to work on sprinting. My sprints could use some work. The thing I struggle with a lot is field positioning. When the race is coming into the sprint or maybe before a climb, I tend to get shuffled toward the back. Luckily everyone on the team is real helpful, and they keep me up there. If I could get that worked out it would be helpful.

Nic: I’d like to work on everything in general. I’m never going to be a hill climber. But I’d always like to work on my sprint finish.

Bernard: Like Nic, I’d like to be better at everything. I think I can time trial, so if I could get over the hills faster I could turn into more of a GC (general classification) type of rider. I’d be the complete package.

JB: Does Jelly Belly keep you busy with functions and events that maybe your other teams didn’t?

Mike: This is the first charity event that I’ve ever been to, and the Tour de Cure ride (in Napa the previous day) was the first charity ride that I’ve done. And Jelly Belly’s really getting us out there. It’s fun; it’s a good time.

Danny: We’ll do more with some of our other sponsors too, like GT Bicycles; we’ll do some bike shop autograph sessions. I think Jelly Belly has some plans for us to do bike shop sessions as well.

Bernard: I’m not used to this at all, but I really like it. Our purpose, at the end of the day, is really to promote the Jelly Belly brand. So if you don’t have functions like this, you lose that contact with the sponsor and you kind of wonder what they think of you.

Mike: And it’s nice knowing that beside promoting the brand, the events are for charity. That gives you a good feeling.

Danny: It also gives the riders the opportunity to meet the people that run the company. Aramark (a co-sponsor) is here, and they got to meet them. But the most important thing is we’re having a good time.

JB: Do teams normally do things like this, get the riders together when they join the team so they can meet each other, or show them around the sponsors’ facilities?

Bernard: No.

Mike: All teams will have a training camp before the racing season starts, usually in January, and that’s often the only time of the year when all the riders on the team are together in the same place. But from my experience, some sponsors will send a representative. You get to meet that person, but then you won’t see him for the rest of the year. So there’s more contact with Jelly Belly throughout the year. And that’s nice. There are other teams that have good chemistry, but I can’t imagine there are any with more than Jelly Belly.

Matty: We’re a smaller team, in terms of number of riders. So we have a core group of riders that are racing together week in and week out. On other teams, you won’t see a certain rider for three or four months. You see him in training camp and you won’t see him again until May or June. So it’s pretty much a “work” relationship.

JB: What races have been your favourite in the past and why?

Bernard: Tour of Malaysia. It’s a great race, a one-day race. I had good results there. It was my first exposure to international racing. In the States, the Tour of California was pretty awesome, but the San Francisco Grand Prix was the next best thing. It was a hometown race for me. The crowds that came out for that were amazing.

Nic: Tour de Georgia, and the World Championships I suppose.

Mike: Georgia is one of my favourites. There are too many to say, really. On a slightly smaller level, one of my favourites is the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico; I really like that race. Over in Europe there are some nice one-day Spanish races that I really enjoy.

Matty: Philadelphia (The Commerce Bank series), without a doubt is my favourite. The crowds, the atmosphere, the course itself is about 250K. It’s a long way. If you can win that race, you’ve made it as a bike rider.

JB: What makes a race enjoyable for you, besides results?

Mike: The course, the crowds.

Bernard: The big crowds.

Matty: The crowds and the challenge of the course.

Danny: Philadelphia draws 500-750,000 people for a one-day race. It’s pretty exciting going up Manayunk Wall (the famously steep climb consisting of Levering Street and Lyceum Avenue in Philadelphia) in the car and seeing the crowds yelling for Jelly Belly. Amgen Tour of California is fun. All the main tours, California, Georgia, Missouri, are the ones I like.

Mike: This year’s Tour de Georgia time trial in Atlanta was definitely one of the most fun races ever.

Matt: Well, not that it’s not so much fun during the race, but definitely afterwards (laughs).

JB: What races are you looking forward to and why?

Matty: We’ve got a bunch of good races coming up. (Tour of) Arkansas and Philly. Nature Valley (Grand Prix).* And we’re headed up to China for the Tour of Qinghai Lake. The crowds compared to the States - you can’t imagine the amount of people that will be out to watch that race. The team presentation is amazing.

*Jelly Belly’s Brad Huff went on to win Stage 4 and Mike got 3rd place overall in the Tour of Arkansas. Brad got 3rd place in the first leg of Philadelphia.

Danny: It’s like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. It’s huge; they’ve got big screen TVs. It’s televised nationally. Everything is based in this park and you have to buy tickets to get in. And the people who don’t have tickets have to stay on the outskirts. And it’s something like eight rows (of spectators) deep all the way around the park. It’s crazy. There’s probably 750,000 - 1,000,000 people just watching the opening ceremony. And it’s a stage race; it’s not the Olympics and not the World Championships.

Bernard: I didn’t know any of this! That sounds pretty sweet!

Matty: It’s incredible. You can’t imagine it.

Danny: We had Bryce Mead there last year, and everyone wanted to take pictures with him. He’s 6’6” and you don’t see many guys like that in China.

Nic: I’m looking forward to Philly Week. I think I can do well.

Mike: I’m looking forward to Qinghai Lake, without a doubt. One of the big motivations for me joining Jelly Belly was going over there. I raced Malaysia one time, and that was my first time in Asia and I would love to see China. Everything about the race seems great.

Danny: At one of the towns in China, we almost started a riot handing out jelly beans. People were swarming around. The police had to tell us to stop.

JB: Who were/are your cycling inspirations?

Matty: Not really inspirations but I looked up to the Australian guys, the best of the best. When you’re growing up you want to be them, but when you’re older you sort of realize “Well, I’m not as good as them” so you readjust your goals (laughs). And of course, Lance Armstrong too, he’s incredible.

Mike: Probably the biggest influence was Kevin Livingston. He grew up in St. Louis, where I grew up, so I always looked up to him. And my coach, Jim Schneider. He also coached Kevin. Jim coached me to the level I’m at now. I’m still in touch with him, but probably not as much as I should be. Through Jim, I got to meet Kevin, and he’s really nice. I got to spend time with his family and train with him.

Nic: Robbie McEwen.

Bernard: Kind of like Matty was saying, when you’re growing up you look up to these guys that seem like they’re on a different planet in terms of ability, but as you get older you start thinking that you can race against them. And you think, “I don’t want to look up to you; I want to beat you!” I’ve met the guys that inspire me.

JB: What are your personal goals for the season?

Bernard: Winning!

Nic: Progressing, becoming a better rider.

Matty: Winning as a team. The team overrides the individual. We’re not the biggest team in America, but we want to be competitive with the biggest teams. We’re the real deal.

Mike: Personally, to ride well at Qinghai Lake, have an overall good year, and stay motivated. And to keep the Jelly Belly name out there.

Bernard: Philly’s a big race that I want to do well in. And Nature Valley. And to improve my golf game (laughs)!

Mike: I want to beat the other guys at go-carts and bowling!

Jelly Belly wants to thank the guys for granting this interview and doing such a great job on their bikes. If you're ever at one of their races, don't be afraid to say hello to any of them. For more information, including race news and the team schedule, check out the official team website: www.jellybellycycling.com.