Winter may still have a grip on the southern Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, but the cold temperatures won’t deter one group of athletes from riding bicycles. The 11 professional cyclists on the 5-hour ENERGY® presented by Kenda Racing Team will use Dahlonega, Ga. as its headquarters for training camp for a second year. The training camp,February 22-28, will permit the team to adjust equipment and gear, custom fit bicycles, and review the international race schedule and strategy with Director Sportif Frankie Andreu, the former 12-year cycling pro who returns for a second season to lead the team.
The final day of camp, Friday, February 28, will conclude with a special Team Presentation event for fans at the new Jekyll Brewing in Alpharetta, Ga. As the first brewery in the city of Alpharetta, Jekyll Brewing received its business license in December 2012 and opened to the public last year in a warehouse (2855 Marconi Drive, Ste 350, Alpharetta, Georgia 30005) located near the popular Big Creek Greenway multi-use trail. It was named after the coastline gem of the state, Jekyll Island, where the first brewery in the Deep South began in 1738. Cycling fans (21 years and older) are invited to arrive at 7 p.m. for a brewery tour and taste craft beers. This will be followed at 8 p.m. by a formal introduction of the pro athletes and team leaders for the 2014 racing season of the 5-hour ENERGY presented by Kenda Racing Team. Advance tickets are $18 each, and include a raffle ticket for tons of prizes from team sponsors. Tickets at the door are $22 ($12 for adult entry and $10 for raffle). To pre-purchase your tickets, visitwww.ontherivetmanagement.com/
Georgia-based On The Rivet Management (OTRM) operates the 5-hour ENERGY® presented by Kenda Racing Team. Brothers Jason and Eric Kriel, which own OTRM, host the camp for all 11 riders, Andreu and team staff, and also invite team sponsors to travel to Georgia for several days. Expected to participate at the camp with product presentations or fittings are Devinci Cycles, 5-hour ENERGY®, Infinit nutrition, GoPro, FSA, Vision Wheels, SeaSucker, Swiftwick Socks and Fi’zi:k.
Training rides during camp will vary from three hours to six hours, using many of the climbs that were featured in the former Tour de Georgia stage race. Professional cycling is unique in that this is the only time during the racing season that the complete team will be together. Unlike other professional sports team, only six to eight riders are able to race each event, so individual team members typically train in their hometowns during the year.
“Training camp is unique because the riders are coming together for the first time. We use this time to meet our sponsors and refine all the equipment for individual riders, but we also find it as important to mesh as a team, and start building a strategy for the season,” Andreu said, who competed in the Tour de France nine times in his racing career.
The 5-hour ENERGY® presented by Kenda Racing Team was the top Continental squad at three UCI-sanctioned stage races in 2013, Amgen Tour of California, Vuelta a Castilla y León and Tour of Alberta. The Team chalked up more than 30 podium finishes and awards this past season with races in three countries. The 2014 road racing season began in November with 5-hour ENERGY’s Bobby Sweeting as the top American at two UCI Asia Tour events – ninth place on G.C. at the Tour of Taihu Lake and 14th spot at Tour of Nanjing. Following winter training camp, the Team will continue racing March 5-9 at Vuelta Mexico (UCI 2.2) and April 3-6 at Redlands Bicycle Classic (NRC).
| Name (age/residence) | Previous Team | Notable 2013 Result(s) |
| Bobby Sweeting (26, Asheville, N.C.) | 5-hour ENERGY | 6th Overall at Tour of Alberta |
| David Williams (25, Grand Rapids, Mich.) | 5-hour ENERGY | 4th Overall at Redlands Bicycle Classic |
| Jim Stemper (28, Wauwatosa, Wisc./ Jackson,Wyo.) | 5-hour ENERGY | 2nd Overall KOM Classification Tour de Beauce |
| Taylor Shelden (26, Breckenridge, Colo.) | 5-hour ENERGY | Top 20 ITT at Joe Martin Stage Race |
| Christian Parrett (23, Macon, Ga.) | 5-hour ENERGY | Top 10 Georgia Games Road Race |
| Chad Beyer (27, Tucson, Ariz.) | Champion System Pro Cycling | 8th Stage 2 Tour of Utah |
| Jake Keough (26, Sandwich, Mass.) | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 1st Tour of America’s Dairyland (omnium & criterium) |
| Bruno Langlois (34, Matane, Quebec) | Garneau-Quebecor | 2nd KOM Classification Parx Philly Cycling Classic |
| Gavin Mannion (22, Dedham, Mass./Austin, TX) | Bontrager Cycling Team | 5th Overall at USA Cycling Pro Road Race Championships; 2nd Best Young Rider Tour of Utah |
| Jon Hornbeck (24, Murrieta, Calif.) | Hagens Berman Cycling | Top 10 Stage 4 Mount Hood Cycling Classic |
| Sam Bassetti (22, San Geronimo, Calif.) | California Giant Cycling | 4th at USA Cycling U23 Road Race National Championships |
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Twitter: @5hourEnergyTeam (#5HEcycling)
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Web: ontherivetmanagement.com
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