WHEELS TURN FOR WELL-ROUNDED
JAZZ APPLE CYCLING TEAM
June 11, 2008
VANCOUVER, B.C. — If good things come in threes, then continued success is in store for ENZA’s JAZZ™ Apple Cycling Team as it speeds across North America on its third consecutive racing tour this May through August.
With competitions scheduled throughout the U.S. and Canada and the season several weeks underway, the group of eight elite and developing riders from New Zealand has already met with applause — not unlike the response consumers have had towards JAZZ™ apples, said David Nelley, pipfruit and pineapple category director at The Oppenheimer Group. The Vancouver-based company is the exclusive marketer of ENZA apples and pears in North America.
“The intense sweet-tart taste and refreshing crispness of JAZZ™, a Royal Gala and Braeburn cross, pairs perfectly with this standout group of young athletes,” he said. “Both are fun, dynamic, and true New Zealand originals.”
The JAZZ™ Apple squad boasts some of the Southern Hemisphere’s most talented female cyclists, including Susy Pryde, two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medalist, who returned to co-direct the team as well as ride. Also rejoining the lineup this year is Malindi Maclean, the team’s breakthrough rider in 2007, who was recently named New Zealand’s national criterium champion.
Newcomers to JAZZ™ Apple Cycling include New Zealander Lauren Ellis, winner of the senior points race title at the 2008 New Zealand national track championships, and Emma Petersen, who joins the team this year as the current Oceania Under 19 and New Zealand Under 19 road and time trial champion. They are joined by two accomplished Australian riders — Ruth Corset, who recently won the grueling Mt. Hamilton Road Race in San Jose, Calif. on May 25, and Belinda Goss, who is also off to an impressive start with a win at the San Jose Memorial Day Criterium on May 26.
“These athletes are true to the spirit, attitude, individuality and integrity of JAZZ™’s brand, ‘Apples with Bite’,” Nelley said. “The JAZZ™ consumer is a little different than the norm — hip, fun, with a healthy dose of personality.”
An extended schedule puts the team in more markets across the U.S. and Western Canada this season, with demo opportunities available in target regions before they depart back to New Zealand in August. Those looking to add an in-store sampling with the team should contact their Oppenheimer sales representative, Nelley added.
“JAZZ™ has met with increased demand every year since its release, and continues to gain exciting momentum. It is a different level of quality and flavor produced by a select group of top growers in New Zealand, France, Chile and here in North America, and is helping make people return to the apple category for a more dynamic eating experience.”
The New Zealand JAZZ™ season is expected to run until September. The Washington crop starts shortly after, spanning from October to April.
Photos are available upon request.
Related Web sites: www.oppyproduce.com | www.enzafruit.com
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