ATHENS — Change has been brewing within the pro cycling team sponsored by a homegrown coffee roasting company since Jittery Joe's won the notorious Brasstown Bald stage at the 2004 Dodge Tour de Georgia.

First, a tea company came along for the ride. The team was renamed Jittery Joe's-Kalahari thanks to the Atlanta-based company's infusion.

SEAN DRAKES /SPECIAL (ENLARGE)
Jittery Joes-Kalahari pro team members (from left) Christian Foster, Tim Johnson and Bruno Langlois.
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NEXT WEEK'S RACE When; where: Tuesday-Sunday Who: Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel team is among six Pro Tour Teams in the 16-team field. International teams include Team CSC, Credit Agricole, Gerolsteiner and Saunier Duval-Prodir.

Red Tea and FruitTrekker bars from South Africa will be peddled alongside the traditional organic coffee and espresso in an Airstream trailer converted into a café for the 2005 Tour beginning Tuesday in Augusta.

Yet the differences in the Bean Team go much deeper than what they drink with their morning paper. Team general manager Micah Rice rebuilt the team from the grounds up, so to speak.

With Kalahari pouring in enough cash to nearly double the budget, "I knew that with that came the need to really step up," said Rice, who had less than $200,000 to work with last year. "And so what I had to do is cut off the bottom of the roster and add to the top."

Only four of the 11 riders remain from 2004 and just one — Jonny Sundt — competed for Jittery Joe's in the Tour de Georgia.

Cesar Grajales, the man who conquered Brasstown Bald and defeated Lance Armstrong, is now with Navigators, a more prestigious team. His loss hurts, but reflects well on Jittery Joe's for moving a rider up through the ranks. Armstrong's team also expressed interest in Grajales.

Riders Chris Pic of Dahlonega retired and Chad Hartley joined TIAA-CREF so he could race in Europe.

Jittery Joe's mainstays Jeff Hopkins and Jesse Lawler will not compete in the Tour, saving their legs for the Athens Twilight Criterium April 30. Hopkins will also race the Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium May 1.

The fourth holdover, Evan Elken, joined the team midseason last year.

Jittery Joe's-Kalahari's new big wheel is Tim Johnson — "a bigger name than I've ever had on this team before," said Rice. Johnson was in the saddle for 2003 Tour de Georgia champion Saturn and raced for Spain's Saunier Duval-Prodir last year in Europe as well as Georgia.

Johnson, 27, who was raised in Massachusetts and now lives outside Montreal, said his decision to move to a smaller team was based on quality of life. He also was drawn by the enthusiasm of Rice and the sponsors and has invested in the new Jittery Joe's coffee Web store opening this week.

"I don't know if you've had access to free coffee, but it's pretty cool," Johnson said. "If you're sponsored by a construction company, nobody's really excited about it."

Another new addition, Thad Dulin, who raced here last year for Colavita, crashed in Jacksonville last weekend and broke a bone in his hip. He's on crutches and will sit out the Tour.

Rice also recruited two mountain bikers, Australian Trent Lowe and Canadian Geoff Kabush. Sunday night they'll take the red-eye from California, where they're competing in the Sea Otter mountain biking event, and drive from Atlanta to Augusta in time for Monday's team presentation.

He also hopes Lowe, 20, could be in contention for the "Best Young Rider" jersey awarded to cyclists under age 23.

No one's reading Kalahari tea leaves to divine the future, but with Grajales winning the stage at the Tour de Georgia last year and Lowe's victory at Redlands, Rice said, "I almost feel like there's no way I can even keep the sponsors happy this year without doing something just unbelievable."

Making the podium this year will be more difficult because of increased depth in the field.

"I think domestically we're just starting to pop up on some people's radar," said Christian Foster, a newcomer from Nashville. "Even though this team is bigger than it's ever been, we're still an underdog team. The Euros don't know who we are. They might remember Cesar, but Cesar's gone, so they probably think we're starting from zero again."

Even if international riders don't know beans about Jittery Joe's-Kalahari, they'll be happy to accept the free espresso the Bean Team will provide in the VIP tent. And who can miss the orange Mini Cooper convertible, a team car loaned by Hank Aaron's company?

While Jittery Joe's had been known for its bright orange uniforms, this year's jersey is white with a healthy dose of orange and splashes of maroon, the Kalahari color.

"It's pristine and fresh," Johnson said. "You can see us better in the pack. Do we want to be mistaken for hunters or be this crazy cycling team?"