Rock Racing

Rock Racing (UCI Code: RRC) is a UCI Continental cycling team founded in 2007 by Michael Ball. The team is affiliated with Ball's Rock & Republic brand of clothing. The team's marketing plan is to hire riders who have been tainted by doping or drugs scandals, and to garner attention with controversy and bravado. Positioning itself against the environmentally responsible ideals sometimes associated with bicycle racing, Ball contracted with Cadillac to use their Escalade sports utility vehicle for team use. Team founder Ball believes that this "bad boy" image will lend itself to the selling of merchandise linked to the team." [http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200805/rock-racing-biking-michael-ball-1.html Men in Black,"] "Outside Magazine," May 2008, p.6]

2008 Team

Ball also hired controversial riders. Commented CyclingNews.com: "Part of the controversy surrounding Team Rock Racing was the signing of riders who had been linked to the Operación Puerto doping investigation; Michael Ball contracted Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero over the winter to reinforce the relatively young team. To respond to the criticism the team has adopted an anti-doping programme, organised by Scott Analytics." [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/mar08/mar04news2 www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] Though de-frocked Tour de France winner Floyd Landis remains under a ban that prevents him from racing professionally until 2009, the team has listed him as a "friend" in their marketing materials.

Ball also hired the flamboyant Mario Cipollini to race and coach the team. Cipollini, who replaced Frankie Andreu, is a famous and sometimes controversial public figure in Italy and in the world of cycling. However, Cipollini's comeback from retirement proved short-lived, and he parted company with the team in March 2008. [ [http://www.velonews.com/article/73446/no-more-rock-no-more-rolling-for-cipollini VeloNews | No more Rock, no more rolling for Cipollini | The Journal of Competitive Cycling ] ]

In April of 2008, a majority of respondents to an online poll by "Bicycling Magazine" said that they would be "rooting for" Rock Racing. [ [http://www.bicycling.com/poll_results/1,6623,s1-21-----4573,00.html www.bicycling.com - Bicycling Magazine ] ] The team swept the prologue of the 2008 Vuelta a Colombia, team member Oscar Sevillas has won in the Commerce Bank Reading Classic and the second leg of the Triple Crown of Cycling, and Tyler Hamilton's victory at the Tour of Qinghai Lake.

History

Rock Racing was at the center of a controversy before the 2008 edition of the Amgen Tour of California when three of the team’s riders – Santiago Botero, Tyler Hamilton and Oscar Sevilla – were not allowed to start the race. Despite riding short-handed, all five of Rock Racing’s five riders finished the seven-day race and the team scored seven top 10 finishes during the race, including Mario Cipollini’s third place finish in Sacramento on Stage 2. Cipollini, the 2002 world road race champion and winner of nearly 200 races, briefly came out of retirement to compete for the team but later parted ways with the team.

In April 2008, Rock Racing sued the organizers of the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T to receive a berth in the race, but a last-minute withdrawal by another team opened up a spot and legal action was avoided. The team scored four top-five finishes and placed Oscar Sevilla sixth overall.

ponsorship and Charitable Support

Rock Racing has sponsored several races in 2008, including the Amgen Tour of California, the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T, the 35th annual Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic and the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix.

The team also supports several charities. At the Tour of California, the philanthropic arm of Rock & Republic and Rock Racing, “Rock The Cure,” donated $10,000 to a pair of after-school programs. At the Tour de Georgia, $250,000 was donated to the official beneficiaries of the event, Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

References

[http://velobios.com/teams.rockracing2008.htm view profiles of the 2008 team]