Rock Racing Picks their TOC team

by roadside on Jan 28, 2008 8:31 PM EST

I just visited Rahsaan Bahati's racing blog and he has just posted several hours ago who is on the Rock TOC team and who is still in contention to go.

Update [2008-1-29 13:30:17 by chris]: Rahsaan emailed me saying this post was "stolen from his website" without prior permission. I wrote back telling him that I thought his accusation was overblown. We typically disclose sources and put quotes in quote, give em a link, and only quote language to the minimum. I don't see anything wrong with what Roadside did. But Rahsaan did, so I guess I'd avoid using his material from now on.

Update [2008-1-29 13:38:10 by chris]: I should add, he's being polite about it, and seems like a nice enough guy, so although I don't understand his reasons, I'll ask people to respect his wishes.

0 recs | Comment 29 comments

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What about Cipo??

Wasn't he supposed to race ToC?

by Hons on Jan 28, 2008 11:26 PM EST 0 recs

I can't believe that Grajales didn't make

the short list... sheesh

Rumor has been flying that Cipo left a while ago again. Who knows at this point?

Must admit that I was looking forwards to Cipo in a skinsuit for the prologue. Shallow of me? you bet.

by lyne on Jan 29, 2008 12:38 AM EST 0 recs

Grajales?

I fogot he signed with Rock Racing. He was flying last year before his accident. I'm rather suprised he is not on the California team as well.

by John.. on Jan 29, 2008 7:34 AM EST up 0 recs

Almost worthy of a

caption contest.

(I like Bahati, but I suspect his blog is not going to serve his Rock Racing ambitions very well . . .)

by Sui Juris on Jan 29, 2008 9:46 AM EST 0 recs

post

The post on TOC team has now been deleted from his site

by roadside on Jan 29, 2008 1:00 PM EST up 0 recs

Why did they do to the DeRosa bike?

According to Neil at Road mag, this is the Rock Racing bike:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_vXbPBesLyII/R5zk0C0mmAI/AAAAAAAABCs/rOltZdVRr2Y/s1600-h/photo-728315.jpg

why green?

by lyne on Jan 29, 2008 10:59 AM EST 0 recs

Oh my...

I did not think it was possible to make a de Rosa look that fugly. Gah.

And this guy is in the fashion industry?

by gavia on Jan 29, 2008 11:08 AM EST up 0 recs

Andrew Ball

Dude's like the Midas of ugly.

by Christopher on Jan 29, 2008 4:49 PM EST up 0 recs

That's...

a De Rosa?

I thought that was Cipo in a crazy skinsuit.

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Jan 29, 2008 10:16 PM EST up 0 recs

I like it...!

I've always hated M.Ball for who he is and what he stands-- until now.

by orangekick on Jan 29, 2008 6:22 PM EST up 0 recs

oof!

That's pretty terrible. It stands out but in an awful way - only someone like The Killer could possible bring any grace to a machine that color. And that's assuming his 2007 team kit...........

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 29, 2008 11:36 AM EST 0 recs

I suspect...

I think Bahati is under some kind of pressure from management. His blog updates seem to appear, then disappear with some degree of regularlity. Perhaps Ball does not Blog. It's strange that this particular post would be pulled since it was a public announcement. Odd doings there at Rock, that's for sure.

DPF still has the info. up for those who might still wish to see it.

by gavia on Jan 29, 2008 3:13 PM EST 0 recs

Control

sounds like the name of the game for Mr. Ball. I saw on another rider's post that he can't delve too deeply into the happenings due to ever present ears. He also mentioned receiving a 100% pay cut for the '08 season. The reasoning being somewhere in the vicinity of win and get paid. Aren't there UCI rules about that? I cold be less cryptic, but after the Rashaan incident, this is probably easier.

by australopithecine on Jan 29, 2008 4:34 PM EST up 0 recs

seriously

This is the kind of jacked up treatment that I'd love to see a rider's union address (of course, I'm under no illusions that it would). Unfortunately for Bahati, he's one of those riders on the edge of the pro bubble, and he probably feels like he has to put up with this crap to preserve his shot at a bigger future (although, to his credit and detriment, he hasn't exactly been reticent on his blog).

by Sui Juris on Jan 29, 2008 6:34 PM EST up 0 recs

It wasn't Bahati

It was another US rider that was also on their squad last year. As he is already paid nothing and hanging on by a thread I will leave him unnamed. He is strong though. I would imagine he could ride for any of the other North American teams.

by australopithecine on Jan 29, 2008 8:23 PM EST up 0 recs

oh, I know

But your referenced rider is pretty much in the same boat as RB (if not in a somewhat tougher spot).

by Sui Juris on Jan 29, 2008 9:12 PM EST up 0 recs

Man,

that's worse than racing for gas money.

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 29, 2008 4:48 PM EST 0 recs

A De Rosa in camo colors...

what's next, the riders will carry RPGs??...

by 1km2go on Jan 29, 2008 6:39 PM EST 0 recs

velonews

http://www.velonews.com/race/dom/articles/13980.0.html

by lucybears on Jan 29, 2008 7:54 PM EST 0 recs

Bahahahahaha!

Velonews was disinvited from the press conference?!

Wow, this story just gets weirder.

by gavia on Jan 29, 2008 7:59 PM EST 0 recs

Holy...

Bahati asked you specifically to remove it? They watch this site? Amazing...

by BDBrian on Jan 30, 2008 12:08 AM EST 0 recs

Jeez, what a circus

My guess is that Ball, being an egomaniac, is a hawk for all the press he gets. So of course he is P.O.-ed about our criticism here at PdC and that's probably behind the VeloNews exclusion as well.

Secrecy and message control are basic elements of this approach...

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Jan 30, 2008 10:31 AM EST 0 recs

I'd really like

to see Amgen and the TOC organizers grow a spine and a). return the $300k bribe to Rock racing; and

b). "disinvite" the team from ToC for the inclusion of a rider(s) under investigation.

by R Mc on Jan 30, 2008 11:20 AM EST 0 recs

Ball to R Mc:

I'd like you to reconsider your post! And to sweeten the deal, all the jeans your heart desires! muahahahahaha.

-K-

by KevinK on Jan 30, 2008 1:18 PM EST up 0 recs

Huh

I'm the guy that put his post up at the Daily Peloton forums. And now he's written me and asked me to take it down. I did--it's not like there's not that VeloNews article with the same info.

by Christopher on Jan 30, 2008 2:41 PM EST 0 recs

I reckon

Ball is really keeping an eye on what his riders write and how the blogworld responds, eh?

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 30, 2008 3:41 PM EST 0 recs

Yeah...

But how long can Ball really go running around the internet removing content? And how many sites can he blacklist? Sure, he can disinvite VN from the press conference, but they got the info up anyway. So what was the point?

Dude just looks stupid, like he needs a remedial lesson in how these interwebs work. See, there's this stuff called information. And it spreads really, really, fast.

The internet, not just a series of tubes.

by gavia on Jan 30, 2008 3:54 PM EST 0 recs

I enjoy my little part

of making him run around the intertubes ;-)

By now he's discovered the web is just an elaborate framework of pvc pipes and forced hot air. Not nearly as intricate as the world of designer jeans.

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 30, 2008 3:57 PM EST 0 recs