Rock On

by Chris Fontecchio on Nov 21, 2008 4:28 PM EST in News

Very nice interview with Michael Ball over at Bicycling today. I'm tempted to poach heavily, but in keeping with blogger etiquette I'll just recommend the whole thing and toss out a few morsels. Such as, would you hire Jan Ullrich if he wanted to come back?

MB: Are you kidding? I'd do a backflip. Jan is one of the greatest cyclists of the last 20 to 30 years.

I think this sums up his attitude toward controversial hires like Pevenage, Hamilton, Mancebo, etc. What can you do going forward? In the interview he points out that whatever might be in their Puerto files is known only to the individuals themselves, not you or I, so why bother punishing them? Most people's reaction is, because their activities almost killed the sport. I'm sure if Ball were here, he'd point out: what's the difference between these guys and a few hundred other active riders who didn't get caught? One more pearl of wisdom:

But honestly, these guys are happy to be on their bikes and that's good enough for me.

Redemption is a big motivator. Anyway, Ball also discusses their revamped anti-doping program and the decision not to bother going Continental Pro. Enjoy.

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Rock off

I really wonder if this guy was ever into cycling.

But speaking of Rock On, Rock Off and nothing to do with cycling – Sweep the Leg, Johnny. Someone, somewhere, will be able to tie this together with Rock Racing one day.

by Sui Juris on Nov 21, 2008 5:49 PM EST reply actions

The pear of wisdom I liked is that his is the only American team with a consistent doping programme. Damning Columbia, Garmin and BMC a little, I think.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Nov 21, 2008 7:54 PM EST reply actions

yeah

consistent isn’t really the goal. Effective is. But he says the right words about program expansion and execution, FWIW.

CQRanking.com, you complete me.

by Chris Fontecchio on Nov 21, 2008 10:56 PM EST up reply actions

Right words … except that they make you think the programme must have been run pretty ineptly this past year. And he seems to be suggesting that whereabouts issues and actually turning up for tests were a problem.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Nov 22, 2008 12:12 AM EST up reply actions

True

Sounds like this year was a lot of hands-on learning, with all the disorganization it implies.

CQRanking.com, you complete me.

by Chris Fontecchio on Nov 22, 2008 12:11 PM EST up reply actions

Effectiveness is a product of consistency.

Without consistency, it is virtually impossible to have an effective quality system focused at the issue you are trying to address.
That said, it it is very easy to have a perfectly consistent quality system that is not effective, which is why you need a feedback loop as apart of your quality system.
This feedback loops is best performed by the customer, along with independent evaluators who audit and report on the system in order to improve it.

Basically, once they post their consistent methodology for controlling doping, and their data, it can then be scrutinized and commented on.

Another way to look at it is until they post their consistent methodology for controlling doping, whatever is said about the consistency and the effectiveness of it is unsubstantiated BS.

by Ryan_Liles on Nov 22, 2008 2:17 AM EST up reply actions

Thumbs up

to Rock Racing as far as I’m concerned.

It’s easy to go Statler & Waldorf on these guys or, worse, put out some Ayatollah fatwa on these guys like Linus Gerdemann and so many cycling fan boys.

But the 1990-2005 is what it was and the line between who was caught and who wasn’t is so fine that it seems appropriate to me that the Mancebos and Sevillas and even Hamiltons of the world — shy, friendly biker geeks who are at their core ok (even Tyler) despite it all — have a place where they can just ride their bikes again.

This means, of course, that Rock Racing can’t be allowed into any really prestigious events for the next year or two, but I wouldn’t mind (and would kind of like) seeing a Vuelta or a major classic sometime soon with Baden Cooke sprinting or Mancebo climbing with his head tilting epiletically to the left.

And the testing is a good thing.

by Mr 60 Percent on Nov 22, 2008 10:03 AM EST reply actions

A Year Ago On This Board...

People were joking that there was no way guys like Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero would be racing at Redlands, etc. But there they were – and cycling fans here in the U.S. got to see some of the sport’s European greats.

I wonder if Baden Cooke has his eyes on that Stage 2 criterium at Redlands this year…

by Chief Commissaire on Nov 22, 2008 11:25 AM EST reply actions

cycling fans here in the U.S. got to see some of the sport’s European greats.

Is that all it’s about? Turning the US into an old pros circuit, a old fogey’s home for Europe’s rejects?

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Nov 22, 2008 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

Lest We Forget...

Those “old fogeys” won Redlands (Botero) and Reading (Sevilla) in addition to their worldwide accomplishments (Botero was seventh at the Olympics, Sevilla won the RCN Classic and was second at the Spanish national championships).

by Chief Commissaire on Nov 23, 2008 9:37 AM EST up reply actions

Small ponds can either acknowledge their status or exclude large (mid-sized?) fish.

OK, those are probably fighting words. All I mean is, we talk a lot about US riders / teams who are competitive in Europe…on European riders in Europe… US riders in the US… but somehow European riders in the US, that’s suspect? Don’t get it.

Unless you think the testing is rigged (seems unlikely though I’m done saying "impossible") or the physical benefits of past doping persist for years (I’ve seen some claims to that effect, but no hard data) then it’s just as appropriate for them to be doing 2nd / 3rd tier races that happen to be in the U.S. as equivalent races in any other country. And if we don’t like them winning here, clean (see the two caveats above) then we need to grow more talent, not grouse about them poaching “our” medals.

After all, how exciting/meaningful would the TdF be, with only French teams?

by JFS_PGH on Nov 24, 2008 6:33 AM EST up reply actions