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Michael Ball: Let Rock Racing Field Full Team

Rock Racing held a press conference Saturday and Michael Ball asked that the organizers of the Amgen Tour of California let his entire team start.

Here's the team's press release:

Palo Alto, Calif. - Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball announced today that he stands by his riders and is committed to doing everything possible to ensure the team is able to field a complete, eight-rider squad for the Amgen Tour of California.

Star-divide


Ball, outfitted in Rock Racing's new black-and-lime-green "Juice" uniform, made his remarks during a packed press conference Saturday at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto, Calif.

As announced by Ball, Rock Racing's roster for the eight-stage, eight-day international stage race consists of: Mario Cipollini (ITA), Santiago Botero (COL), Michael Creed (USA), Tyler Hamilton (USA), Doug Ollerenshaw (USA), Victor Hugo Pena (COL), Freddie Rodriguez (USA) and Oscar Sevilla (ESP). Team directors are Mariano Friedrick (director sportif) and Haldane Morris (assistant director sportif).

A roster released earlier this week by race organizer AEG for Rock Racing did not include Botero, Hamilton or Sevilla. Ball said he hopes the omission of those three riders was simply an administrative glitch. The three have all received clearance from their respective national federations that they are not the subject of any current investigations and are free and clear to race.

"I'm steadfast in my guys riding," Ball said. "I'm in a position to give these guys who may or may not have made a mistake a second chance. They're willing to step up for a second chance and I'm willing to give them that chance."

The recent exclusion of the Astana professional cycling team from the Tour de France is a perfect example of the mistakes being made at the sport's highest levels, Ball noted.

"The fact that the Tour of California is allowing Astana in this race is good. Bravo," he said. "They (Astana) should be allowed to race. I support that.

"You are innocent until proven guilty. But for there to be a wholesale swipe across a team or an individual who in the past was under suspicion, that's the past. This is time to make a difference in this sport. We're trying to move forward and make a difference.

"The past is the past. We have a moment right now to change this sport. Let's move forward. If it means giving these guys amnesty, do it. Stop digging up graves. This sport is going to wither on a vine and die if this continues. Sponsors are bailing out. If things continue with these conditions, I can't do anything else but exit. It doesn't make any sense business-wise."

Uncertainty surrounding Rock Racing's final roster for the Tour of California has brought the team closer together, Ball said.

"When you have adversity, it brings a team closer together and makes them stronger," he said. "If my guys could never race again, I'd still pay them and send them into the city to tell children that there are better things to get involved in than drugs or gangs."

Ball said Rock Racing is committed to a fair, anti-doping policy and individual rider rights. Central to that, he said, is the formation of a union.

"It's good for business," Ball said. "With a union comes security. That means athletes who make mistakes aren't outed - and the investors and sponsors aren't out. Control for the sport has to come from within: a rider's union and in each team organization. That's how it is in other sports."

Rock Racing's effort to make a difference in cycling extends to its "Rock the Cure" philanthropic division of Rock & Republic. Exemplifying the way corporations should give back, Ball has created specialty items from each collection, everything from shoes to denim, to directly support Rock the Cure. One hundred percent of the profits generated from these specialty items directly benefits deserving charities.

"For me, it's fighting the good fight and doing what is righteous," Ball said. " It's showing you can make a good product and give it away. Outreach to inner city kids is important to me. I'm the perfect example of someone who got the second chance."

During the Tour of California, Rock the Cure will make a donation of $20,000 dollars on behalf of Rock Racing to benefit underprivileged children and after-school programs in cities along the Tour.
 

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I don't think I'd like Ball personally, but
he's hit the nail on the head here. The black-balling really has to stop. It's unprofessional, peevish and counter-productive. And a riders' union appears to be necessary to bring some semblance of order back into the sport.

by ghisallo on Feb 16, 2008 7:56 PM EST reply actions  

This is getting tiresome
now I'll have to boycott the Tour of California too. At least I won't be tempted to be jealous of the California weather. Just the same, I hope AEG comes around.

by ghisallo on Feb 16, 2008 10:18 PM EST up reply actions  

What are you going to do...
G, what are you going to do if/when all the organizers start holding a firm line against doping? Is there a pro wrestling blog in the Daily Kos family?

by Christopher on Feb 16, 2008 10:53 PM EST up reply actions  

huh?
Sorry, you're not making sense.

by ghisallo on Feb 16, 2008 11:20 PM EST up reply actions  

Hate to Agree w/ Ball
How long are the riders suspended from competition for while the investigation is under way?

There need to be some limits to not allowing riders under investigation to ride.  It seems like being under investigation is worse than a suspension for doping.  If you got caught for doping at least you'd know when the suspension was up.

Also, I thought the re-opened Puerto applied only to the doctor(s) and not to the riders.

by John.. on Feb 16, 2008 9:34 PM EST reply actions  

Civil vs. Sporting
The Spanish courts reopened the case to investigate the doctors involved for criminal offenses. A byproduct of this is that the documents assembled in the course of the investigation are probably now going to be available to sporting authorities like CONI, WADA, the national federations, etc. See the distinction? Keep that in mind when anybody reminds you that a judge "cleared" Contador--they're telling you that the judge said he didn't break the law in Spain, not that he didn't cheat.

by Christopher on Feb 16, 2008 10:51 PM EST up reply actions  

Late breaking
This just in from California, Michael Ball revealed at a press conference this afternoon that he is still a narcissistic tool.

by Christopher on Feb 16, 2008 10:47 PM EST reply actions  

Apparently...
he signed the charter agreement about exclusions.

Will now field a team of 5 including Cipo.

Also of note, check out www.LetLeviRide.com. I signed cause I feel bad for the guy. He should have gone for Slipstream. It's not like he has the support through for Astana to win a GT, especially if he is riding for Contador.

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on Feb 17, 2008 12:26 AM EST reply actions  

It's a shame that Michael Ball is such a tool...
because he makes complete sense on this issue.  It's a witch hunt and it has to stop.  

Domestic racing looked like it would be worth watching for the first time in a long while.  Now, not so much.

Race organizers are overplaying their hand and it's killing the sport.

by pbrmeasap on Feb 17, 2008 1:31 AM EST reply actions  

Uh oh
According to CN, AEG is squarely placing the responsibility for this action on the UCI's shoulders.  The AEG said from the outset that any rider that is implicated by their home federation or the UCI would not be allowed to start.  Ball has signed letters from all the home federations, but not so with the UCI.  

It seems that the UCI-GTO battle continues with the UCI countering with a "well, we can arbitrarily ban rider too...take that bppppppth".  

Personally, I think that AEG has followed the guidelines that they put in place, and I respect that.  It's just a shame that their guidelines gave responsibility to a bunch of 6 year olds.  

by Hons on Feb 17, 2008 7:36 AM EST reply actions  

officially implicated

So is there an official list of "implicated" or "under investigation" athletes? Or do we make that up as we go? Or does that depend on who's asking who?

by phantom @ Podium Cafe on Feb 17, 2008 11:06 AM EST reply actions  

UCI 'has' the list
But I wonder what the criterion are for being on that list.  Is Valverde on that list...what about Contador?

by Hons on Feb 17, 2008 11:59 AM EST up reply actions  

Whoever didn't pay up?
The (corrupt?) juveniles running the sport have finally driven me away.  2 years of this witch hunt is too much for me.  It's no fun anymore.  Oh well, I'll hopefully make better use of the time I used to spend watching pro races.

by ghisallo on Feb 17, 2008 12:50 PM EST up reply actions  

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