Three members of Rock Racing won’t compete
Michael Ball, the owner of cycling team Rock Racing, decided not to register Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla in the Amgen Tour of California, which begins today in Palo Alto.
Ball had hinted Saturday morning that he would either compete with the eight-man team of his choosing or not race at all after the three riders were not approved for entry.
All three have been linked to a Spanish doping investigation. AEG, which owns the Tour of California, had said all 17 teams registered for the race signed a contract agreeing they would not permit any rider not approved by UCI, the international cycling federation, in the race.
Saturday night Ball released a statement saying, “This is not a decision governed by the agreement. There is no open investigation. AEG is acting irrationally to the detriment of the sport.”
But Ball also said Rock Racing would compete with the reduced five-man roster.
Andrew Messick, AEG’s director of sports, said: “We are disappointed in Rock Racing’s disingenuous statements regarding the composition and eligibility of their team in our race. We have communicated our rules to Rock Racing, and the other 16 participating teams, in plain language. Rock Racing, like the other teams, agreed to the rules of our race.”
At a team news conference Saturday morning in Palo Alto, Ball had been more defiant, saying he was determined that Hamilton, Botero and Sevilla would 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.”
But during registration later in the day, Rock Racing did not enter the rejected riders. One of five Rock Racing entries is former world champion Mario Cipollini, 40, who had been retired for the past two years.
Ball had said he hoped the absence of the three riders from the start list was just an “administrative glitch.” Rock Racing is a new founding sponsor of the three-year-old race.
Messick insisted the three would not start.
“We went to great lengths with Michael to explain the process,” Messick said. “They have five riders who are on the roster and eligible. We won’t allow anyone to start who isn’t on that roster.”
Ball argued that cycling, plagued by doping scandals for two years, needed a fresh start.
“We have a moment right now to change this sport,” Ball said. “If it means giving these guys amnesty, do it. This sport is going to wither on a vine and die if this continues.”
This year’s third edition of the 650-mile race begins today with a two-mile prologue at Stanford and finishes next Sunday with a circuit race around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
CSC, led by Fabian Cancellara, the defending world time trial champion, and Astana, anchored by defending Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer, are favored to win the team title. CSC will also feature last year’s third-place finisher, Jason McCartney, and veteran Bobby Julich, who finished fourth last year.
George Hincapie, a former Tour de France stage winner, is the most recognizable name for Team High Road. The Belgian team Quick Step brings two-time world champion Paolo Bettini and top sprinter Tom Boonen.
The Slipstream-Chipotle team also has two strong time trial riders in David Millar and David Zabriskie.