Rock Racing (UCI Code: RR) was a cycling team founded in 2007 by Michael Ball. The team is affiliated with Ball's Rock & Republic clothing line.Rock Racing's Ball stirs up conservative cycling world (USAtoday) Rock Racing received media attention for hiring outcasts in the sport, including those tainted by performance-enhancing drug scandals. The team's "bad boy image" was furthered by the design of the team kits, and its motto was "Here to stay" which may have served to incite the anti-doping efforts of the time.
The team rides De Rosa and branded the DeRosa logo across some versions of their 2008 kits.Rock Racing on DeRosa, Fuji, and Scott bike frames during 2007-2008 (BikeRadar.com) Ball hoped his expertise in brand marketing will sell merchandise linked to the team.Men in Black (Outside Magazine, May 2008, p.6) Other product sponsorships for 2008 included Stella Azzurra parts, LAS Helmets, and Campagnolo components. The team's support vehicles were black Cadillac SUVs.
After failing to secure a UCI Professional Continental license for 2010, the team brought in the government of the Spanish autonomous community of Murcia (who previously sponsored the now-defunct Contentpolis-Ampo) as a co-title sponsor. Although they planned to seek UCI Continental registration under a Mexican license, and signed Floyd Landis to their roster.Rock Racing rolls on as Rock Racing-Murcia On 3 March 2010 it was announced that Rock Racing would not be awarded a professional licence of any form and as a result would race as an amateur team in the 2010 season: Landis had a clause in his contract allowing him to leave the team in the case of their not being granted professional status.Rock Racing Officially Denied Pro License Cyclingnews.com
After Floyd Landis was signed by the team he visited Ball's house wired by the FDA. The evidence found led to a search of Ball's residence.Landis Reported To Have Worn Wire In Meeting With Michael Ball Cyclingnews.com
2007 season
Directed by Frankie Andreu, with eleven riders with an average age of 28,Rock Racing Roster 2007 (VeloBios.com) the team included Rahsaan Bahati, Mariano Friedick, Kayle Leogrande, David Clinger, and Jeremiah Wiscovitch, Rock Racing scored inaugural season victories at The CSC Invitational, The Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, and Best Sprinter Competition at The Redlands Bicycle Classic. Other results include a stage win at The Valley of the Sun Stage Race, and four stage wins at Wisconsin's Superweek.
2008 season Directed by Mariano Friedick, and comprising 21 riders with an average age of 29,Rock Racing Roster 2008 (VeloBios.com) Rock Racing had to "come out of the gate swinging" being the center of a controversy before the 2008 Amgen Tour of California when newly signed racers, Santiago Botero, Tyler Hamilton and Óscar Sevilla were not allowed to start due to the race organizers' policy banning convicted abusers of performance-enhancing drugs. Rock Racing's five remaining riders finished the seven-day race and scored seven top-10 finishes, including Cipollini's third in Sacramento on Stage 2. Ball had hired Mario Cipollini in early 2008 to race and replace Andreu as Director Sportif.Cipollini continues with Rock Racing towards San Remo (CyclingNews.com) On the eve of Milan–San Remo, which he won in 2002 only a few months before his first retirement, he announced he was going back into retirement.No more Rock, no more rolling for Cipollini (VeloNews.com)
In April 2008, Rock Racing sued the Tour de Georgia regarding a berth in the race.Rock Racing to sue Medalist Sports to get into Tour of Georgia (Bicycle.net) A separate team withdrew, which opened a spot, avoiding legal action. The team scored four top-five finishes and placed Sevilla sixth overall.Rock Racing gives Georgia something to remember (Bicycle.net) Also that month, an online poll by Bicycling Magazine showed that an overwhelming majority would be "rooting for" Rock Racing over other teams, some of which being the biggest in the sport.Poll- What pro cycling team will you be rooting for this year? (Bicycling.com)
Major victories for 2008 included a team sweep in the prologue of June's Vuelta a Colombia,Rock goes 1-2-3-4 in Vuelta a Colombia opener (Bicycle.net) on the way to a Stage 7 victory by Víctor Hugo Peña,Pena delivers Rock Racing another win (Bicycle.net) and Stage 9 victory by Óscar Sevilla,Sevilla delivers Rock Racing another win (Bicycle.net) who also won Commerce Bank Reading Classic earlier that month.Sevilla rocks Reading with solo victory at Reading Classic (Bicycle.net) Of note, Sevilla also became the first non-Colombian in 48 years to win that nation's nine-day RCN Classic in October.Oscar Sevilla wins Colombia's RCN Classic (Bicycle.net) Tyler Hamilton won both the Tour of Qinghai Lake in July,Hamilton wins Tour of Qinghai Lake (Bicycle.net) and the USPRO Road Race Championship in September.Hamilton wins National Title in photo finish (Bicycle.net) Rahsaan Bahati's USPRO Criterium Championship victory gave the team both the Road Race and Criterium National Champions for the United States.Bahati National Criterium Title leads Rock Racing's prolific day (Bicycle.net) Bahati also won other major events such as Athens Twilight Criterium, Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix,Bahati rules Manhattan Beach again (Bicycle.net) the Millikan Memorial Crit, as well as two stage wins during Wisconsin's Superweek on the way to becoming the second best sprinter in that series. During Santiago Botero's final season abroad he bookended his long career, by winning Stage 1 and placing 1st on the Final GC of Redlands Bicycle Classic. In a season of "firsts" for Botero, he also won the opening day of both Cascade Cycling Classic,Beijing bound Botero rocks opening stage of Cascade Classic (Bicycle.net) and his native Vuelta a Colombia, which he won overall in 2007. Notably, he also finished 7th in the Elite Men's Road Race at the Beijing Summer Olympics. Fred Rodriguez had a 3rd place, podium finish at the Philadelphia International Championship.Fast Freddie finishes third at Philly (Bicycle.net)
For the amateur squad, Sterling Magnell had a breakout year, winning the Dana Point Criterium, Pro-Am 1/2 International Challenge during Downer's Grove weekend,Magnell wins on Downer Avenue (Bicycle.net) and two stages of Wisconsin's Superweek while on his way to finishing 2nd in the GC. Australian track standout, Pete Dawson won the Sandy Springs Cycling Challenge which is included in the USAcrits Speedweek Series. He also won two stages in Wisconsin's Superweek as well as California's Red Trolley Classic Criterium. Eighteen-year-old Justin Williams finished 1st on Stage 3 of Valley of the Sun Stage Race and won the U-23 National Criterium Championship to give the 2008 team its third National Champion.Williams wins Gold at U-23 Nationals Criterium (Bicycle.net) The young "fast-tracker" also finished 3rd in the Millikan Memorial Crit and 4th in the Red Trolley Crit. Another "fast-tracking" young Rock Racer for 2008 was Jeremiah Wiscovitch who finished 2nd in the Red Trolley Crit.
2009 season The 2009 offseason was marked by more significant changes. The team once again redesigned its kit Product Review: Rock Racing 2009 Pro Line Kit (Bicycle.net) and switched its bike to Kestrel's new RT800, 950 gram carbon frameset.Rock Racing to ride Kestrel and Shimano Dura-Ace in 2009 (KestrelBicycles.com) Mr. Ball brought in notorious Director Sportif, Rudy Pevenage along with former Astana Director Laurenzo LaPage.Former T-Mobile and Astana directors join Rock Racing (BikeRadar.com) Rock Racing hires Rudy Pevenage (VeloNews.com) Mr. Ball, in tandem with this move, incorporated Scott Analytics, to manage its anti-doping program. The company's president and founder, Paul Scott, is also the man behind previous anti-doping programs for Garmin–Chipotle, Team Columbia–High Road, and BMC Racing Team. New riders for 2009 included Francisco Mancebo, José Enrique Gutiérrez, Glen Chadwick, Chris Baldwin, David Vitoria, Caleb Manion, and Iván Domínguez.Rock Racing releases '09 roster (VeloNews.com) Rock Racing announces their 2009 roster (Bicycle.net) Dominguez later wound up signing elsewhere, only to eventually sign with Rock Racing in June. Conversely, Chris Baldwin signed with Rock Racing, eventually being released mid-season. 2003 Tour de France Points Classification Winner, Baden Cooke, also reported to have reached a verbal commitment, eventually signed with Vacansoleil of the Netherlands for 2009 during a period of uncertainty and scrutiny for Rock Racing.Rock Racing here to stay, Maybe (Bicycle.net) Rock Racing here to stay (Bicycle.net) Rock Racing's untimely demise greatly exaggerated (RoadCycling.com) .Baden Cooke says Rock Racing promises went unfulfilled (VeloNews.com)
In May, Michael Creed, Caesar Grajales and Chris Baldwin were released from the team due to a lack in performance.Rock Racing lets three riders go (Bicycle.net) Grajales would rejoin the team and start Vuelta a Colombia. Creed and Baldwin joined Team Type 1, and OUCH Maxxis, respectively. Earlier in March, rider Tyler Hamilton tested positive for a banned substance. The doping scandal resulted in an eight-year ban and subsequent retirement from professional cycling.US Cyclist, Hamilton, accepts eight year suspension for doping violation (USantidoping.org) In June the team signed renowned Cuban sprinter, Iván Domínguez who had previously been with the UCI Pro Tour squad, Fuji–Servetto.Ivan Dominguez signs with Rock Racing - again (BikeRadar.com) In conjunction with this move, Rahsaan Bahati was promoted back onto the Rock Racing pro squad in order to defend his 2008 US National Criterium Champion title during the US National Criterium Championships, as well as lend support to Dominguez. Bahati was controversially demoted to the amateur squad early in 2009 due to complications in the UCI language regarding roster size.Bahati optimistic (VeloNews.com) Bahati pro again with Rock Racing (VeloNews.com) That issue, among others contributed to the teams' rejection by the UCI in its application to become a Professional Continental Team for 2009. In addition to having too many riders on its pro squad, (17), the majority of Rock Racing is age 32, or older. UCI Continental Squads are required to maintain a majority of riders under the age of 28. Even further problems to the organizations professional objectives were the purported monthly salary and logistical financing delays. UCI Professional Continental Teams have a minimum annual gross salary of 27,500 euros (roughly 39,000.00), and 23,000 euros (roughly 34,000.00) for "neo-pro" (new pro) riders in the Professional Continental ranks.Pro team structure, what does it all mean? (CyclingTips.com) Despite the aforementioned roadblocks, the Continental squad as it stands has had numerous top results in 2009. The "Spanish realm" has been the teams stomping ground this season and so it could be viewed that if the team obtains UCI Pro Continental license in 2010 there is the potential for future invitations to races such as the Vuelta a España, one of the sports three Grand Tours.