EVERYTHING BMC
Santa Rosa, 2009-04-09
BMC roster for Paris-Roubaix
BMC Racing Team for Paris-Roubaix
Riders
Jackson Stewart, Tony Cruz, Jeff Louder, Brent Bookwalter, Danilo Wyss, Martin Kohler, Alex Moos, Ian McKissick
Directeur Sportif
John Lelangue
Angers, 2009-04-08
Strong rides place Kohler and Louder in Sarthe Top 10
Looking to build on the strong team performance from the day before, the BMC Racing Team faced a double stage day with a road race in the morning and a time trial in the afternoon. The morning stage took place in the rain which considerably complicated matters as a late-stage crash took down race leader Enrico Rossi as well as Martin Kohler.
No one suffered major injuries, but the chase to catch the lone breakaway rider, David Le Lay of Agritubel, was disrupted, resulting in his 21 second victory. The real test came in the afternoon as the riders faced a slippery 6 km time trial around Angers. Here Jeff Louder mixed in with the European TT specialists, taking an excellent 8th place on the day while Martin Kohler also excelled finishing just a second off his team mate’s pace.
Getting their Euro groove back
“We had a really good day today,” Directeur Sportif John Lelangue explained. “And as well as it went, it could have been better.” Referring to the stage 2 crash which took down the front of the peloton, along with Martin Kohler, Lelangue and the rest of the group had every belief that without the late-stage mishap, the breakaway would have been caught. “It had been raining all morning and once we hit the circuits in Angers, the roads were very slippery,” Martin Kohler said. “Once everyone reorganized for the sprint after the crash I was all alone up front and so didn’t really have a chance in the sprint.” Nevertheless Kohler took 11th on the stage, still excellently placed for the afternoon time trial. “The team work during the stage was really top-notch,” Kohler said. “Everyone took a great deal of care over me and made sure I had to do as little work as possible.”
Surprising the TT specialists
“Both Jeff and Martin gave really strong performances in the TT today,” Lelangue was happy to explain. “Jeff finished 8th just seconds behind real specialists like Klöden, Rabon and Gutierrez, while even beating Tony Martin who is also very talented against the clock.” Martin Kohler came in 11th place, losing the best young rider race to Tony Martin by just 100ths of a second. “Though the course had dried out a little for the guys who went early, by the time I started it was all wet again,” Kohler described. “I was pretty scared I would crash, so I took the corners pretty easy; I was a bit surprised my time was so fast still by the end.” Kohler and Louder’s efforts find them in 5th and 10th place, respectively on the GC, both within 30 seconds of the lead at the end of three stages.
Hardest stages still to come
With two stages remaining and two riders in the top ten, BMC has a clear agenda for the rest of the race. “Our approach will be to protect our two leaders,” Lelangue revealed. “The next two stages are the most difficult with climbs coming at the end of each stage. But they are short climbs and the sorts of things that both Jeff and Martin will be able tackle.” Happy to be rolling with some momentum, Kohler is looking to keep his place with the leaders. “Everyone feels the buzz and is excited,” Kohler said. “I definitely want to stay on the front and if I can get over the climbs with the leaders then that will be perfect!”
Jeff Louder proving he can TT with the big boys (foto by Tim de Waele)
Grenchen/Paris, 2009-04-08
BMC Riders as Model Testers at Paris–Roubaix
For the Queen of all Classics racing, the Swiss bicycle manufacturer is equipping its racers with special bicycles designed to be more robust and absorb more of the road vibrations caused by the famed cobbles.
No bicycle race makes a high demand on the materials. Nowhere is a cyclist more dependant on the reliability of his support as he is at Paris-Roubaix. The Hell of the North has created myths but also demands its fair share of destroyed bicycles and busted dreams.
This race provides a special challenge for BMC, the Swiss bicycle manufacturer based in Grenchen which has provided the title sponsor for the American-Swiss BMC Racing Team. Thanks to a Wild Card invitation, the Pro Continental team will start the epic 259 km long race which contains 27 cobbled sections. Stefano Cattai who is responsible for being the liaison between the manufacturer and the racers, will be accompany the team. “Paris-Roubaix is the biggest test for any racing frame,” says the former professional who will be on hand also to supervise the mechanics and assist them in their efforts. “It is the best place to look to see how the new materials are performing.”
While other manufacturers have their entire teams racing on the same bicycle model for Roubaix, BMC will have half its crew riding the classic full carbon ProMachine SLC01 over the Roubaix cobbles, while four other members will be testing the new SLX model. This permits a direct comparison of the previously developed model and the newly developed version. “The new model is extremely rigid though nevertheless more comfortable,” Cattai described the newer model made of carbon and aluminium. The Swiss team members Danilo Wyss and Martin Kohler and the American racers Tony Cruz and Taylor Tolleson will each race the SLX.
Special parts not available for retail are the exception
In principle, all parts tested over the roads covered by the Paris-Roubaix will be available to the normal consumer. However, there are a few exceptions with regards to the components from other suppliers. The most important difference is with the fork supplied by the American manufacturer Easton. “The fork has a larger opening and the weave of the carbon allows for a somewhat softer ride,” Cattai explained. In addition, the fork arch is somewhat broader. The fork was tested over the cobbles for the first time during the Belgian race 3 Days of West Flanders at the beginning of March. “We were entirely content with the result.” Subsequently, the forks were stored away to save for use during the Paris Roubaix. They will be used next only on Friday when the riders take them out to inspect the cobbled sectors of the course.
Another special component in preparation for the Queen of the Classics will be the chain rings supplied by Campagnolo. While the team usually runs a 39/53 combination, for Paris-Roubaix BMC will install a 44/53. The new rings help guide the chain through the derailleur when shifting from one ring to another. This therefore decreases the danger of chains jumping unexpectedly. All other components either are now or will be available to the general market within the year, such as the aluminium rims from DT Swiss and the broader 25mm tubular tires (Collé) from Continental. The next generation of BMC bicycles is already under test.
Stefano Cattai: “Paris-Roubaix is the biggest test for any racing frame”. (Foto by Georges Luechinger)
Bucking the trend that dictates final stages should be only ceremonial promenades for the riders, the last day at the Tour of California served up the type of course and racing style which many claimed is more often found in Grand Tours. Throwing in a climb up Palomar Mountain midway through the stage, the race organizers turned what could have been a routine day through the hills outside of San Diego into an exciting hammer-fest which saw GC contenders do their best to uproot Levi Leipheimer’s campaign for a third victory in the Tour of California.
In the end, the Astana team was able to control the race, letting Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) win the stage out of a two man sprint with Vincent Nibali (Liquigas) after an aggressive attack on the Palomar descent. BMC riders were active in the breaks all day, first with Alex Moos and then with Mathias Frank. Though Frank’s break was absorbed by the peloton, the young rider from BMC managed to stay with the elite Astana-led group, taking 14th place on the stage.
Opportunistic riding yields good results
“We had a really good stage today,” John Lelangue reported. “Our objective was to be present in the moves and though we had a reduced number of guys left in the race, we were able to stay aggressive and get into many of the most important breaks.” Unusually, instead of having one break get away early only to be caught a handful of kilometers from the finish line, the stage Sunday took the shape of having multiple breaks get established, gain time and then be reabsorbed. “Alex was in the first move of 8 riders that got away on the first KOM climb,” Lelangue said. “But for some reason, Liquigas pulled very hard and brought that move back into the peloton.” After Moos’ group was reabsorbed, a number of different shufflings in the pack saw several escapes be attempted, none of which were especially successful until the second KOM climb. Mathias Frank showed his excellent climbing legs and inserted himself into the promising break. “I felt good today, though it was a really hard stage,” Frank said. “This race was my first major objective for the season, but I got sick just after training camp and arrived here still quite ill, so I was disappointed not to have been able to be more present in the early stages.” Feeling better as the race progressed, Mathias knew Sunday was the day to make use of his good form.
The heavy-hitters come forward
Frank’s group contained a selection of strong riders including Jason McCartney, the Schleck brothers and eventually Jens Voigt (all Saxo Bank). “At that point in the race, we were in a very strong position since we had Mathias in the break, with McKissick and Zberg in a group just behind,” Lelangue said. Since the breakaway group had attracted riders sitting very high on the GC, the break was over-taken by the handful of riders who had chosen Mt Palomar as the place to try to break Astana and Leipheimer. “When the group with Leipheimer and Rogers caught us about 3 km from the Palomar summit, I saw that Levi was without any team mates,” Frank explained. “I knew that there would be a group chasing us from behind, so I decided not to go 100% over the climb knowing it would all come back together on the descent.” Lelangue was very happy with Mathias’ tactical acumen. “For Mathias to respond so well to how the race unfolded and then stay with the leading group after his breakaway attempt just proves his huge potential for the future,” Lelangue reasoned.
Frank stays solid in shrinking group of GC contenders
After having been picked up by the charging main group up the Palomar climb, Frank was still able to stay with the leaders over the final KOM in spite of the fact that Lance Armstrong flexed his muscles in an attempt to keep the Schleck breakaway close and to dissuade any additional flyer attempts to be made. “When Armstrong was pushing the pace so hard, I was really in a bit of trouble,” Frank admitted. “A lot of guys were already falling off the back, and with maybe 500 meters to go to the top, I dropped off a little, but I knew I would be able to come back on after the summit.” Only 22 years old, Mathias Frank is still honing his strengths. “I would have liked to have made a better sprint at the finish line,” said Frank, who finished 14th on the day. “But I am always learning, and though I know I made some small mistakes, I am learning by doing and next time I will do better.” Thoroughly impressed with the level of racing in California this year, Frank feels like he has had a little taste of what the Tour de France must be like. “I was talking with Jens Voigt after the stage and he told me that this race was like a stage of the Tour de France with all the people and enthusiasm,” Frank said. “The crowds were huge and it really was very exciting going over Palomar.”
Mathias Frank working hard to get into the right breaks (foto by Tim de Waele)
For the second year running, the BMC Racing Team has earned an invitation to the prestigious spring race in northern France. “This is a perfect race for the team and we are really happy to be going again this year,” Directeur Sportif John Lelangue said. “It is a complete stage race in just three stages and always draws the top racers for every edition.”
BMC has kicked off the 2009 season touting a new ambitious multi-year plan which they hope will ultimately find them being competitive at the Tour de France. “We want to get into all the Hors Categorie races we can since they are all very important to our development,” Lelangue explained. “Invitations like this one are a good sign that the race organizers also believe in our ability to be competitive and add another dimension to their races.”
A strong spring campaign solidifying for BMC
In the 2008 edition of the Critérium International, multiple BMC riders contributed their firepower to light up the race. There is every expectation that BMC will work to play a bigger role in 2009. “Last year we had Ian McKissick in a long breakaway on the first stage, and then Danilo Wyss and Alex Moos were able to finish off the stages with strong placings in the sprints,” Lelangue remembered. “This year we will be coming into the Critérium International after doing a race in the Netherlands and one in Belgium the week before with the same 8 riders, so we should be well prepared for the three hard stages in France.” Races with such a long, important history like the Critérium International will always inspire strong rides from the top racers. Being an important date on any stage racer’s calendar gives the Critérium International particular importance for a team like BMC which strives to become one of the top stage racing teams in the world.
Pleased to be invited again to the Criterium International: General Team Manager Gavin Chilcott and Dire
| Santa Rosa, 2009-02-08
BMC Racing Team Awarded Wild Card Status
The UCI announced Tuesday that the BMC Racing Team is among the Professional Continental squads which have been granted Wild Card status for the 2009 season. “We are extremely pleased that the UCI has sanctioned the BMC Racing Team with the Wild Card designation for the 2009 racing season,” team consultant and liaison Jim Ochowicz said. “This designation further confirms the BMC Racing Team’s commitment to excellence in cycling.” Endorsement opens door for important invitations “This endorsement from the UCI shows that they believe we can succeed on both the sporting and administrative side,” General Manager Gavin Chilcott explained. “We have indicated that we are still progressing and living up to our own expectations for a multi-year growth plan.” Receiving the Wild Card status forms an integral part of BMC’s racing plans for the 2009 season since invitations to important races like the Tours of Romandie and Switzerland would be impossible without this designation. “The Swiss tours in particular are critically important to fulfilling our goals,” Chilcott said. “And for this season we have hopes of being seriously considered for invitations to other important Pro Tour level races in Europe which without the Wild Card status would be impossible.”
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The camp this year has been better than last year…for many different reasons. First of all the nice and warm weather has made it a really great time for training. I think everyone in Europe is freezing and we have been enjoying summer-like temperatures. And the riding here in northern California is pretty amazing. My favourite ride that we have done so far was also the longest one we did last Friday, the Kings Ridge ride. What a beautiful landscape always going up and down and some of the time we were riding along the ocean. With the thermometer hitting above 70° F, I think it was one of my most beautiful rides I’ve ever done. This year we have a few more riders and the new guys are all very friendly. We are having a good time together and I think this will be reflected during the season when we are all racing with and for each other. The new faces at camp like our U23 members and our neo-pro Chad Beyer look very strong. Chad especially I think will do extremely well in his first year as a pro.
Training camp is when we get to meet some members behind the team who we may not normally see the rest of the year. The sponsors make an effort to meet us and let us know that they believe in us – that really helps. Personally I feel better this year than last year. It’s already my second year as a pro so I think I must be better. And the training camp a few BMC members and I had in Mallorca this past December really made a big difference to my fitness. Since I came over a week early to get ready for camp and train with Taylor, I have been able to get to know his room mate who is also a very strong cyclist. It’s wonderful here in California. I’m a bit sad I have to leave Thursday. But it will be time to fly to Qatar for the race, where we will hopefully enjoy some more summer temperatures.
Vince: I love working in a job that exposes me to all sorts of different cultures. I have been to China and stood on the Great Wall because of this job, and I have been able to go all over Europe and America. To have the chance to see how other cultures do things is such a valuable opportunity. Working with BMC has also been great. They are great bikes. I ride a ProMachine and I love it. About nine of the guys will be riding the Racemaster SLX this year, and that is an amazing bike too. I want one. It will be a bike made to order for many of our guys. Tony Cruz requested one specially – and he should know what a sprinter wants. I am also excited to be working this year with Andy Stone who was really my mechanic-mentor; it is really a special opportunity.
Andy: I had been working with Shimano Neutral Support and then the opportunity to join the BMC Racing Team came up so I couldn’t resist the chance to work with Vince again. Besides, I think this team is really something special with a bright future. These are just early days in terms of what this group of riders can ultimately achieve. Coming from neutral support, I always made certain that I could work on any equipment, regardless of manufacturer. So now to be working with Campagnolo is not so much a new challenge as a new focus. When I worked with Shimano Neutral Support, I would make it my business to talk to the mechanics for various teams to see what feedback and input they might have for us to help improve the product. Being on the other side of the fence will be an adjustment and I am looking forward to giving my feedback now!
As a member of BMC’s climbing cadre, Jonathan Garcia is anxiously looking forward to the start of the season which for him will be at the prestigious Amgen Tour of California.
Though Garcia suffered a number of unfortunate and painful crashes during the 2008 season, he can still look back on the year with a great deal of well-placed satisfaction. Easily following BMC’s learning curve, Garcia made a serious impact in the team’s successes in races such as the 2008 Tour of Switzerland and Tour of Utah. Garcia is now keen to take his wider experience and contribute it to the entire team’s elevated goals for 2009.
You had some bad luck with crashes last year, most notably early in the Tour of Switzerland. Do you feel there is some unfinished business for you this year?
Jonathan Garcia: Well, crashes are just one of those things. I had something like five bad crashes last year, but I wouldn’t at all say I had a bad year. We had fashioned my training so that I would peak nearer the end of the year, so crashing that badly in the first stage of the Tour of Switzerland didn’t help. But I feel like I made the most of it and was even able to represent the team in a long breakaway a few days after my crash. Throughout the year I learned a lot and always worked for the team. Just to have had the chance to be in such an amazing race like Switzerland was huge for me. And now I am ready to move on and really make things happen this year.
It has been pretty cold in Colorado this winter. Do you feel like you have been able to keep your fitness where you want it to be?
It definitely has been cold but there hasn’t been that much snow in Fort Collins so I have been lucky to be able to get out on the bike just about every day. Of course I took a break at the end of last season, and I have also spent a lot of time in the gym working on my core strength, flexibility and that sort of thing. I also do a bit of running, and then the riding. There were some really cold days I was out and asking myself what I was doing! Any time it gets below 30° F, you are also dealing with the wind chill and it’s pretty cold.
Do you have many fellow pros to ride with in Fort Collins? Do you like to ride in groups or are you on your own a lot?
I like to mix it up a bit. When I am doing my own specific training I usually like to be on my own. But for longer, base mile rides it is nice to be in a group. There are a few other pros living around here, but mostly just really good amateurs who spend all their time training and racing too. The group rides can be pretty tough.
You are getting ready to race the Tour of California this year, right?
Yes and I’m really happy to be doing it again. I did it two years ago, and at the time it was my first professional race. I have to admit that I was a bit over my head. But now I feel a lot more confident. I have learned so much, especially after doing the Pro Tour races in Europe that we did last year. The team is so strong this year that I know we will be in a position to make a serious impact.
You must be happy there will be so much climbing for the race this year. Do you see yourself mainly as a stage racer?
I definitely do want to be a strong stage racer. Climbing is my strongest point, but we all work to be complete riders and time trialling is certainly part of that. I excel at climbing and do well in time trials so I really like to be on the roster for the hard stage races; it’s where I feel I can be the most useful.
Is there a race in Europe that is a particular goal, or are you ready to be strong wherever the team needs you?
A little of both really. I always ride hard for the team, but for me I’d love to be able to focus on a race like the Tour of Romandie because I feel that my strengths are really suited to it. Stateside, something like the Tour of Utah is a particular favourite. Living in Colorado I have a lot of opportunities to hone my climbing so the really hard climbing stage races are where I excel. That is another reason that I am so looking forward to the Tour of California since they have really packed in a lot of climbing. It should be good!
Lelangue readies for BMC training camp
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With BMC Racing Team’s January training camp just a few days away, Directeur Sportif John Lelangue is making final preparations for the 15-day gathering. Beginning his second full year with the team, Lelangue learned a lot from the past year.
“The big advantage I have this year over last is that I have had the chance to follow most of our riders for an entire year,” Lelangue said. “I have a 12-month history with the guys on the team in 2008 and I have been working with the few new riders since November; we have really kept good contact.”
For the already close-knit group, riding will be the focus at camp. BMC is hosting just one two-week camp in January instead of one in December and one in January. “We have found that a longer camp in January where we can fine tune the training the guys have done since November, works much better for us than splitting them into two camps,” Lelangue said.
“The January camp will always have time taken up for team photos and medical testing, but this way we can also have the time to reconnoitre Tour of California stages, and get the team going to the Tour of Qatar ready for their particular stages like the team time trial.” Managers will get three training blocks of five days each to work with their riders. “We can have three periods of ramping up intensity for four days to have a fifth day for recovery, which is a very good way to put on the finishing touches,” Lelangue said.
The team is seeing very little turnover from 2008 to 2009. “We still have a large core group from last year which works very well together,” Lelangue said. “And of the new riders, the four new Swiss members are all very familiar and friendly with each other, as their Mallorca mini training camp proved, and Chad Beyer is well known from his time on the US National team.”
The team is preparing for the early season races. “Each rider has been working on his training regime since November,” Lelangue said. “I have been keeping track of their progress by having weekly discussions with everyone so we know where they all are in terms of intensity.” The riders have known the first two months of their racing schedules since November, which has helped guide them in their preparations.
“We are not a ProTour team with big leaders targeting goals like the Tour or the Classics, rather every race we consider to be our main objective,” Lelangue said. “We are certainly focused on performing well in UCI events, and will have to be more conservative in our tactics, so that we are more prominent in the final hour of every race we do.”
However, rather than just animating the race as it so often did in 2008, the team is under orders to focus on results. “For each race we need to enter at least the top 10, and all our riders know that we will build the teams for the April and May events on the strength of their February and March performances. Gavin and I have told the guys that we will field the best team for any given event, and they have to be ready to prove themselves throughout the year.”
Lelangue said overall the team’s attitude is more competitive and winning-oriented. “The attitude is totally different from last year, but we have earned our confidence.”
PRESS RELEASE
Rock Racing’s Carroll Makes History With Track Win.
November 13, 2008.
Photo credit: “Photo copyright Horst Brozy”
Photos Copyright BF-One.
Dortmund, Germany — Rock Racing’s Austin Carroll made history on the track by becoming the first American to win a Union Internationale des Velodromes (UIV) event.
Carroll teamed up with Guy East to take the gold medal in the Madison at the UIV U23 Dortmund three-day. The pair was competing as part of USA Cycling’s Under 23 program after winning the silver medal in the Madison at the USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships in October.
After taking the line on the first night, Carroll and East held off their closest competitors for the win two nights later, while also retaining a lead in both laps and points on all teams.
“I threw Guy in with two laps to go and before he even crossed the line I was celebrating,” Carroll said. “That was the greatest feeling in the world.”
The pair will race in two more UIV races as well as the UK Revolution and several local races in Belgium before returning to the United States.
— RRC—
PRESS RELEASE
ROCK RACING ANNOUNCES 2009 ROSTER.
November 17, 2008.
Culver City, Calif. — Rock Racing bolstered its ranks for 2009 with the signings of European specialists Baden Cooke, Francisco Mancebo and José Enrique Gutiérrez, as well as top domestic talents Ivan Dominquez, Glen Chadwick, Chris Baldwin and Caleb Manion.
Rock Racing Owner Michael Ball also announced the re-signing of U.S. National Champions Tyler Hamilton (Road), Rahsaan Bahati (Criterium) and Justin Williams (Under 23 Criterium) as well as stalwarts Oscar Sevilla, Fred Rodriguez and Victor Hugo Peña.
“We have assembled a world class team and acquired a mix of tremendous talent and experience,” said Ball. “We have the strength, depth and tenacity to compete in any race around the globe.”
Rock Racing’s line-up for its third season includes riders from eight different countries who have won stages at all three of cycling’s “Grand Tours” – the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España – as well as multiple national championships.
“Last year was a year of redemption,” Ball said. “Given the opportunity to ride, we proved we were able to win. In 2009, we will continue our winning tradition, and from a branding and fan perspective, be the No. 1 team in the world.”
In 2008, Rock Racing scored 45 victories and 106 podium finishes. Every month brought a new highlight for Rock Racing fans: Santiago Botero won the Redlands Bicycle Classic in April and led a 1-2-3-4 finish in the prologue of the Vuelta a Colombia in May; Sevilla won the second leg of the Triple Crown of Cycling in June at the Reading Classic; Hamilton captured the Tour of Qinghai Lake in July; Bahati (criterium), Williams (Under 23 criterium) and Hamilton (road race) each won national titles in August. In the final two months of the season, the team came away with five medals at the 2008 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships and Sevilla became the first non-Colombian in 48 years to win the RCN Classic.
Among those not returning to Rock Racing for 2009 is Botero, who represented Colombia at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The 2002 world time trial champion decided to race closer to home following the birth of his daughter earlier this year.
Rock Racing’s 2009 Roster:
Rahsaan Bahati, Chris Baldwin, Alex Boyd, Austin Carroll, Glen Chadwick, Baden Cooke, Michael Creed, Freddy Cruz, Ivan Dominguez, Danny Finneran, Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia, Cesar Grajales, José Enrique Gutiérrez, Tyler Hamilton, Sergio Hernandez, Sterling Magnell, Francisco Mancebo, Caleb Manion, Ian Moir, Víctor Hugo Peña, Fred Rodriguez, Oscar Sevilla, David Taner, David Vitoria and Justin Williams.
2009 Rock Racing Riders At A Glance:
Returning:
Rahsaan Bahati (USA) is the reigning U.S. National Criterium Champion and a two-time winner of the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. The 26-year-old won nine races in 2009, including two stages of the Point Premium Root Beer International Cycling Classic.
Austin Carroll (USA) is a track specialist who recently teamed with Guy East in the madison to give the USA Cycling Under 23 developmental program its first major success winning the UIV U-23 Dortmund three-day in Germany. The 21-year-old is also a former Under 23 national champion (2006) in the points race.
Michael Creed (USA) was one of the team’s most dependable stage racers in 2008, winning a hard-fought fourth place on the final stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. The 27-year-old also finished in the top 10 at the U.S. National Time Trial Championships the past three years.
Freddy Cruz (USA) was a member of Rock Racing’s winning National Team Pursuit squad at the 2008 USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships. The 18-year-old went through the Major Motion Cycling developmental program with current Rock Racing teammates Ian Moir and Justin Williams.
Danny Finneran (USA) was a member of Rock Racing’s winning National Team Pursuit squad and was the bronze medalist in the 3 km pursuit at the 2008 USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships. The 18-year-old also finished third at the USA Cycling 17-18 Junior Men’s Criterium Championship.
Cesar Grajales (COL) missed much of the 2008 season with a knee injury sustained at training camp. The 35-year-old did return to racing in May and later won the Gwinnett Bike Fest. In 2004, he beat Lance Armstrong on the tortuous climbing stage up Brasstown Bald at the 2004 Tour de Georgia.
Tyler Hamilton (USA) enjoyed a storybook season in 2008 after nearly retiring from cycling in 2007. The 37-year-old won his first U.S. national road race title by two-thousandths of a second in a thrilling finish a month after winning his first stage race in four years at the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China.
Sergio Hernandez (USA) scored a pair of third-place finishes in his second year as a professional. The 23-year-old joins Rahsaan Bahati, Austin Carroll and Sterling Magnell as third-year riders with Rock Racing in 2009.
Sterling Magnell (USA) enjoyed his most prolific season with five victories in 2008, including two at the Point Premium Root Beer International Cycling Classic. The 25-year-old was also a winner of the U.S. National Criterium Pro-Am Challenge a day before helping Rahsaan Bahati earn the national criterium championship in Downers Grove, Ill.
Ian Moir (USA) is a track specialist who finished third in the Madison at the 2008 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships. The 18-year-old is one of three riders on the Rock Racing roster who is under the age of 20.
Victor Hugo Peña (COL) figured prominently for Rock Racing in stage races in 2008 while scoring a victory of his own in the seventh stage of the Vuelta a Colombia in May. The 34-year-old is one of three Rock Racing Riders (joining Tyler Hamilton and Michael Creed) who are former teammates of Lance Armstrong.
Fred Rodriguez (USA) showed no signs of slowing down in his 13th season as a professional in 2008. The 35-year-old finished third at the Commerce Bank International Championship in Philadelphia and was second in the ING Direct Capital Criterium in Washington, D.C.
Oscar Sevilla (ESP) delivered one of Rock Racing’s biggest victories in 2008 by winning the Commerce Bank Reading Classic. The 32-year-old also had a team-high 21 podium finishes, including overall victory at the RCN Classic in Colombia and second in the Spanish national road race championships.
Justin Williams (USA) joined Rock Racing teammates Rahsaan Bahati and Tyler Hamilton as individual national champions when he captured the USA Cycling Under-23 National Criterium Championship. The 19-year-old also excels on the track, where he won three medals at the 2008 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships.
New Signings:
Chris Baldwin (USA) is a two-time U.S. National Time Trial Champion (2003 and 2005) who spent the past three seasons riding for the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team. A stage racing specialist, he has 22 podium finishes to his credit the past two seasons.
Alex Boyd (USA) won the 2007 Collegiate National Road Cycling Championships during his freshman year at Midwestern State University and displayed tremendous potential in nine seasons as an amateur. The 21-year-old raced for Team Waste Management/Racelab U23 in 2008.
Glen Chadwick (NZL) won the Tour of Arkansas and Vuelta Mexico stage races in 2008 while earning King of the Mountain jersey classifications at the Tour de Beauce and the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. The 32-year-old also represented New Zealand at the Summer Olympics and the UCI world road race championships in Italy.
Baden Cooke (AUS) is a past stage and green jersey (sprints) winner at the Tour de France (both in 2003) who has won six stages of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in his home country of Australia, including one in this year’s edition. The 30-year-old also earned a national championship in 2000 on the track in the Madison.
Ivan Dominguez (CUB) also known as “The Cuban Missle” is considered the top sprinter on the North American circuit. The 32 year old has won stages at all three of the U.S. “grand tours” (California, Georgia and Missouri) while racing for Toyota-United the past three years.
José Manuel “Chepe” Garcia (MEX) is the current Mexican National Time Trial Champion and winner of his country’s National Road Race Championship in 1996. The 35-year-old was a dependable teammate the past two seasons for former Toyota-United (and current Rock Racing) teammates Ivan Dominguez, Chris Baldwin and Caleb Manion.
José Enrique Gutiérrez (ESP) is a climbing and stage racing specialist who has participated in all three of cycling’s “Grand Tours” – finishing second at the Giro d’Italia in 2006 and winning a stage of the Vuelta a España in 2004. The 34-year-old comes to Rock Racing from the L.P.R. Brakes-Ballan squad.
Francisco Mancebo (ESP) won the 2008 Vuelta Chihuahua Internacional in Mexico for the second straight year while riding for the Portugese Fercase-Rota dos Moveis team. The 32-year-old has competed in all three of the “Grand Tours” and was the Spanish National Road Race Champion in 2004.
Caleb Manion (AUS) is one of four riders coming to Rock Racing from Toyota-United where he compiled nine podium finishes in 2008. The 27-year-old won two stages of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and the Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium on his way to capturing the overall win at Nalley/King Omnium.
David Tanner (AUS) is a one-day specialist who had nine podium finishes while competing for Barloworld in 2008. The 24-year-old is one of three Australians on the Rock Racing roster (all new to the team in 2009).
David Vitoria (SWI) compiled 10 podium finishes in 2008 while riding for the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia team. The 24-year-old also won a stage and briefly led the Under 23 version of the Vuelta a España. In 2007, he raced for the BMC Cycling Team.
— RRC—
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