But Rock Racing is about much more than stylish team kits and luxury support cars. This squad has some serious horsepower that has already made its mark on the 2008 season. Among the highlights are Colombian Santiago Botero’s dominant overall win at the Redlands Classic stage race, Rahsaan Bahati’s triumph at the renowned Athens Twilight criterium, and a stunning 1-2-3-4 performance in the prologue of May’s Tour of Colombia.
“We are definitely rolling really well right now,” said American fan favorite Freddie Rodriguez, who will serve as Rock Racing’s team leader during June’s Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling. “The Philadelphia week races are really important for me and the team, and I think we’ll have a really strong team that will be able to have a major impact.”
Besides Rodriguez and Botero, Rock Racing’s Triple Crown roster includes 2004 Olympic champion Tyler Hamilton, Spanish climbing sensation Oscar Sevilla, Colombian Tour de France veteran Victor Hugo Peña, and American strongmen Michael Creed, Kayle Leogrande and Doug Ollerenshaw.
Any of these riders could be a factor during the first week of June, but Rodriguez will be the man to watch. During his illustrious career, the Northern Californian sprinting specialist has four Triple Crown triumphs, including the 2001 USPro Championship, precursor to June 8’s Philadelphia International Championship.
“As long as there isn’t a huge mountain to climb, I feel like I can be there at the end of any race,” said Rodriguez, whose other Triple Crown wins came in Lancaster in 1995 and Trenton in 2000 and 2004. “I’ve had a lot of great success at Philly week, so for me it’s always a very exciting time. My family is always there and the crowds are amazing.”
Rodriguez’s recipe for success this year will be to unleash as much pain as possible on his competitors.
“The harder the race is the better it is for me,” he said. “If it’s full-gas all day the other sprinters will get worn down. I’ll be tired too, but I always feel like I can stand up to it a little better than the next guy.”
Rodriguez’s confidence can be traced to a long and successful tenure racing primarily in Europe. Among his biggest triumphs was a stage win at the Giro d’Italia and podium finishes at the Milan-San Remo and Ghent-Wevelgem spring classics. Rodriguez also served as top lead-out lieutenant for some of the sport’s most famous sprinters, including Australian star and Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen.
For 2008, Rodriguez opted to return to the U.S. and join forces with Rock Racing. So far so good.
“I’m really loving it,” he said. “It’s been a really positive change of pace. The idea for me to come back and sign with Rock Racing was that I would be helping grow a new program. Michael Ball has been putting in a huge effort. I’ve never seen an owner put so much time into growing a team. The energy he brings is really amazing and I think all the guys thrive off that. The support we have is also really high. That makes it a lot easier for me to come back and do this. The idea is to grow this into one of the top teams in the world.”
Team owner Ball’s plans go far beyond just his team, though. The former top-flight amateur track cycling racer wants to elevate the entire sport. His goals include promoting professional cycling to help it gain greater traction among mainstream media and sports fans, and drawing in new sponsors and increased television coverage.
“Cycling is a beautiful sport,” he said. “My goal is to share that message with the whole world.”