Here to Stay? Will Philly Be Rock Racing's Last Stand?

Rock Racing were the talk of the peloton back at the 2008 Tour de France. Their flashy uniforms, beautiful podium girls and general bad boy attitude captured the attention of both the fans and riders at the American stage race, and the future looked bright for Michael Ball and his group of cycling cast aways.

But by the time the 2009 Tour of California rolled around, the Rock outfit had fallen on tough times. Rocked by a recession, Rock management came to the 2009 AToC far more subdued than in 2008. Ironically though, they had a much better performance out on the road, as Paco Mancebo took a stage win and both Tyler Hamilton and Mancebo held the red best climber jersey for the majority of the Tour.

Shortly after their California adventure however, things started to unravel. First Tyler Hamiloton tested positive again, leading to his immediate retirement. Then three workhorses of the team, Cesar Grajales, Mike Creed and Chris Baldwin were unceremoniously let go, as the recessionary crunch hit the team full-force. Rahsaan Bahati, the reigning US Criterium champion toiled on while not being paid, and Creed and eventually Baldwin both found rides with other teams.

As Michael Ball's squad prepares to head out to Philly for the International Championship, there is a distinct possibility that the biggest one day race in America could be Rock's last. Their roster, once full of big talent like Enrique Gutierrez, Mancebo and Hamilton, is now a shadow of its former self as relative unknowns like David Vitoria, Jamey Driscoll and Nic Sanderson are listed as starters for the June 7 race. Even Bahati, while an excellent rider, is out of place in the Philly Rock line up, a pure sprinter forced to line up for a "classic" style race.

Rock Racing, in their short time in the pro peloton, has had a mostly positive and inspiring effect on American cycling. But unless Michael Ball can find a suitable replacement sponsor, the bad boys of the domestic peloton will fade away, yet another casualty of the lingering world-wide recession. True underdogs, don;t expect them to go down without a fight. Former Philly winner Fred Rodriguez will line up again to try for another win, and he'll want to put in a solid rider to show he still has the chops to rub elbows with the best in the business. Meanwhile, Michael Ball hopefully will be scrambling to find a sponsor on hopes of saving his upstart squad.