Rock
Racing's solid performances at the Tour of California
Monday 25th February, 2008
by Martin Williamson
Michael Creed’s extraordinary ride yesterday
capped an impressive performance for Rock Racing at the Amgen Tour
of California.
Attacking from the start of the 93-mile (150 km)
stage, Creed played an instrumental role in a pair of breakaways that
stayed clear of the peloton on a rain-soaked, bone-chilling ride from
Santa Clarita to Pasadena.
Aggressive to the end, Rock Racing nearly scored
its second podium finish of the race when Creed attacked inside the
final mile and finished fourth in a five-up sprint in front of the
Rose Bowl.
Michael Creed soloed up the first climb to
Millcreek Summit, on the way to a fourth place finish.
“It was the last day and I didn’t
want to end the week without having done anything,” Creed
said. “At the very end, it was like throwing a ‘Hail
Mary’ to try and pull out the win.”
In all, Rock Racing scored seven top 10 finishes
during the race, including Mario Cipollini’s third place finish
in Sacramento on Stage 2. Even more impressive was the fortitude of
Rock Racing in an event that saw only 77 riders of 132 starters finish
the 650-mile race.
Mario Cipollini scored his third top 10 finish
of the race with 10th place on the final stage.
Rock Racing was one of only three teams –
and the only non-ProTour team to complete the race with its full squad.
But unlike the CSC and Rabobank squads, Rock Racing began the race
with only five riders (instead of eight) after race organizer AEG
declared that three of its riders– American Tyler Hamilton,
Colombian Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla (below)– would not
be able to start.
“These guys came together in such adverse
conditions that just them surviving day-to-day from a mental perspective
is something to be commended,” Rock Racing Team Owner Michael
Ball said. “This team is a real team. These guys are truly
friends who work with each other and who just want to go out there
and race and compete. The fact that they didn’t let every member
of the team compete here is a tragedy.” [That's his opinion
anyway, and you've got to admit that the man has generated a ton of
publicity for his team and his company. Ed]
The cold, wet conditions of the final stage
couldn't keep Mario Cipollini from smiling, or is that grimacing.
Victor Hugo Peña was Rock Racing’s
best overall finisher.
Victor Hugo Peña was Rock Racing’s
best overall finisher, placing 12th overall, 3:17 behind winner Levin
Leipheimer (Astana). Doug Ollerenshaw was 37th, Mario Cipollini 58th,
Freddie Rodriguez was 69th while Creed earned “lanterne rouge”
honors as the race’s final finisher, in 77th place.
Freddie Rodriguez was 69th.
Rodriguez’s finish was particularly impressive
considering he was badly hurt in a crash during the final miles of
Saturday’s stage. He needed crutches just to walk from the team
car to his bicycle to start Sunday.
“Basically, I could ride a bike, but
I couldn’t walk,” Rodriguez said. “As the
race went on, things started loosening up and I felt a little better.
Then the weather came and I crashed again. I thought that was it at
that point. But even though my morale was down, I pressed on and it
basically become a battle of survival."
