Tour of California
February 17 - 24
FEBRUARY 16: I'm frustrated and disappointed to not be competing in the Tour of California. I had looked forward to riding alongside my Rock Racing teammates throughout the up coming week.
While I won't be able to support them out on the road, I plan, along with Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla, to attend the race and provide as much encouragement as possible to our team's talented riders and staff.
I want to express special gratitude to Michael Ball for doing everything he could to try and resolve the situation that developed over the last week. The sport of cycling desperately needs sponsors and leaders who are willing to stand up and fight for the rights of the riders and demand consistency and fairness across the board. I admire his commitment to this sport as well as this team. It's an honor to wear the Rock Racing kit and I look forward to helping Michael achieve his goals for this year throughout the rest of the season.
-- TH