Speedee

https://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13864.0.html

daytonian

Cipollini? wtf

Bullseye

Good for him. I don't see this team lasting very long.

-bullseye

CFA

very good news! someone from within the team structure standing up against doping is pretty rare even these days.

https://cyclingfansanonymous.blogspot...mr-andreu.html

Stallionforce

His reasons seem pretty cogent. I am somewhat perplexed, however, at Andreu's inability to maintain longevity recently with any organisation.

HigherGround

I wonder how Frankie would fit in with Slipstream? He was a former teammate of Vaughters' at Postal, and are both outspoken about doping.

Jared88

I got a bad feeling about this micheal ball guy.

wfrogge

We can only hope.... Would love to see him crush souls here in the states.

carpediemracing 

Amen to Andreu leaving RR.

I was wondering that about the longevity to an organization. I think it's more the choice of organization and the changes that occur beyond his control. Motorola was fine for him, but when it transmorgified to USPS, it seemed that the splits started to show up. RR I think ended up too good a thing to be true and it was apparently.

I was thinking about a prior post I made about yelling right or left to clear riders out of my way. In Michigan, home of Andreu (and where, at that point, he was still returning to his local shop etc even as a Motorola pro), everyone is just too nice. It can't be like that in reality, nothing other than good clean racing. If Andreu is like that then it seems natural that he get into situations that a more nefarious soul would be able to foresee in an instant.

I think him and Vaughters in the same room wouldn't work simply because every journalist would then say, "Now that we have both of you in the same room, what about that IM stuff about the blood motorcycle that popped up where ever it popped up?"

hoping andreu lands a good, clean gig that has no baggage tied to it,
cdr

HigherGround

You know, I recalled that IM transcript a few hours after posting my comment. Your view makes a lot of sense in that context. Maybe High Road or Asta... umm, maybe High Road would have a spot for him?

Dubbayoo

I say RR won't last past the next year.

roadwarrior

Why? Michael Ball has more money than he knows what to do with. As long as his attention span stays intact, and there are riders that will ride for that team (and there are given that there are several that are without rides this year that would jump at the chance) there will be a team. Unless they get caught doing something and get booted out.

Bob Dopolina 

What is RR registered as? Continental or Continental Pro?

This guy seems to be rocking a few too many boats. There's no Pro-tour place to loose so what could happen to them following some kind of disaster? Can organizers ban or un-invite them from races in NA? Can they be shut out of events like Unibet?

If the sport governing body turns against them can they pull their license? I haven't raced in NA for almost a decade so I am a little out of touch from the bureaucratic standpoint.

Namenda

Perhaps Ball didn't want to have a DS who wasn't giving the job the attention it deserved. Andreu has his irons in more than one fire.

Lithuania

i am going to enjoy reading about the follies of this michael ball guy this year

cat4ever

Glad to see it.

botto 

hope against hope. that rumor was nixed awhile ago.

roadpig2001

Ball hires Andreu as director and then says he has no say in how the team is run? What a freaking joke. I think its great that Ball is supporting cycling but I dont dig the whole misfit approach.

ri_us

The skills that make you good at coaching are different from those that make you a good athlete. This doesn't mean that a good athlete can't be a good coach. But it does mean that your TdF record and teammates don't say anything about your coaching qualities.

Ball is an extremely successful business person with years of management experience. Frankie has had trouble staying anywhere for very long. Who would you put your money on?

FatguyRacer

Maybe Rock Racing can find a way to hire Manolo Sainz. He always got the job done! Is he banned here too?

wfrogge

According to the article the rumor isnt dead yet

Rock Racing has recently inked contracts with Colombian Santiago Botero, once the subject of an investigation in connection with Spain's Operación Puerto scandal, and American Tyler Hamilton, who has struggled to return to racing since his 2004 positive for blood-doping. Andreu said that two recent rumored signings - that of former T-Mobile climber Oscar Sevilla, another Puerto suspect, and retired world champion Mario Cipollini, apparently occurred after he ended his contract around Christmas.

gfrance

RR is doomed from the start with Herr Ball at the healm. Go ahead, start firing guys. See where that gets you for the next race. What an *******.

Dubbayoo

My point exactly. I think a scandal is right around the corner at the rate they are going. There's already rumors of a positive test. He's on crack if he thinks his Bad New Bears of Cycling are going to get a major tour start.

Lithuania

this is the type of guy i almost believe doesnt even want a major tour start. he would rather ***** about not being allowed the start.

caloso

Congrats to Chris Horner for missing that whole disaster.