Reading From Velonews.com
Ball's ‘win or be fired' stance disconcerting
Editor:
After all of the discussion of how riders are pressured into doping by
their sponsors, I read about how Michael Ball has told his riders, "You
either win or you're fired," and how he "has made clear his intentions
of building his domestic squad into a Tour de France-caliber team,
telling VeloNews earlier this year, ‘I want a yellow jersey on my wall.'" (See Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: Rock Racing's fiery team owner sounds off")
I
think the pressure to win to satisfy sponsors is high enough to tempt
riders into using banned substances. Now you add a team owner who tells
his riders this? I see this philosophy as a very dangerous one; it
tells riders that if they do not do everything they can (including
doping) to win, they are out of a job.
I can see how Mr. Ball wants to be competitive and win, but let's hope that he makes sure his riders stay clean while doing so.
Eric Klotz
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ball's anti-USADA attitude won't fly
Editor:
Michael Ball must think that cycling fans are stupid or ignorant. His
anti-USADA attitude reminds me of Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton and the
rest of the disgraced cyclists who feigned persecution before they were
proven to be cheaters.
How
can he call the anti-doping movement "rogue elements" of the sport and
expect people to take him seriously? At best he is providing an
environment where riders will feel free to dope without any fear of
being sanctioned by their team.
His
attitude is a stark contrast to a lot of the more encouraging news
coming from pro cycling like the efforts of Slipstream, CSC, and High
Road.
I
hope that the pro road-racing community will make an effort to isolate
Mr. Ball and his team. Perhaps withholding invitations to the Tour of
California or the Tour de Georgia would be a good start.
Jim Winne
Director/head coach
Woodcreek High School Mountain Bike Team
Roseville, California
Good luck from a conservative f---
Editor:
Wow, that article on Michael Ball had me quite emotionally torn.
Initially, I was pleased that he wants to shake up the establishment
and commit to the sport of bike racing. Good for him that he stands up
for his riders and even wants to form a union to protect all riders.
But
he also makes unsubstantiated accusations about riders he has no
intimate information on and even calls my favorite rider, Chris Horner,
a liar, dishonest, and talent ess. I'm curious about his judgment on
racing talent since his claim that Chris Horner had no impact on Cadel
Evan's second-place finish is ludicrously insane.
I
wish Mr. Ball good luck with his ambitions but I'll be rooting for
Chris Horner, Jonathan Vaughter's entire Team Slipstream, from
Backstedt to Zabriskie, all the junior and even Cat. 5 racers out
there, before I root for any member of the Rock Racing team.
Mr. Ball probably doesn't want me as a supporter anyway because I'm probably one of those conservative f---s he's disparaging.
Rufino Santos
San Francisco, California
Horner's response showed class
Editor:
Chris Horner's response
to Michael Ball showed real class. No name-calling, just a simple "here
are the facts." It seems like the onus is on Michael Ball. In a time
when class seems to be missing in the sport, Chris Horner really stood
up. That's very nice to see.
Bill Battle
Richmond, Virginia