A poll on Bicycling.com reveals Rock Racing has quickly pulled away from the pack to become the most popular team in pro cycling. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents (9,500+) voted for Rock Racing in response to the question, “What pro cycling team will you be rooting for this year?” More than 16,500 votes were cast through midday Monday in an unscientific poll posted on the website of Bicycling magazine. Last month at the Amgen Tour of California, Rock Racing’s booth at the health and fitness expo was consistently packed with fans clamoring for autographs and team merchandise. The team’s official website, rockracing.com, also received more than 6.8 million hits during the eight-day race.
Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball said those facts and figures – combined with the results of Bicycling Magazine’s poll – leave him wondering if fans are being shortchanged by the team’s exclusion from the Tour de Georgia next month. “I set out to create a cycling team that fans could root for and be a part of that was unlike any other pro team,” Ball said. “It’s unfortunate that fans will not have the opportunity to cheer on the riders and team they enjoy the most.” High Road Sports was second in the voting with 19 percent, followed by Team Slipstream-Chipotle presented by H30 with 12 percent. Astana garnered seven percent of the vote. Cycling fans in Southern California will be able to see the Rock Racing team in action later this week at the San Dimas Stage Race, March 28-30, and again at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, April 3-6.
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