Cruz Partners With Renowned Design Engineer Shane Fedon to Push the Limits of Bicycle Design and Technology

Long Beach, CA – Antonio Cruz, One of America’s most prominent professional cyclists over the past two decades, today announced the launch of Cruz Industries, a new bicycle company focused on re-defining high-end bike innovation and design for professional cyclists as well as cycling enthusiast.

Partnering with one of the industry’s top research and design engineers, Shane Fedon, the designer behind the lauded Fuji D6 tt/tri bike, and Fuji SST, as well as Rock Racing’s X-1/X-2 and 4815. Cruz will take aim at the high-end boutique bikes with designs that “are out of the box with no compromises.”

Cruz (shown below with former Rock Racing owner, Michael Ball), who was signed to the Rock Racing professional cycling team for the 2010 season was forced into early retirement after the team folded, and seized the opportunity.

“The change in plans created the perfect situation to launch the company,” says Cruz. “Shane and I were both looking for a new challenge and we both have a lifelong passion for the sport. I knew that together, we could create something incredible and push the limits of bike design and technology.”

The new bikes are designed under the Cruz Industries banner; however the racing division will be called Cruz Racing. It will include models from a top of the line carbon road Arenberg Series to an entry level, sensibly priced, aluminum Arenberg comp. The bikes will be limited to 500 carbon/1000 aluminum for a particular model year before we retire that model years color way and graphic design. “After we sell our stock, we start working on producing the next year’s stock, we really want to push our aesthetic design to the fullest, to give the consumer the most”, says Fedon.

“In this economy you need to be smart,” says Cruz. “We are going to be strategic about where we place the brand. It needs to be in shops that fit the image and demographic of the brand.”

He adds, “The Cruz Racing frames look great and people are expecting that.”

Beyond the visual appeal, Cruz says performance is even more important. With Fedon designing the frame, Cruz says there are no compromises taken.

Getting feedback from Cruz and many other professional riders Fedon has designed a bike that isn’t just another open mold frame or that just follows someone else’s trends.

“I’ve worked for one of those companies before and I don’t want to do that again,” says Fedon. I’ve got great ideas that will make people take another look at how a bike is designed.”

So what separates a Cruz Racing frame from the rest of the peloton? Fedon enthusiastically explains that that the Cruz Racing frames had to have most of what consumers expect, such as BB30 bottom bracket, tapered 1-1/8~ 1-1/5 head tube, easy fast cable routing, but it's in the construction that other companies can't beat us.

“We spent a lot of time on research with the layup, using techniques from signal processing called Morlet Wavelet Transformation,” says Fedon. “Wavelet Transformation not only breaks down the harmonic component of a signal (freq and amplitude) but correlates and covariates data with the time domain. That’s what's important. Seeing exactly at what point during a ride vibrations occur, how they occur and what was the physiological response to these perturbations. In truly understanding vibration analysis, we can tune the carbon for real world needs.”

This analysis helps Fedon (shown below at last year's launch of Rock Racing’s X-1/X-2 and 4815) design a frame that is responsive as well as light weight.

“It’s easy to make a bike stiff and light, it’s pushing the boundaries in ‘real’ manufacturing, actually analyzing what’s happening to a frame during testing, not just seeing when a frame breaks or if it doesn’t but why, how and what can we do to enhance ride quality. ,” he says.

Over the next 12 months, Cruz believes the line will be firmly established in the market with many clubs racing on the bike. He also plans to sponsor a domestic cycling team in 2012. And within five to seven years, having his bikes under a ProTour team.

While Cruz is known worldwide as a professional cyclist, in Southern California he is also known as the bicycle ambassador for the city of Long Beach, California. He has been instrumental in cycling related issues such as bike boulevards and lanes as well as helping develop bike programs for the local schools. Cruz has become an advocate for the sport – helping develop a younger generation of riders with coaching and mentoring.

For more information about Cruz Industries, please visit: www.cruzindustries.com or contact Sonia Cassatt at 562.508.3137 soniacassatt@cruzindustries.com.

Photos: Leonard Basobas/LB Photos

Today, the Union Cycliste Inernationale (UCI) released the names of the 19 teams that it had approved for the Professional Continental designation for the 2010 season. The Professional Continental designation represents the sport’s second-highest level status, just below that of UCI Pro Tour teams, such as Team Saxo Bank or Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack.

Below is a list of the approved teams and the country each is registered under.

Austria - Voralberg-Corratec
Belgium - Landbouwkrediet, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
Brazil - Scott-Marcondes César Sao José dos Campos
France - Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Saur-Sojasun
Great Britain - Carmiooro-NGC
Ireland - Ceramica Flaminia, Colnago-CSF Inox, De Rosa-Stac Plastic
Italy - Acqua & Sapone, ISD-Neri
Netherlands - Skil-Shimano, Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
Poland - CCC Polsat Polkowice
Spain - Andalucia Cajasur
Switzerland - Cervélo Test Team
United States - BMC Racing Team

Notably missing from the above list is the United States based Rock Racing team.  An obviously disappointed Michael Ball, Rock Racing's Team Owner, released the following statement.

“We’re obviously very disappointed but are working diligently to satisfy every requirement that is being asked of us. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure we can race next year.”

According to article 2.16.017 of UCI Regulations, teams which registration as a UCI Professional Continental Team have been refused, can appeal to the Management Committee of the UCI by Friday December 4, 2009, at noon at the latest.

The only United States registered team to be granted the Professional Continental team designation for 2010 was the George Hincapie and Cadel Evans led BMC Racing Team.

Las Vegas — During Interbike, Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball ushered in the team’s new product line of branded bikes, equipment and isotonic sports drinks at an invitation-only event at the Blush Boutique Nightclub in the Wynn Las Vegas.

Ball, always the entrepreneur and visionary, had targeted 2010 for Rock Racing's entry into the bicycle industry fray as early as last year.

"Thing is I built Rock Racing and we’re selling the soft goods right now, our kits we can’t keep them in, we’ve got eyewear launching next year. We’re looking at 2010 launching bikes and other hard gear, helmets, and the like. We’re in negotiation for some wheels. And on the manufacturing side, we’ve got a great lab that we’ve created which is called Rock Racing Research and we’ll be doing things over the next few years to advance this sport."

And like the jeans and apparel of the team's parent company, Rock & Republic, the actual finished cycling products have — on the surface — exceeded all expectations.

Rock Racing riders such as Fred Rodriguez and Ivan Dominguez helped show off the new “RX-1” and “X-2” carbon frame and fork racing bicycles, and the “Project 4815” fixed gear bike. The “4815” moniker is a tribute to Ball, an avid cyclist and former track racer whose gear cluster of choice is 48 x 15. All three models are available in three colors – Kosmos red, pearl black and pearl white – and six sizes: 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60.

As Shane Fedon, Rock Racing’s Research and Development Engineer, described the collection, “We wanted to have one fluid design from head to pavement, one collective Rock Racing attitude on the bike. The ride quality of our bikes are tuned in to the rider, merging technology and science to improve the cycling experience.”

The "RX-1" and "X-2" models utilize several different technologies — the creation of a skeletal structure for the frame with dual chamber ribbed technology; a joint gusset system used throughout the frame, specifically at the head tube, bottom bracket, and at the seat tube-seat stay junctions; and Carbo Nano Array (CAN) technology, which incorporates MS-30, HM-40, and T700 carbon fibers in a "Hi-Fi and Lo-Fi" layup, where the Hi-Fi layup is designed to respond to high frequency oscillations, and the Lo-Fi to low frequency oscillations — to help minimize the frames weight while also increasing its stiffness.

RX-1: Features

• 3K SL version (850-900 g frame)
• BB-30 compatible
• Special Shimano Di-2 frame option
• Tapered steerer tube (1 1/8-1)
• 2x fork option
• Carbon dropouts
• Integrated head tube
• Seat post: 31.6
• Mono stay rear stay (Rock Racing Power Stay) - Increases the energy transfer between frame and the rear wheel
• Over-sized BB area to help increase the energy transfer between the ride and drivetrain

X-2: Features

• UD Std version (1000-1050 g based on a 56cm frame size)
• BB-20 compatible
• Tapered steerer tube (1 1/8-1)
• 2x fork option
• Carbon dropouts
• Integrated head tube
• Seat post: 31.6
• Mono stay rear stay (Rock Racing Power Stay) - Increases the energy transfer between frame and the rear wheel
• Over-sized BB area to help increase the energy transfer between the ride and drivetrain

"4815": Features

• 7005 T4 aluminum fixie frame
• Aluminum steerer tube 0 Std 1 1/8
• Fork-Rake: 30 or 43mm options
• CNC dropouts with a unique in-house design belt compatible option
• Integrated head tube
• Integrated FSA seat post
• True fixie, no rear brake option

Ball told the invitation-only media and guests that the bicycles, components, wheels, tires, helmets, shoes, kits, cycling lifestyle apparel and sports drinks signal the team’s “Here To Stay” commitment that has made Rock Racing one of the most popular professional cycling teams in the world.

“We are partnering with the top companies, incorporating the latest technology and working with leading manufacturers to bring our brand to the public,” Ball said. “This gives cyclists of all ages and abilities the opportunity to have the same top-notch cycling experience as the pros.”

Ball also announced that six companies will partner with Rock Racing in 2010 to leverage its brand to produce special edition Rock Racing products: Louis Garneau (helmets and shoes), Prologo (saddles), Shimano, FSA (handlebars, stems, seatposts, cranks and headsets) Carbon Sports (Lightweight wheel sets) and Vittoria (tires and tubes).

Guests also had the opportunity to sample Rock Racing’s two one-of-a-kind isotonic sports drinks, R3 POWER ELIXIR and R3 RECOVERY. R3 RECOVERY is a post-workout tonic formulated to restore, replenish, and refuel while bringing the body to the natural balance it craves.  The R3 sports drinks are sweetened with agave nectar, for a low glycemic index, and packed with electrolytes and vitamins B-6 and B-12.

Additional specifications for each Rock Racing partner and the team’s complete product line can be found at www.rockracing.com.

For more images of the Rock Racing 2010 product launch at Blush, visit our Image Gallery.

Photos: © Leonard Basobas

By Sean Weide

Chihuahua, Mexico — Rock Racing stamped its authority on another stage race Saturday when Oscar Sevilla captured the overall title at the Vuelta a Chihuahua.

Sevilla’s win in Mexico adds to victories by Rock Racing at three other stage races this year: the Vuelta a Asturias (Francisco Mancebo), Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic (Sevilla) and Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (Mancebo).

Not bad for a team many were writing off even before the 2009 season was underway, Team Owner Michael Ball said.

“This has been a spectacular year for us and we’re not done yet,” Ball said, referring to Rock Racing’s five-rider squad that is readying for Sunday’s start of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia.

“I am so proud of the teamwork and unselfish attitude on this team,” Ball added. “Francisco certainly would have liked to have won this race for a third straight time but he and the rest of the guys rode their butts off to make it happen for Oscar.”

Rock Racing Director Sportif Rudy Pevenage ensured Sevilla was in no danger of losing his six-second lead over Gregorio Ladino (Tecos Trek) by having Rock Racing ride the front for much of the 72-mile (118 km) race from Delicias to Chihuahua. In the end, Javier Benitez (Contentpolis-AMPO) took his third stage of the race by winning the field sprint.

Sevilla’s win was his fourth of the season, adding to the overall title he won in July at the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic and a stage win at that race and one at the Vuelta a Asturias in Spain in April.

“This really was more of a win for the team than one for me,” Sevilla said. “I could not have done it without the help of my teammates. It was also great that Michael Ball was down here for the last stage. That made it all the more special.”

Rock Racing also celebrated David Vitoria’s win in the sprint classification, adding to the King of the Mountain jersey he won at the Vuelta Mexico Telmex in March.

Photos: Courtesy Alex Aguirre

Camargo, Mexico — Only Saturday’s 72-mile (118 km) stage at the Vuelta a Chihuahua stands in the way of Oscar Sevilla delivering a milestone victory for Rock Racing.

If the Spaniard maintains his overall lead, he will have scored Rock Racing’s third straight overall title at a stage race this year, adding to wins at the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic in July and the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah in August.

“I’m feeling relaxed, with no pressure,” Sevilla said. “I have very talented teammates around me who know what to do to make sure I maintain my lead through to the end.”

Rock Racing protected Sevilla’s six-second advantage over Gregorio Ladino (Tecos Trek) on Friday's Stage 5 by riding the front throughout the 88-mile (142 km) race from Parral to Camargo. A breakaway group of seven riders was reeled in three miles from the finish and César Vaquera (Orven) won the field sprint.

To date, Rock Racing has won 33 races, including the overall at Cascade by Sevilla in July and Francisco Mancebo’s victory in Utah in August. Mancebo registered his fifth top 10 placing at the Vuelta a Chihuahua Friday with sixth place in the sprint.

Besides working for Sevilla, Rock Racing’s David Vitoria will be looking to hold onto the sprint classification jersey he earned on Stage 2 of the six-day race. There are two sprints and one categorized climb on Saturday’s final stage.

Photos: Courtesy Alex Aguirre.

Parral, Mexico — Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla increased his lead from three to six seconds with his third-place finish on Stage 4 at the Vuelta a Chihuahua.

Sevilla finished 19 seconds behind Daniel Moreno (Caisse D'Epargne) in Thursday’s 119-mile (192 km) race from Guachochi to Parral. Previous race leader Michael Rasmussen (Tecos Trek) was second, two seconds behind Moreno.

Sevilla widened his lead over Gregorio Ladino (Tecos Trek) by sprinting ahead of last year’s Vuelta a Chihuahua runner-up and the 2009 UCI Americas Tour champion on the slightly uphill run-in to the finish. Ladino appears to be Sevilla’s only serious contender with two stages to go. Rui A. Da Costa (Caisse D’Epargne) is third, 1:03 off the lead, while fourth-placed Dario Cioni (ISD) is 5:13 behind.

For the fourth straight day, Rock Racing was the aggressor, using Glen Chadwick, David Vitoria and José Gutierrez to set a feverish pace that rapidly whittled the front group down to fewer than two-dozen riders.

“We drilled it in the cross/tailwind with Paco (Francisco Mancebo) and Oscar on our wheels,” Chadwick said. “It even put Ladino out the back. But Tecos clawed back up to us before the first King of the Mountain sprint.”

Vitoria remains the sprint classification leader, six points ahead of Rasmussen. Friday’s 88-mile (142 km) stage includes only one rated climb – right from the start in Parral – as well as two sprints. The race ends Saturday with a nearly flat, 72-mile (118 km) stage.

Photos: Courtesy Alex Aguirre

By Sean Weide

Guachochi, Mexico — Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla put himself in prime position to win the Vuelta a Chihuahua Wednesday by powering a four-man breakaway on Stage 3 that finished more than four minutes ahead of the fifth-placed rider and left half the field a whopping 24 minutes behind.

Sevilla is the new race leader, three seconds ahead of 2009 UCI Americas Tour champion Gregario Ladino (Tecos Trek), who finished second overall at this race a year ago. The two were joined in the decisive break by Dario Cioni (ISD) and stage winner Rui Costa (Caisse d’Epargne). The four escaped about halfway through the 94-mile (152 km) race from Creel to Guanchochi.

American Matt Busche (Kelly Benefit Strategies) finished alone in fifth, 4:22 behind, while Rock Racing’s Francisco Mancebo won the field sprint for sixth, 7:34 after Sevilla’s group. Mancebo, who has won the past two editions of this race, will now be working to defend the lime green leader’s jersey that Sevilla will wear for Stage 4.

“I didn’t think we’d gain so much time, especially with only me and the ISD rider (Cioni) working,” Sevilla said after finishing third on the stage. “So it was a good reward for a maximum effort. I think Rock Racing is definitely strong enough to defend the jersey.”

Rock Racing not only leads the team classification, but it will also be defending the red sprint leader’s jersey worn by David Vitoria. He figured prominently in breakaways on Stages 1 and 2.

Rock Racing’s Glen Chadwick, who was part of a seven-man move early in Wednesday’s race, said the stage may not have been long, but it was certainly not easy.

“We did more than 3,000 meters of vertical climbing today and the wind has been a pain in the butt,” Chadwick said. “Every day, it seems like we're riding into it or it is hitting us from the sides.”

Thursday’s stage is the longest of the race – 119 miles (192 km) – from Guachochi to Parral. It includes two categorized climbs and three sprints.

Photos: Courtesy Alex Aguirre

by Sean Weide

Chihuahua, Mexico — Oscar Sevilla finished third and his Rock Racing teammate Francisco Mancebo was fourth in Sunday’s prologue time trial of the fourth edition of the Vuelta a Chihuahua.

Michael Rasmussen (Tecos-Trek) won the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) uphill race against the clock by a few hundredths of a second over Spaniard Daniel Moreno (Caisse d'Epargne). Sevilla was one second behind the two, while Mancebo was three seconds off the winning time of 8 minutes and 44 seconds.

Rasmussen, 35, returned to cycling in July after serving out a two-year suspension for lying about his whereabouts as they related to out-of-competition anti-doping tests.

Sevilla said he felt strong in the race that finished at the top of a second category climb. But if he could do it over again, he would surely do one thing differently.

“I made a little mistake in my gearing,” Sevilla said. “I could have used a 39 x 25 instead of a 39 x 23 for the last two turns (because it was so steep).”

Mancebo is the two-time defending champion of the seven-day, six-stage race. Last year, he beat (2009 UCI Americas Tour champion) Gregario Ladino by 34 seconds. In 2007, he bested Christian Meier and Antonio Aldape, who finished equal with him on time in the final classification.

Monday’s Stage 1 is a 73.4-mile (118.2 km) race from Chihuahua to Cuauhtémoc. The undulating stage includes three sprints and one categorized (Cat. 3) climb.

Photos: Courtesy Alex Aguirre

By Melinda Travis

Salt Lake City, Utah — Following a monstrous effort on yesterday’s “queen stage” at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah which comfortably preserved his overall lead, Rock Racing’s Francisco Mancebo sealed the victory after today’s fifth and final stage. Mancebo maintained a 46 second advantage over second place finisher Darren Lill of Team Type 1.

Rock Racing leaves Utah as the top team, owning spots on the podium for three of five stages including a dramatic Stage 1 win that saw Mancebo and teammate Oscar Sevilla ride to victory in a 1-2 solo Rock Racing finish.

Mancebo’s win is Rock Racing’s 32nd of the year to go along with 67 podium (top three) placings. It is also the Spaniard’s first overall title at a stage race in the United States.

“This was a very important win for me and for the team,”said Mancebo, a first time competitor at the Tour of Utah. “The terrain was challenging and the caliber of riders was extremely high. There are a lot of young, talented riders here in the U.S. and it was a very good race .”

“Mancebo is an unbelievable rider and this is an unbelievable team,” said Rock Racing owner Michael Ball. “We rode this race with technically only six riders,” he said, referring to the loss of Nic Sanderson and David Vitoria who were forced to pull out due to injury and illness and replaced at the last minute by riders Sergio Hernandez and Enrique Gutierrez, who were not part of the team’s pre-tour training camp in Reno, Nevada.


“Training camp and twelve days at altitude really paid off,” said Ball. “It brought these guys to another level and I am extremely happy with everything we’ve accomplished this week. I’m pretty excited about what’s going to happen next year.”

The Tour of Utah marks Rock Racing’s last U.S stage race for the 2009 season. The team’s U.S. riders will compete at the USPRO Championships next weekend in Greenville, SC while the remaining squad heads back to Europe. The team will end its season at the Vuelta Chihuaha Internacional October 4-11 in Mexico, a race Mancebo won in 2007.

Salt Lake City, Utah — If this was the start of the Toughest Stage Race in America, Rock Racing’s Francisco Mancebo and Oscar Sevilla didn’t seem to notice.

Breaking away from a decimated peloton on the final climb of Stage 1 at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, Mancebo and Sevilla rode the final kilometers into Salt Lake City alone and crossed the line together 25 seconds ahead of the pack.  Mancebo took the win and the yellow jersey from BMC’s Brent Bookwalter.

It was a surprise finish to a race that saw the two-man break of Ouch’s Bradley White and Trek-Livestrong’s Sam Bewley firmly ahead by 3:30 at the base of the final KOM.

Feeling strong on the way up, Sevilla attacked 4 km from the top and Mancebo followed.  Catching White on the descent, the duo gained momentum and never looked back. A fragmented chase group tried to close the gap but could shave no more than five seconds off the pair’s 30-second lead.

“From the beginning, our plan today was to just to relax and let BMC work hard,” said Rock Racing Assistant Team Director, Chepe Garcia.  “On the final climb, Oscar and Paco were feeling great and decided to go for it. We said why not? Why wait for tomorrow if you can do it today?”

Coming off big results at last month’s Bend Memorial Cascade Classic where Sevilla and Mancebo finished 1-2 in the overall, followed by a team mini-camp in Reno, Nevada Mancebo says the team is even stronger than it was in Bend.  “We had a great camp after Cascade which has made a big difference. Our mentality coming into Utah was to be better than we’ve ever been and we feel like we are.”

His first time racing at the Tour of Utah, Mancebo likes what he sees “This is an incredible course and very well-suited to both Oscar and I.  It’s going to be hard day tomorrow, but we’re ready.”

Today’s Stage 2, a 124 km stretch from Thanksgiving  Point to Mount Nebo serves up a 20-mile grind to the finish line that rises 4,000 vertical feet to the highest point of the Wasatch Mountains.

Photos: Courtesy Brian Hodes (VeloImages)