Rogers: peloton needs to be united

By Shane Stokes

As the uncertainty about the future of the ProTour rumbles on, CPA rider's council member Michael Rogers has said that there needs to be greater unity in the peloton when dealing with such issues. The T-Mobile rider commented about the situation prior to the start of the Amstel Gold race on Sunday, and said he was keen that a resolution is found.

"It would be nice if it was all worked out," he told Cyclingnews just after signing on for the Classic. "The concept [of the ProTour] is certainly very good but everyone has to abide by the rules. Some people aren't doing that."

He suggested that the teams have the power to resolve some of the issues, including the exclusion of the one of them from some races. "Unibet are caught in the middle of this dispute. We should be more united about that stuff. We should just refuse to ride, in my opinion."

The Australian finished 51st in the Amstel Gold race, and will be hoping to show well in the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège races this week. He lines up with fellow T-Mobile riders Michael Barry, Scott Davis, Kim Kirchen, Axel Merckx, Marco Pinotti, Patrik Sinkewitz and Thomas Ziegler tomorrow.

He wasn't sure what to expect in Sunday's event. "I am still having some problems with my knee after Pays Basques," he said at the start. "I bashed it pretty hard. I fell when I hit a rock on the road. I didn't see it and hit it, coming down pretty hard.

"I am pretty happy with my form so far. I wasn't too bad in Pays Basques – the level was really high there. We will see how it goes today. I haven't an idea what to expect, really. I like to ride well in these races, although it is not as if my whole season is based around these. I am looking to do well in Romandie next week. So we will see how it goes."