Learn technique and get insight into what it is like to ride in the Tour de France and Giro de Italia. Hear Freddie comment on the 2009 Tour of California.

• Date: Saturday, Jan 10, 2009
• Time: 10AM
• Location: 14109 Winchester Blvd., Los Gatos, CA 95032
• Route: 30 mile loop with varied terrain
• Cost: $250 contribution to Fast Freddie Foundation includes lunch, cycling jersey, & presentation

Three time US Pro Cycling Champion and a member of the Rock Racing Cycling Team, “Fast Freddie” Rodriguez, will be riding in the South Bay to benefit his Fast Freddie Foundation. The Foundation supports youth cycling and education. Attendees will be able to interact with Freddie throughout the day. After a great lunch at Aldo’s Ristorante, Freddie will revel with you about stories from multiple races, teams, other great riders, and commentary on the Tour de France, Giro de Italia, and the Tour of California.

Number of riders is limited. Act soon to reserve your space.

For further details contact:
Ted Moorhead - ted_moorhead@ml.com (408) 554-7923
Adoree Dinh - adoree_dinh@ml.com (408) 554-7902
Franz Vaiarello - franz_vaiarello@ml.com (408) 554-7935

Presented by Merrill Lynch

Photos courtesy of KWC

Photo by Ken Conley

Elk Grove, Ill. — Rock Racing’s Fred Rodriguez finished third Sunday in the Gullo Pro Men Criterium to place fifth overall at the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove.

David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies presented by Medifast) won the overall title of the three-stage, three-day competition. Rodriguez finished 15th in Friday’s Elk Grove Village Bank & Trust Time Trial and ninth in the Citi Pro Men’s Road Race.

Saturday, Rodriguez narrowly avoided a massive pile-up in the final turn of the 105-mile (150 km) road race. Memories of that crash – combined with a couple of hard falls earlier this season – had Rodriguez taking a cautious approach Sunday as the Kelly Benefit-Medifast team again led out the sprint.

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Philadelphia, PA — Rock Racing’s Fred Rodriguez finished third Sunday at the Commerce Bank International Cycling Championship in Philadelphia.

Rodriguez scored his seventh top five finish in the most prestigious one-day race in the United States as Matti Breschel (Team CSC) won a field sprint ahead of Kirk O’Bee (Health Net presented by Maxxis) on a steamy afternoon.

“This is one of those races where you have to bide your time and try and play your cards right,” Rodriguez said. “As I came into the last lap, I felt good and I knew I had to be in the right place at the right time.”

Unfortunately, Rodriguez said he lost momentum when he rode over a steel grate at the 150-meter mark on the final stretch of Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

“I hit the infamous pothole that’s been there every year since I started doing this race and it threw me off balance for the finish,” he said.

Rodriguez’s third place in the final race of the Commerce Bank “Triple Crown of Cycling” follows a pair of outright victories in the event that was once known as the USPRO Championship in 2001 and 2004, a second place finish in 2000 (as the top American finisher), third place in 1996 and fourth in 2005.

Despite temperatures soaring into the upper 90s, thousands of fans turned out to watch the race at the Manayunk “Rock Wall,” the decisive climb sponsored by Rock Racing that riders scaled 10 times during each 14.4-mile (23.1 km) lap of the circuit.

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