While Jan and Vino and their doping pals have skipped out on cycling, Tyler Hamilton will be back in the saddle next year.

Velonews reports that the American has signed with Rock Racing, owned by happenin’ jeans maven Michael Ball. The team previously had signed Freddie Rodriguez, Santiago Botero and   Victor Hugo Peña, and aims to make some noise on the U.S. domestic circuit, which includes the Tour of Missouri.

Hamilton was once considered a challenger to Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France, but he  tested positive for a homologous blood transfusion  at the Vuelta a Espana in 2004 — a month after winning the Olympic gold medal in the time trial in Greece.

He denied wrong doing and undertook a costly appeal but lost a  2-1 decision before the American Arbitration Association. Hamilton then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports and lost there, too.  

While serving his suspension, Hamilton continued his charitable work through the Tyler Hamilton Foundation.  After the suspension, he signed to race in 2007 with the Russian team Tinkoff Credit Systems, but he was sacked after his name was linked to the Operacion Puerto scandal.

Bicycling magazine published an  impressive  tome about Hamilton in its October issue.

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