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Boulder, Colo. — Rock Racing announced Thursday that Tyler Hamilton has declined his automatic selection to represent the United States at the World Championship road race due to a scheduling conflict with a ride for his charity.

Speaking earlier this week at an appearance at Harrods of London following the team’s participation at the Tour of Britain, Hamilton said he was honored to be named to the squad after winning the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship.

“Unfortunately, the worlds conflict with the MS Global ride, which takes place in Vail this year,” Hamilton said. “To try and do both and properly represent the U.S. would be doing a disservice to the spot. So I asked USA Cycling to use it to give a younger rider the opportunity to compete.”

The MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Global ride is run by the Tyler Hamilton Foundation and is a one-of-a-kind event that brings avid cyclists to a challenging and breathtaking destination for a week-long fundraising tour. After five years in Europe, the event will be held in the United States for the first time.

“People have raised money to do this ride and a lot of people on the ride have MS themselves, or they are raising money for family members or friends they know who have MS,” Hamilton said. “The ride is a lot of fun. I have a lot of friends who will be doing it who are directly affected by the disease.”

Hamilton said the Tour of Britain was his final race of the season. In addition to winning the U.S. road title for the first time this year, he also won the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China in July.

“It’s been a great season for the Rock Racing team,” Hamilton said. “I’m proud to have made the decision to come back to the sport. It’s been an honor to repay Michael Ball for the opportunity he gave me.”

The Tyler Hamilton Foundation is dedicated to assisting individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis maintain a high quality of life – while dealing with the daily complications of the disease – and to MS research that is critical to finding a cure. More information can be found at the foundation’s website: www.tylerhamilton.com.