At the races, the NetZero cycling team was one of the success stories of the early season, highlighted by Jamie Paolinetti and Graeme Miller sweeping the Shelby-Athens weekend in April. Off the bike, though, things weren't quite so rosy, as several NetZero riders didn't get paid their salary or expenses since late spring.

According to rider Michael Johnson, the team management stopped paying in June. Later in the year, he received a check for prize money from the USPRO criterium, and the check bounced.

"I signed a contract and did what I was told," said Johnson. "They didn't fulfill their end of the deal, which was to pay us.

Paolinetti has filed an official complaint with USA Cycling against team director Jim Fryer and team manager Marty Church, who are trying to develop a new team, with a different sponsor, for next season. Also listed on the complaint were Miller, Johnson and Mike Tillman, although VeloNews has not yet contacted Miller about his involvement.

When team director Fryer was contacted, he confirmed that riders had not been paid after "part of the sponsorship funding didn't come through in the second half of the year," although he added that he put $40,000 of his own money into the program to keep it going in April and May.

Fryer said that he was no longer with the team, and that he was working on putting together a Division 3 team under a new management company, Echelon Sports.

"I'm not the paying agent for the [NetZero] team. I was just the team director," he said. "Fortunately, it doesn't fall within my grasp. I know [Church] is doing whatever he can to make sure everybody gets paid."

Fryer also said that Miller was no longer owed any money by the team.

Church, who spoke to VeloNews on Tuesday, October 16, said that "the riders will be paid next week."

"I was waiting to get additional funding …. We were the victim of a few dot-com fallouts," he said, adding, "I was able to get the money."

Church and Fryer also both pointed out that Paolinetti, in addition to being a rider, was also part of the management of the team.

The complaint sent to USA Cycling requested that USA Cycling "does not participate in allowing [Echelon Sports] to register a new team for the 2002 season until the obligations to the NetZero riders are met."

Johnson summed up everybody's feelings: "I basically just want to get my money and move on."