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SACRAMENTO - A professional cycling team has told one of its new riders to remove his head-turning face-and-scalp tattoo or stop riding.

The San Francisco-area Webcor cycling team signed former Lance Armstrong teammate David Clinger to a contract in late 2004 and were excited to land one of the most gifted road racers in North America. But when Clinger showed up at training camp recently, team officials saw Clinger's tattoo and balked, he said.

The tattoo is modeled after that of a Maori warrior of New Zealand. Team officials say they are concerned it could upset team sponsors, which include Webcor Builders, PowerBar and Nike Cycling.

"It's certainly outside what anybody's expectations would be. People are scratching their heads. It's hard not to," Frank Scioscia, one of the team's managers, told the Sacramento Bee.

"There have been sponsors who expressed that it doesn't quite fit with what they want to be associated with, but no one has raked us over the coals."

Scioscia said Clinger may be allowed to race while going through laser treatments to remove the tattoo, or he might be sidelined until it is completely gone.