After a stunning Tour de France, Tyler Hamilton is going to Phonak Cycling Team
And now, some of you may be scratching your head asking why I would leave the comfort of CSC to go to Phonak. And the answer why, is almost the same as when I left the U.S. Postal Service. They have offered me the opportunity to challenge myself on a new level. Phonak is an up and coming team that has been growing little by little each year. Next year, they are serious about wanting to compete in the Tour de France for the first time. They have restructured their entire team around this goal, and they have asked me to be their leader. It’s every rider’s dream to have this kind of support and this kind of opportunity. The Phonak roster is being overhauled with the Tour de France as the central focus. You may not recognize all the names at first, but there are some strong guys coming on board who will lend big talent in the mountains and in events like the team time trial. And they are all signing on with a clear understanding and motivation toward the team’s vision for next season.
Who was the last American to go to a mediocre team and lead it to victory?
Okay, so Tyler’s a bit older.
In other cycling news, Fred Rodriguez came in 4th today and two Postal Riders are in the top 5 overall:
1 Isidro Nozal (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski 33.57.41
2 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski 1.48
3 Manuel Beltran (Spa) US Postal-Berry Floor 2.01
4 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 3.05
5 Roberto Heras (Spa) US Postal-Berry Floor 3.28
What’s interesting is that the 19th stage includes two tough climbs and then a time trial. This race should be close to the end and Postal has two climbers near the top.