I'm taking the day off again.
News Item of the Day: Max Van Heeswijk's victory in yesterday's Nationale Sluitingprijs in Belgium came as a pleasant surprise for the US Postal team, neatly book-ending a season that began with a Van Heeswijk win in the second stage of the Vuelta Andalucía/Ruta del Sol back in February.
"It was a surprise result for all of us today, as Max wasn't feeling that great having suffered during Paris-Tours just a few days ago," said USPS assistant directeur sportif Laurenzo Lapage in a team statement. "I asked him halfway through the race how he felt, and he said he was getting better and better. It was important for him and for all of us to win our last race for the Postal Service. Also for Max, now he can go into the winter relaxed."
Van Heeswijk has been a key player in what US Postal is calling its most successful season to date, with 13 of the team's 33 victories - two more than Lance Armstrong. Van Heeswijk won two stages of the Vuelta Andalucía and went on to take stages of the Tour of Catalunya, Tour of Holland, Four Days of Dunkerque, Tour of Belgium and Tour of Murcia.
"Finishing the season with a win in the last race of the year is a very nice way to finish," said USPS directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel. "Especially as this was one of our most successful seasons in terms of wins and with Lance winning his sixth Tour de France."
Van Heeswijk's victories and the team's other successes throughout the year provided ammunition for Bruyneel to fire at critics who say Postal is to focused on the Tour de France. "This year we won many races with many different riders the whole year - from February to October," he said. " e have definitely proved we have a very deep team, contrary to what others may say, that we are focused on the Tour only. I don't agree with that as we have been performing and winning the whole year."
On van Heeswijk, Bruyneel added, "For Max, this was his best season by far. If he even had some luck in the spring, he would have won a big race as well, but for the team, he has shown his value to us all year long. It's good to have a rider like that on the team, knowing when you go to a race you have a good possibility to win."
News Item of the Day: Max Van Heeswijk's victory in yesterday's Nationale Sluitingprijs in Belgium came as a pleasant surprise for the US Postal team, neatly book-ending a season that began with a Van Heeswijk win in the second stage of the Vuelta Andalucía/Ruta del Sol back in February.
"It was a surprise result for all of us today, as Max wasn't feeling that great having suffered during Paris-Tours just a few days ago," said USPS assistant directeur sportif Laurenzo Lapage in a team statement. "I asked him halfway through the race how he felt, and he said he was getting better and better. It was important for him and for all of us to win our last race for the Postal Service. Also for Max, now he can go into the winter relaxed."
Van Heeswijk has been a key player in what US Postal is calling its most successful season to date, with 13 of the team's 33 victories - two more than Lance Armstrong. Van Heeswijk won two stages of the Vuelta Andalucía and went on to take stages of the Tour of Catalunya, Tour of Holland, Four Days of Dunkerque, Tour of Belgium and Tour of Murcia.
"Finishing the season with a win in the last race of the year is a very nice way to finish," said USPS directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel. "Especially as this was one of our most successful seasons in terms of wins and with Lance winning his sixth Tour de France."
Van Heeswijk's victories and the team's other successes throughout the year provided ammunition for Bruyneel to fire at critics who say Postal is to focused on the Tour de France. "This year we won many races with many different riders the whole year - from February to October," he said. " e have definitely proved we have a very deep team, contrary to what others may say, that we are focused on the Tour only. I don't agree with that as we have been performing and winning the whole year."
On van Heeswijk, Bruyneel added, "For Max, this was his best season by far. If he even had some luck in the spring, he would have won a big race as well, but for the team, he has shown his value to us all year long. It's good to have a rider like that on the team, knowing when you go to a race you have a good possibility to win."
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