July 8, 2004 – There can be no more prominent team in the world of pro cycling at the moment than the team that has worked with Lance Armstrong to register a record five consecutive wins in the Tour de France – the US Postal Service – Berry Floor. Only this week they demonstrated their superiority in The Tour de France by winning the Team Time Trial for the second year in succession. The team have now signed up to compete in the Tour of Britain that takes place from 1 – 5 September and the riders are really looking forward to competing in Britain again.

The team is full of riders with a first rate pedigree and also contains some names to look out for in the future. As well as the incomparable Armstrong there is the Russian, Viatcheslav Ekimov, who this year is riding his 14th Tour de France. He won the Olympic Time Trial Championships in 2000 and is one of the most respected riders on the circuit.

Holland’s Max Van Heeswijk has had nine road wins this year and George Hincapie from the USA came back from illness last year to inspire team wins at both the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain. Victor Hugo Pena Grisales is from cycling-mad Colombia and last year he became the first rider ever from his country to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Fellow countryman, Daniel Rincon, is one of the most respected domestiques on the circuit and came 19th in last year’s Tour de France.

The US Postal Service/Berry Floor team are also nurturing some promising younger riders in the shape of Belgian Stijn Devolder and US Time Trial winner David Zabriskie.

Team Barloworld-Androni Giacattoli are a Division 2 team made up primarily of Italian, South African and Australian Riders. Team Manager John Robertson is ambitious for his squad and his intention is to attain Division 1 status for them. The team boasts a number of national champions and very recently Enrico Degano won the Criterium d’Abruzzo with the assistance of South African team mates Tiaan Kannemeyer and James Perry.