Check out the new cycling cards at www.cyclingcardshop.com or click on the Link. These are unique art photos from my collection of six years of cycling photography, hand-mounted on high-quality cardstock and matching envelopes. The cards are blank inside, so you don't have to send the usual ho-hum, canned comments that we see in all card shops... These card photos are not the cheap printed-on-the-paper kind, so the person you give them to can put the pics inside a 4x6 frame or use the card, itself, as a mat and put it in a 5x7 frame...

Be sure to check out the card that shows a couple of guys talking to the road up close and personal. You all know a cyclist who has crashed that you can send this one to with some kind of comment... You know, you just can't find a classy cycling card anywhere, so send one of these cards with your passion on it....

So what's happening with the Discovery Guys now that the bombshell has dropped? Well, what we kinda know is that Tony Cruz has signed with BMC Racing, Matt White has signed on as aDS for Slipstream, George is pretty sure going to T-Mobile and so is Janz Brajkovic. Johan is retiring, and Dirk Demol, who was slated to take over the top DS spot is still looking, as far as I know... Where all my wrench buddies and soigneurs will end up, this late in the season, is still unknown. I think we will find out, one by one, where everybody is gonna be next season...

Sad day for Team Discovery fans...
From The Paceline:

TAILWIND SPORTS TO END CYCLING TEAM SPONSOR SEARCH


Team to cease operation effective the end of 2007 season


(Austin, TX) - Tailwind Sports, owner and operator of the current Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, announced today that it will cease operations at the conclusion of the 2007 cycling season. The Team, with roots back to 1989, has operated under the Tailwind umbrella and seen tremendous success over its tenure including eight Tour de France titles, a Tour of Italy and a Tour of Spain title, and numerous national championships.

“Tailwind has had an amazing ten years of success with U.S. Postal and more recently Discovery Channel as its title sponsor. This is arguably the most successful sports franchise in the history of sport,” stated General Manage Bill Stapleton. “This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent Tour de France success. We were in talks with a number of companies about the opportunity and were confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen, however, to end those discussions.”

Sports Director Johan Bruyneel has been the driving force behind the Team’s success since his arrival to the team in 1999. In only nine years, Bruyneel has created a legacy that will live on in cycling history, and his departure from the sport was not an easy choice.

“When I came to direct this team in 1999 I never would have imagined that we could achieve this level of success. It was an amazing time in my life and the lives of all the staff and riders associated with this team,” commented Sports Director Johan Bruyneel.

“What I will miss are the staff, riders and the excitement of the races, but not all the in fighting between the teams. This team has become my family and I am very sad to think that we will not be together next season. 2007 has been our most successful season ever and I expect the remainder of the season to continue on that same path.”

Lance Armstrong has been intricately involved in the team both as a rider and as an owner.

“I do not think you have seen the last of this organization in the sport but clearly things need to improve on many levels, with a more unified front, before you would see us venture back into cycling,” added Armstrong, co-owner and seven-time Tour de France champion.

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team will continue to race its full calendar of Pro Tour races including the final grand tour of the season, the Tour of Spain, as well as the upcoming Tour of Missouri.

From Chris Brewer at the Paceline: Team Discovery Channel's 2007 Tour de France Victory Celebration Video...

DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM SEES SUCCESS IN CHINA, AUSTRIA AND FRANCE

(Tignes, France) – Over the last 10 days, the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team has had teams competing at the Tour de France, Tour of Qinghai Lake (China) and Tour of Austria, and has four stage wins, one overall win and seven days in the best young rider jersey to show for it.

At the Tour of Austria, Gianni Meersman and Stijn Devolder both captured stage victories while Devolder also took the overall victory. In China, Allan Davis won the first and third stages, took second in stage two, and leads the overall race. While at the Tour de France, the young Russian Vladimir Gusev wore the white Best Young Rider jersey from the opening Prologue through Stage Seven. As a result of Gusev’s success and as a part of the team’s “green” commitment the Team will plant 210 trees (30 for each day Gusev wore white) in the Mendocino forest in California.

Team Discovery Channel has 26 victories to date in 2007, and Sports Director Johan Bruyneel appears happy with his team’s success. “Just two years after Lance’s retirement we are proving that we can adapt to life without Armstrong and I am quite pleased with how quickly we have adapted to the change. So far this year we have won races in the U.S., Europe and now in Asia, and already have as many wins in 2007 as we had in all of 2006,” stated Sports Director Johan Bruyneel. “Our program will always have a focus on the Tour de France but we are showing that we are not only focused on the Tour. I expect continued success the remainder of 2007.”

The Discovery Channel Team continues to have high ambitions at the 2007 Tour de France for both stage victories and a high overall placing in Paris. Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer currently top the overall standings at 8th and 13th respectively.