News Release from PJ Rabice:

CONTADOR CAPTURES OVERALL WIN IN SPAIN
(Austin, TX) – At 162 kilometers in length, including two categorized climbs, today’s final stage of the Castilla y Leon race in Spain was set to be another hard day in the saddle as Team Discovery Channel looked to defend Alberto Contador’s overall lead. However, with a roster including powerhouses like Leipheimer, Basso, Martinez, Brajkovic and Danielson, the Team was clearly suited to control a mountain stage, and they did just that, leading Contador to the overall victory and third place on the day.

Sports Director Johan Bruyneel did not specify a team leader coming into this weeks’ race, instead looking to see which of his squad had both the fitness and motivation to take control. Bruyneel stated, “Our entire team continues to impress me this year. Although it was Contador winning here in Spain all the guys are looking great, not just those on the podium. The classics riders like Gusev and Devolder are preparing well for the coming weeks. Tom and Levi look good for Georgia and Ivan is showing good fitness as he prepares for the Giro, although he lacks a bit of top-end speed right now. Overall, all the guys are performing better than expected and I could not be happier.”

Contador was pleased with his continued good form this week, saying, “I was a bit unsure of how I would feel yesterday on the climb. I worked very hard to win Paris-Nice and you never know how much you will have left in your legs. In the end, I had just enough to win. Now I think I will take a short break from racing to recover and start to prepare specifically for the Tour. I want to be my best in July.”

Team Discovery Channel will take to the road next in Belgium at the Three Days of De Panne.

Press Release from PJ Rabice:
DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM WINS AGAIN WITH CONTADOR

(Austin, TX) – Alberto Contador, the new acquisition for the Discovery Channel Team, took advantage of his good form following his overall victory at the Paris-Nice stage race just two weeks ago to win once again. The young Spaniard captured his fourth stage win of the 2007 season in today’s 4th stage, a mountain-top finish, at the Spanish Vuelta a Castilla y Leon stage race.

The Discovery Channel Team rode into today’s stage with six riders placed in the top 10 overall (Jason McCartney and Sergio Paulinho have both pulled out of the race due to illness) allowing Sports Director Johan Bruyneel a number of tactical options. “The Team was very impressive in the opening time trial and they made my job much easier. I was able to talk with the guys and come up with tactics based on how they were feeling during the stage. Ivan and Alberto have good form and felt good today so we were hoping that one of them could take the win. Things worked out just as we had hoped,” stated Bruyneel.

Contador’s stage win is the seventh for Team Discovery in 2007 and with only one stage remaining, and a 36 second lead, the team is hoping to add the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon to their overall palmares along with the Tour of California and Paris-Nice.

Press Release from PJ Rabice:DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
Allan Davis Finishes Second at Legendary Milan San Remo One-Day Race

(Austin, TX) – Discovery Channel rider Allan Davis was a late signing to the squad but wasted no time in showing his worth as he scored one of the biggest results of his career in Italy on Saturday. At approximately 182 miles in length, the historic Milan San Remo one-day race has always been one of attrition that awards those who conserve the most energy. Team Discovery’s Davis showed just how good he was at conserving energy, displaying a strong kick to the finish that placed him second on the day behind three-time world champion, Oscar Freire and ahead of 2006 World Champion Tom Boonen.

Assistant Sports Director Sean Yates was impressed with the entire team's performance stating, “When you have six of your eight-man team in the front group as you close in on the finish you know the boys have put in a good effort. Allan was looked after all day by the guys and did a great job of saving himself for the final. Popo was equally as impressive, getting away twice in the final 15 miles of the race and putting a lot of pressure on the other teams. Obviously a win would have been great but we were all very excited with second place.”

Davis, known as a fast finisher, had marked this race as one of his 2007 objectives and was very happy with the outcome at day’s end. “I have never had so many teammates around me at the end of a World Cup race. The team was incredible and having the guys there at the end gave me extra motivation. Popovych was incredibly strong at the end of the race and helped to get me in a great position in the final kilometers of the race. After that it was up to me,” commented Davis. About the final sprint and his second place finish Davis stated, “With 300m to go I started my sprint and as I got up to speed Freire popped out of the line in front of me. I got on his wheel but he was just too strong to get around. I would have loved the win but second at Milan San Remo is still a great result and one of my career highlights. I hope to keep my good form going and am looking forward to the upcoming Ardennes Classics.”

Following the final standings at Milan San Remo, the third Pro Tour race of the 2007 season, Team Discovery’s Alberto Contador still remains atop the overall UCI Pro Tour rankings. Team Discovery is racing in Spain this week at the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon.

Contador!! Awesome, Aggressive, Amazing. Alberto Contador takes the Yellow Jersey for the 2007 Paris-Nice by an incredible win in the last stage. The fantastic work by the entire Discovery Pro Cycling team led Alberto right to the final climb. All the team, especially Tom Danielson and Levi Leipheimer, rode the rest of the peloton ragged. A truly exciting stage finish - it was a thriller...

On cycling.tv, we saw how ecstatically happy Alberto was, but also Levi, too, who hugged Alberto twice in glee. The entire team is totally stoked with a win like this - they did their part and then it was up to Alberto to not let them down in his solo climb, descent and battle against the crosswind to the finish line.

Awesome race, and if you are a Premium cycling.tv subscriber in North America, you can see it again. If you are not, then better make friends real fast with somebody who is.... Better yet, pop the bucks to subscribe - the season has just begun...

For Discovery Pro Cycling Team fans, here’s a Media Advisory from PJ Rabice:

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team Presents 2007 Team
Video presentation of Basso, Leipheimer, Hincapie and Team -- Download Clips via Satellite

WHAT: Watch a specially produced video on www.ThePaceline.com and download VNR video clips via satellite presenting the 2007 Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, including Ivan Basso, Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie and Tom Danielson with comments from Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel.

Additional team information, including rider bios, photos and sponsor information can also be found on www.ThePaceline.com in the “MEDIA CENTER”.

WHO: The entire 2007 Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, and the Team’s Sports Managers.

WHEN: Video Presentation available Wednesday, February 14th at 8am EST (www.ThePaceline.com)

SATELLITE DOWNLOAD WINDOWS
#1 - Wednesday 2/14 at: 1600-1615 EST (3:00-3:15P CT)

#2 - Thursday, 2/15 at: 1300-1315 EST (12:00-12:15P CT)


WHERE: Produced video presentation can be viewed at: www.ThePaceline.com

Download the Video News Release followed by Raw Clips at:

KU Band Analog 36 MHz
SAT: AMC 2
XPDR: 1
DOWNLINK FREQ: 11720
POLARITY: Vertical
TROUBLE #: 512.415.6862

Yikes! After 2007, these bottles will say something else. USA Today just ran an article saying that Discovery Channel will not be a team sponsor after the 2007 season. The article said that a change in the Discovery Channel management is the reason. We all know what some of the media will try to make of it, don't we? You know, the ones like Le Creep.

I'm glad that I got some of the team's used water bottles as I followed them last year and this year. I think this year's bottles are really cool looking, just like the Discovery kits. Oh, Dammit Anyway, I just got used to being Discovery....