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Tour de France The Graduates From 1996 to 2004, the U.S. Postal Service pro cycling squad, a.k.a. Lance's team, was a veritable Harvard Business School for ascendant cyclists. As lieutenants and workhorses for Armstrong during his six straight Tour victories, these tenacious students learned the tactics, training, and focus it takes to win cycling's biggest competitions. Here's the lowdown on the cream of the Postal alumni, who've gone on to become team leaders and major forces in their own right. By Eric Hansen & Justin Nyberg
Age 29 Class of 2004 In February 2004, the San Diegan whom Robin Williams calls the Mofo of the Mountains scored his biggest win yet, Portugal's five-day, 444-mile Volta ao Algarve. But it was his blistering pace and near win over 127 Alpine miles in Stage 17 of last year's Tour that proved his podium potential. After three seasons with USPS, he's now top dog for Switzerland's Phonak. Roberto Heras Age 31 Class of 2003 Spain's Liberty Seguros–Würth
Christian Vande Velde Age 29 Class of 2003 Supporting Team CSC leader Ivan Basso will be this Boulder, Colorado–based climbing specialist, who helped Armstrong up and over the mountains for two years and did the same in the 2003 Vuelta for USPS teammate and eventual winner Heras. But don't expect Vande Velde to play third fiddle forever—his CSC coach, Bjarne Riis, is known for turning good riders into superstars. Tom Boonen Age 24 Class of 2002 The Belgian sprinter spent one year with Lance & Co. before jumping to Quick-Step, of Belgium. This spring, Boonen established himself as the new king of the one-day Classics, winning the prestigious 159-mile Tour of Flanders and then, seven days later, pulling away from Lance sidekick George Hincapie to nab the legendary 161-mile Paris–Roubaix. Levi Leipheimer Age 31 Class of 2001 The Santa Rosa, California, mountain specialist capped off two years on Postal with a breakout third-place finish in the 2001 Vuelta a España. He then joined the Dutch squad Rabobank and earned two top-ten finishes in Paris, in 2002 and 2004. As captain of his new German team, Gerolsteiner, he's been given the green light to focus all his training on the Tour—and win it. Tyler Hamilton Age 34 Class of 2001 Hamilton was banned for two years by USA Cycling for alleged doping violations at last year's Vuelta a España, but his seven years on USPS helped them become the Yankees of the peloton. The Boulder resident became a legend after the 2003 Tour, when he won Stage 16 with a 59-mile solo breakaway and finished fourth in Paris for CSC—all with a fractured collarbone. ERIC HANSEN wrote about extreme- yoga master Peter Seamans in September.
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