McCartney lands a gig

Wed October 17 2007
Posted Oct 17, 2007
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By Andrew Hood VeloNews European correspondent Filed: October 17, 2007 Jason McCartney isn't done with Europe yet. The 34-year-old Iowan has penned a two-year deal with Team CSC that will keep him on cycling's biggest stages through the 2009 season. The contract news comes after a successful fall campaign that saw McCartney win a stage at the Vuelta a España in a dramatic attacking victory that finally put his name in the headlines after working diligently in the background for others. The victory came just in time as Discovery Channel was folding at the end of this season and riders were scrambling to find jobs. McCartney was linked to a move to the new-look Slipstream/Chipotle team, but opted for an offer from Team CSC. The team announced McCartney's imminent arrival in a press release Wednesday. "I've always been drawn to Team CSC's way of doing things and everyone in the peloton is aware that it's an extremely well organized team. I'm very much a team player myself and look forward to becoming a part of Team CSC," McCartney said in a team statement. "It's a very international team and I think I'll fit in well with my future colleagues. As far as my role on the team goes, I first of all see myself as being able to help in the stage races and at the same time maybe make some results of my own if the opportunity should come along." McCartney made the leap from the domestic peloton to the European stage after his successful 2004 season. He signed on with Discovery Channel in 2005 and quickly made a spot for himself on the team as a hard worker. He finished all three grand tour starts in Europe (Giro 2005-06; Vuelta 2007) and claimed third on the podium this year at the Tour of California. A loyal worker, McCartney took advantage of the time trials to show his strengths, posting consistent top 10 results in TT races in Europe. "I love working for others. I'm happy being a domestique, but I like to take chances for myself when I can," McCartney told VeloNews earlier this year. "The problem at Discovery is that we usually have a big GC leader at every race we go to, so I don't get very many chances to even get into breakaways." McCartney's arrival at Team CSC helps ensure an American presence on the international squad following the departures of Dave Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde to Slipstream. Veteran Bobby Julich is expected to stay with Team CSC for the 2008 season. Team CSC boss Bjarne Riis said he had his eye on McCartney for some time now. "Jason's profile fits perfectly with the team. He has a lot of experience as a rider and he'll be a major asset to us in the big stage races. He's already impressed with his results this year and it's no big secret that we've had our eye on him for quite some time now," Riis said. "Apart from being an all-round rider he also has a personality, which would fit in really well with the rest of the team. We consider a number of different factors when recruiting and in Jason's case I think it's safe to say we've made the right decision on all levels."