U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team Signs Sponsorship Agreement With Yahoo!® Sports

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- July 9, 1998 -- The United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) Pro Cycling Team, America's premier professional cycling team owned and operated by Montgomery Sports, Inc., today announced a sponsorship agreement with Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com). Beginning with this Saturday's prologue time trial route and continuing for the remainder of the 1998 cycling season, Yahoo! Sports joins as the official Internet sponsor of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, the only American-based team to compete in the 1998 Tour de France. Through the new relationship, Yahoo! Sports will also become the official Internet sponsor of the team for the 1999 cycling season. Fans can also follow Yahoo! Sports' dynamic coverage of this prestigious event by going to sports.yahoo.com.

"We are thrilled to add Yahoo! Sports to our impressive list of sponsors both inside and outside the world of cycling," said Mark Gorski, the general manager of Montgomery Sports, Inc. "By joining efforts with Yahoo!, a global leader in the Internet, we can raise awareness of the team's efforts on the Web and worldwide as we represent America in the Tour de France."

On July 11, the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team will start the 85th Tour de France and make its way through the streets of Dublin, Ireland, as one of 21 nine-rider teams taking part in cycling's most prestigious event. The Tour de France will cover more than 2,300 miles in 22 stages before finishing along the Champs Elysees in Paris, France on August 2. Only the second American-based team to ever compete in the Tour de France, the U.S.P.S. Pro Cycling Team first qualified for the Tour de France last year and delivered a successful inaugural performance. The team's top rider placed 15th overall and the team was just one of three teams to finish all nine of its riders. At this year's Tour de France, the U.S.P.S. team hopes to match its performance of a year ago and win at least one of the 22 stages.

"Yahoo! Sports is proud to support the dedication, talents and accomplishments of the U.S.P.S. cycling team as it competes in the Tour de France," said Cindy Bishop, brand manager, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Inc. "Interest in cycling and in this event continue to grow among Yahoo! users. This new relationship provides us an unparalleled opportunity to extend awareness of the team, this globally-renowned sporting event, and cycling through both the Yahoo! brand and through our dynamic coverage of the Tour de France."

Ranked among the top 20 teams in the world, the U.S.P.S. team has won 16 races this season, including the 156-mile U.S. Professional Road Championship last month in front of more than 500,000 spectators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The team, which is comprised of 15 professional cyclists from seven nations, has also won professional events in England, Spain, Germany, Holland and Luxembourg this season. Included in this year's team is Lance Armstrong, a former World Champion and two-time Tour de France stage winner. Following nearly 18 months away from the sport while he battled testicular cancer, Armstrong returned to professional cycling this year as part of the U.S.P.S. Team. Armstrong has won four events in his comeback season, including stages races in Germany and Luxembourg.

About Montgomery Sports, Inc.

Montgomery Sports, Inc. is a sports marketing/management company that specializes in international professional cycling team management. Montgomery Sports, Inc. currently owns and operates America's premier professional cycling team, the United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Montgomery Sports, a subsidiary of NationsBank, has managed cycling teams since 1990 and provides a full range of sponsorship services for its clients, including brand positioning, corporate hospitality, customized promotions and public relations. Montgomery Sports, Inc. is based in San Francisco, Calif.