Oakland, CA - The three-time NRC champion Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis received multiple awards from VeloNews Magazine in its year-end review of the 2006 professional racing season.

The team was honored as the top men's road team for the second consecutive year after winning its third straight NRC team title. The magazine noted that the team "stepped up to the new Toyota-United squad and a late-season charge by Navigators Insurance to take the title for the third year in a row."

"In many ways, this honor, as well as our third consecutive NRC crown, are more satisfying than in 2005," said team directeur sportif Jeff Corbett. "The level of competition in North America improved greatly in 2006. Our guys rose to the challenge to earn the title."

Karl Menzies of Health Net Presented by Maxxis also was named male roadie of the year after the big Tasmanian finished second overall in the NRC individual rankings, 17 points behind Floyd Landis (Phonak). "If not for a few crucial mishaps - a crash on the final turn at the Tour de Nez while leading the omnium, missing an unmarked turn while wearing the leader's jersey at Tour de 'Toona - Menzies would have won the NRC individual ranking outright," the magazine observed. His overall wins at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June and the Parker Mainstreet Omnium in September helped secure his placing.

"Karl did absolutely everything we asked of him," Corbett said. "I think if we'd have asked him to ride through a wall, he'd have done that, too. He proved this year that he could finish big races as well as be the consummate teammate."

New Zealander Greg Henderson received the magazine's award for comeback rider of the year. Henderson, who will ride for ProTour team T-Mobile in 2007, sustained a fractured hip in a crash at the McLane Pacific Foothills Road Race in early March, though he continued to race for several more weeks until an MRI revealed the fracture.

After two months off, Henderson returned to competition in late May by winning two stages of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and providing tremendous help to teammate Nathan O'Neill's overall victory in the stage race. Following Mt. Hood, he immediately flew cross-country and joined the rest of his Health Net Presented by Maxxis teammates in Pennsylvania for the final two legs of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown. He showed that his return to form was complete by winning the inaugural Reading Classic, and following that with a win in the prestigious Philadelphia International Cycling Classic (formerly the USPRO Championship race).

Finally, Shawn Milne, who begins riding for Health Net Presented by Maxxis in 2007, won the VeloNews award for revelation of the year after break-through wins at the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic (two stage wins and the overall title), the Bank of America Invitational and the Univest Grand Prix.

"In Shawn, we're getting one of the best young riders America has seen in a while," Corbett said. "We expect him to continue to grow as a rider and professional with Health Net Presented by Maxxis in 2007."

The team officially commences its season in late January at its first training camp of the season, and enters competition for the first time at the Amgen Tour of California on February 18, 2007. The team's Australian contingent will begin their seasons earlier in January at the Australian national championships, which begin January 11, 2007. O'Neill will be seeking his eighth national time trial crown, while Menzies will have a go at the road race title. New signing Rory Sutherland will also contest his country's national championships. In addition, Menzies will participate in the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under, January 16-21, as part of the Australia-UniSA composite team.