Looks like Lance has a suitable replacement for Heras in Jose Azevedo. He’s a good tour rider and a great team player. While not the pure cimbing sensation Heras is, he should fill the gap nicely.
And, Azevedo will help them a lot more in the TTT than Heras would have.
How old is Azevedo? Is he in the twilight of his career or of the age that he might be able to use his time with the blue train to move on to bigger and better things. I know he placed well in the tour a year or two ago, but riders fall out of favor over night. For example, I think Beltran used the switched to increase his stock tremendously and restamp his name on the peleton. One more year with the Blue train and Beltran will sign the largest contract of his life. Azevedo knows he will have many days riding in the camera next year.
I had the opportunity to ride with him a few times.
A very nice and humble guy that is always ready to help the team. I remember seeing him waiting for Galdeano in the hills when he had the chance to keep with the front group and place top5 in Paris.
Its a major setback for Maia-Milaneza but i wish that he does well with the Posties.
Go Azevedo Go 
Sergio Marques
I think Azevedo (Acevedo?) time trial skills will potentially help Armstrong/Postal more than Heras climbing skills.
As for loyalty, I believe both he and Jakshe (sp?) threw away their chances for a high overall by waiting with Beloki after his crash at the TdF last year. I don’t think he will have any trouble with loyalty. Besides, every rider knows that when they go to Postal they are throwing away their chances of high placings. The consolation is that Postal is fairly stable and tends to pay well. And when you are in Azevedo’s position and don’t have a team for next year…
Heras is like Livingston, Hamilton, Leiheimer and all the others who decided it was time to see what they could do on their own before it is too late.
You are corrrect that they are not of the same ability, but I believe their motivations for leaving were all the same.
seems to me that Hamilton saw what he could do in his own team…4th in the TdF with a broken collarbone…not sure Livingston and Leipheimer belong with him…(actually, sure they don’t)
I don’t know how you can be so sure. Leipheimer was third in the Vuelta. That’s not chopped liver. We don’t really know how he would have done in the Tour this year because he crashed out.
Ray