After making his pro debut in the 2002 US Postal ranks, where he made a splash with a podium finish at Paris-Roubaix, Boonen joined Patrick Lefevere's new team, Quickstep - Davitamon, for the 2003 season.
Michael Faiß studied English and history in Munich. After spending a year in England, he worked as a translator for the magazine Procycling and the Degen Mediahouse, among others. He has also been a passionate cyclist and mechanic since childhood and feels at home off the beaten track in particular.
