After weeks of working the numbers, the Navigators team has signed Chris Wherry for the 2003 season, team director Ed Beamon told VeloNews late Wednesday. Wherry, who had one of his best years ever in 2002, including wins at the Saturn Classic, Cascade and Tour of the Gila, was left without a team after Mercury ended its cycling team sponsorship after last season. "It’s definitely not been the most stress-free off-season," Wherry said earlier this month.

Beamon said that the team and Wherry worked out a deal "toward the end of last week." The announcement comes just a week before the team leaves for its training camp in Italy. "As far as having him on the team, I’m super stoked," said Beamon. "I think he’ll fit in really well with the other guys."

Wherry will join former Mercury teammate Henk Vogels, who also signed with the team this off-season. The powerful duo adds even more firepower to a squad coming off a strong 2002 campaign that included Mark Walters’ win at the USPRO Championship in Philadelphia, Vassili Davidenko’s victory at the Housatonic Valley Classic, and solid results in the team’s spring European campaign.