SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR. USPS Pro Cycling Team leader Lance Armstrong has been selected by Sports Illustrated as its Sportsman of the Year. He will be featured on the cover of the Dec. 16 issue, which hits newsstands tomorrow. He is the first American to win the Tour de France four times, and the fourth cyclist to win four in a row. Next year, he and his USPS teammates will go for a record-tying fifth victory in the 100th Tour de France. Four other cyclists have won the race five times.

Armstrong has dominated the sport's most difficult and prestigious race since 1999 — three years after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. "There's never been a Tour de France victory by a cancer survivor before me," Armstrong is quoted as saying at CNNSI.com. "That's what I'd like to be remembered for."

SNOW, REALLY. The upcoming holiday season is being preceded by a blast of winter weather in many parts of the country, and that means postal customers should be aware of their own safety — and their letter carriers' safety, too. USPS instructs its letter carriers to refrain from delivering to locations they deem hazardous. If recent storms have left snowdrifts blocking rural boxes, or ice covering sidewalks and steps, USPS reminds customers to keep access to the mailbox clear.

"We urge customers to do the right thing, not just for our letter carriers, but for everyone," said Delivery Vice President Henry Pankey recently. "Having our letter carriers return to the post office with undelivered mail ends up delaying those important letters and packages our customers are anticipating."

SAVE A TRIP. Click-N-Ship saves customers a trip to the post office, with access right on the Web at www.usps.com. Postal customers can create shipping labels and pay for postage from the convenience of their homes or offices. Adding to the appeal is the no-fee electronic rate Delivery Confirmation service included with every Priority Mail label printed and prepaid.

GREAT SALES. The Postal Store set an all-time record for orders and sales in its most recent four-week accounting period. The online USPS sales channel accounted for 87,695 orders, for more than $6.2 million in sales. The Postal Store accepts orders for stamps and other products at www.usps.com, which are sent to customers through Stamp Fulfillment Services in Kansas City.