Team MILRAM was at the front of the 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia. Björn Schröder was at the head of the stage for 158 kilometers, and at the finish in Florence, Robert Förster sprinted to seventh place. The day’s win after 176 km from Lido di Camaiore to Florence went, for the third time, to Briton Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia-Highroad ahead of Alessandro Petacchi (LPR Brakes) and Alan Davis (Quick Step).

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Dortmund: 25/05/2009

The Tour de France preparations for Team MILRAM are heading into their final stage. Seven members of the pre-selected MILRAM Tour team will be at the start of the Bayern Rundfahrt (May 27-31/ UCI Category 2.HC) this coming Wednesday in Kelheim. In addition to the German ProTour team’s two captains, Linus Gerdemann and Gerald Ciolek, the squad features defending champion Christian Knees, two-time German national champion Fabian Wegmann, and Johannes Fröhlinger, as five German MILRAM riders for the race. In addition, Directeur Sportif Christian Henn will look to Slovak Peter Velits and Austrian Peter Wrolich on the five stages over 740 kilometers.

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Newsflash Team MILRAM

Dortmund: 20/05/2009

Ronny Scholz had to drop out of the Giro because of continuing back pains. The MILRAM rider complained about severe pains in his back over the last few stages and received treatment for it. But on Tuesday the 31-year-old couldn’t take it anymore and had to leave the Giro d’Italia.

The Importance Of Eating Right.

Thomas Rohegger didn’t have enough to eat yesterday.

“At the finish I could only see stars, and I barely made it though the last 20 of the 264km long stage. I was nauseated in the morning and simply couldn’t eat anything, although I tried to force myself to do so. Taking that into consideration, the 3:20 minutes that I lost today weren’t so bad”

the MILRAM captain said optimistically.

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Dortmund: 06/05/2009

Last Saturday 11th May 2009 Team MILRAM were at the start of the 100th birthday of the Giro d’Italia (May 9-31/UCI Category HIS). While Robert Förster and Markus Fothen will be mainly responsible for stage wins in the 92nd running of the race, MILRAM’s climber Thomas Rohregger will concentrate on the overall ranking. During the approximately 3,450 kilometers, Directeurs Sportif Vittorio Algeri and Ralf Grabsch will also look to Germans Thomas Fothen, Martin Müller, Matthias Russ, Ronny Scholz and Björn Schröder, as well as Italian Luca Barla.

“I have made a lot of plans for the Giro and hope for a good placing in the overall ranking,”

said Thomas Rohregger, who will be making his debut at the three-week Italian race.

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MILRAM’s Fabian Wegmann won the Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop (1 May/UCI Category 1.HC) to crown the team’s strong performance. Eight kilometers before the finish line, he attacked out out of the leading group, followed only by last year’s winner Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank). In the finale, after 190 kilometers through the Frankfurt area, Wegman beat his escape partner in a thrilling sprint. Teammate Christian Knees topped off the German ProTour team’s perfect performance by winning the sprint of the chase group and securing third place.

MILRAM’s Fabian Wegmann:

“it was extremely difficult today, because everyone was watching us. In the final circuit I went for it, attacked, and got away from the group. I knew that I could only beat Karsten Kroon if I led going into the finale. I am overjoyed that my plan worked. With Christian Knees in third place we delivered a perfect performance today.”

MILRAM-All rounder Christian Knees:

“Because of the race situation I could concentrate on my chances of winning the race. Plus we had another option with Fabian Wegmann, so we could bluff a little. When Fabian attacked, I told him over the radio that he should go for it. In the end I absolutely wanted a podium place for myself. That is a huge success for me personally, not to mention what first and third places mean to our whole team.”

Christian Henn, Directeur Sportif, Team MILRAM:

“We controlled the race all day, and even dominated it. In the finale, we finally had that last little bit of luck, which we have so often looked for in vain the last weeks. I have to pay the whole team a big compliment – it couldn’t have gone better today.”

The MILRAM line-up: Gerald Ciolek (GER/Ermatingen,SUI), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau), Linus Gerdemann (GER/Kreuzlingen,SUI), Christian Knees (GER/Euskirchen), Matthias Ruß (GER/Oberried), Peter Velits (SVK/Riemst,BEL), Fabian Wegmann (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau), Peter Wrolich (AUT/Klagenfurt)
Sportlicher Leiter: Christian Henn (GER)

Antalya: 18/04/2009

MILRAM pro Robert Förster has won the seventh stage of the Tour of Turkey and given the ProTour team based out of Dortmund its long expected second victory this season. After covering 114 kilometres from Finike to Antalya, Förster – for whom it was also the first win wearing the MILRAM jersey – beat Austrian Daniel Schorn (Elk Haus) and Marco Frapporti (CSF Navigare) in the sprint of a 25-men breakaway group. South African Daryl Impey (Barloworld), who finished the stage sixth-placed, defended his overall lead.

“Robert showed increasing form these last few days. This victory came exactly at the right time,”

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Newsflash Team MILRAM

Dortmund: 15/04/2009

Gerdemann back in training Grabsch at Rund um Köln

Team MILRAM captain Linus Gerdemann has started to train again on Easter Monday, after a break lasting two days. The 26-year-old rider hailing from Münster had to drop out of the Tour of the Basque Country last week because of heavy back ache.

“Abandoning was just a security measure, I didn’t want to risk any long term back problems at this point in the season. I was able to recover well over Easter and now started training again.”

said the Swiss resident.

Grabsch at Rund um Köln

On Easter Monday, Team MILRAM Sports Director Ralf Grabsch and his wife Doreen used the opportunity to get on a bike once again at the public Challenge of Rund um Köln. Together with 1200 amateur cyclists, the couple rode 115 kilometres through the Bergische Land region around Cologne.

“It was a great event, the atmosphere on the road was great. And my wife and myself rode a good pace of over 35 km/h, too.”

Alsemberg : 29/03/2009

MILRAM’s Fabian Wegmann sprinted to a third place finish in the exciting finale of the 49th Brabantse Pijl (UCI Category 1.1). Christian Knees completed the team’s strong performance as eighth. The winner after 193.5 kilometers from Leuven to Alsemberg was Anthoy Geslin (Francaise des Jeux) ahead of countryman Jerome Pineau (Quick Step).

“Of course I am disappointed, we were so close!”

said MILRAM’s Fabian Wegmann.

“We rode super well the whole race and also the finale, that was a really strong team performance. Christian Knees was very strong and gave his all for me in the finale. I sprinted at 250 meters in the optimal position. It turned out to be 30 meters too early. But I would still like to thank the whole team, even if I would rather have thanked them with a win.”

“The team would really have deserved the win today,”

said Christian Henn, MILRAM’s Directeur Sportif.

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Dortmund: 27/03/2009

The Belgian week continues for Team MILRAM on Sunday, March 29, with the 49th running of the Brabantse Pijl (UCI Category 1.1). The team will be led by all rounders Christian Knees and Fabian Wegmann in the one-day Belgian race over 193.5 km from Leuven to Alsemberg.

“We will be at the start with a good team and can do something on Sunday,”

“The two Velits brothers have drawn attention with their good performances lately. Fabian Wegmann also does well at the Brabantse Pijl and of course we can always count on Christian Knees. The course has been changed this year due to construction near the finish. The profile should be a little easier, but the finale is uphill, which is an advantage for us.”

said Directeur Sportif Christian Henn.

At the Brabantse Pijl on Sunday, the strong starting line-up will face a total of 193.5 kilometers. The course from Leuven to Alsemberg (Beersel), southwest of Brussels, consists of a large 109.7 km loop and five laps of a 16.8 km long closing circuit. Last year MILRAM Fabian Wegmann, then riding for Team Gerolsteiner, made a strong impression and finished in sixth place, 59 seconds behind winner Sylvain Chavanel (now with Quick Step). The race has been run since 1961 and so far no German has been able to win it.

The MILRAM line-up:
Luca Barla (ITA/San Remo-Imperia), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau), Christian Knees (GER/Euskirchen), Matthias Russ (GER/Oberried), Ronny Scholz (GER/Herrenberg), Martin Velits (SVK/Riemst,BEL), Peter Velits (SVK/Riemst,BEL), Fabian Wegmann (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau)

Directeur Sportif:
Christian Henn (GER)

Dortmund: 24/03/2009

Terpstra, Knaven and Wrolich check out the Ronde van Vlaanderen route

MILRAM’s Niki Terpstra, Servais Knaven and Peter “Paco” Wrolich have intensified their preparations for the upcoming April Classics. On Thursday, March 26, former Paris-Roubaix 2001 winner Knaven will lead his two teammates along the most important parts of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (April 5) route. The emphasis is on MILRAM’s Classics Specialist Niki Terpstra, who last year finished a strong 14th in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, and who along with Martin Velits, is the team’s big hope for the Classics.

Ciolek goes to Mallorca for regeneration

On the other hand, MILRAM captain Gerald Ciolek is taking a break. The 22-year-old will do some “active regeneration“ in Mallorca, to come back to strength after suffering from an intestinal problem and a cold.

“Gerald should get completely well in Mallorca and build up some strength with a little light training,“

said Gerry van Gerwen, General Manager of Team MILRAM. Last Monday Ciolek underwent a thorough physical exam, to rule out any more serious problems.

Kux slowly training again

Christian Kus is getting back into the swing of things. After recovering from his intestinal illness, the 23-year-old is now starting up with light training. „We are happy that he is doing better, and will give ‘Kuxer’ all the time he needs to get totally healthy again. We are looking at the end of May or start of June for his first races this year,“ said team boss Gerry van Gerwen hopefully.

UCI-World Ranking list updated Mondays

The UCI World ranking is being updated this season every Monday at 14:00 on the homepage of the international cycling federation. It includes the rankings for riders, teams and nations, based on the results of races on the UCI World Calendar. The best MILRAM rider after four ranked races is captain Linus Gerdemann, who has 30 points thanks to his seventh-place finish in Tirreno-Adriatico, in place 26. The leader is Allan Davis (Quick Step) with 182 points. In the team ranking, the German team is in the middle, at 15th place.