Matthias Russ steps away voluntarily, while Dominik Roels searches for a new team
The demise of the Milram team hasn’t been and likely won’t be a big deal in the careers of the squad’s stars, Gerald Ciolek, Fabian Wegmann, and Linus Gerdemann, but the closing of the season looks likely to spell the end of the careers of at least two young Milram riders: Matthias Russ and Dominik Roels.
Matthias Russ was set to leave cycling voluntarily at the end of the season due to a number of reasons, but 23 year old Dominik Roels, hoped and continues to hope for a bit of magic to keep him at the professional level in 2011. Unfortunately, the search for a team has not been a fruitful one for the young rider.
“I have a manager who has worked hard and written emails to potential employers, but nothing came of it. I have to go with the fact then that I will not race professionally next season,” said the breakaway specialist in a conversation with German television station, West Deutsche Rundfunk and quoted on Radsport-News.com.
The native of Koeln, Germany debuted as a hot talent three years ago, but little has come of his immense promise. Roels’s best career result was a third place in a stage of the Vuelta last season.
What Roels hasn’t been able to achieve in results, he has managed to make up for in sheer aggression. The Milram rider was a constant member of breakaways this season. RadsportNews notes that he was in five early breaks at the year’s final Grand Tour, the Vuelta.
Roels is frank in his assessment of his performances though and knows that he didn’t quite live up to the weighty expectations placed on his shoulders early on in his career.
“It didn’t progress right with me. I didn’t achieve the expected performance gains.”
As for Russ, the factors were numerous, but focused mainly on his health, his improvements, and doping in the sport. The climber from southwestern Germany suffered from asthma, but like Roels, couldn’t achieve the improvements that he hoped to.
“I felt that I was not progressing at the Giro, at least in the mountains, because I had surprised myself in the time trial,” said the uphill specialist in a conversation with RadsportNews.
Russ was further frustrated by not just doping, but the triumphant returns of a small army of former dopers, something that he seemingly had difficulty wrapping his head around.
“The doping cases disturbed me, especially the return of wrongdoers back into the pack as if nothing had happened. I don’t want to spit in the soup though. The bike has earned me some very special moments that I’ll never forget. I enjoyed myself.”
The Tour of Muenster was the final race for the 26 year old who now looks set to resume his studies following an extended hiatus as a professional cyclist.
“My family is completely behind me and even encouraged my choice…I think I made the right decision.”