Team Milram has announced the nine riders that it will line up for the Giro d’Italia on May 8th in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Team captain Linus Gerdemann will take his first ever start in the Italian Grand Tour in what will be the team’s fifth appearance at the race. With Milram ending its sponsorship of the team at the end of the year, Germany’s only ProTour team will look for some strong performances to help raise the team’s awareness as they search for a replacement.
“I am celebrating my premiere in the Giro d’Italia this year,“ Gerdemann at the press conference held with race organizers RCS Sport. “I am very much looking forward to it. The Giro is a race with the highest priority for me. I always like to ride in Italian races and feel very comfortable there. The Italian culture and lifestyle please me, too.”
The Milram leader looked to have had a good winter, opening the season with a win in the Trofeo Inca, part of the Mallorca Challenge, and the first stage of Tirreno Adriatico. He then became ill during the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, and has had a tough time bouncing back. He was expected to start in Flèche Wallonne tomorrow, but Milram pulled him from the roster.
“So far I have had a difficult preparation for the Giro. Since Milan-San Remo I have had health problems and had to take an unplanned race break,” explained the German. “So at this point it is hard to say what goals might be realistic, since it is not now possible to predict my form at the start of the Giro. In any case, my goal is to do something there, and I am glad to accept the challenge of the Giro d’Italia.”
The team was formed back in 2006, evolving out of the Domina Vacanze squad and originally operated under an Italian license. Its two main captains in the first year were Italian Alessandro Petacchi and German Erik Zabel, with half of the team hailing from Italy. Today its makeup has changed significantly, there are no Italians and its predominantly German, but the management still feels connected to the country.
“As Team Milram we have become a German team, but we still have Italian roots,” said team manager Gerry van Gerwen, who is Dutch. “In light of our Italian personnel and and our Italian directeur sportif Vittorio Algeri, you can even say that the Italian heart still beats in our team. The Giro d’Italia has always been and still is one of our major season highlights.”
Van Gerwen says he will bring the best possible team to compete in the year’s first Grand Tour.
“The line-up which we will have at the start in Amsterdam underlines the value of the Giro to our team. Linus Gerdemann leads us as captain in Italy, even if his recent illnesses prevent us from predicting his form. Our goal is to surprise at the race and to help shape the Giro. We are to be reckoned with.”
Team Milram for the 2010 Giro d‘Italia:
Markus Fothen (GER/Kaarst), Robert Förster (GER/Leipzig), Linus Gerdemann (GER/Kreuzlingen,SUI), Dominik Roels (GER/Köln), Luke Roberts (AUS/Kerpen;GER), Thomas Rohregger (AUT/Innsbruck), Matthias Ruß (GER/Bad Cannstatt), Paul Voß (GER/Bielefeld), Fabian Wegmann (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau)
Directeurs Sportif:
Christian Henn (GER), Vittorio Algeri (ITA)