MILRAM captain and teammate Johannes Fröhlinger recovered from illness and return to racing

Dortmund, 17. March 2010. Just in time for the 101st edition of the classic race Milan-San Remo (March 20 / UCI HIS), Team MILRAM can report that it has removed two riders from the sick list. Captain Linus Gerdemann and teammate Johannes Fröhlinger have recovered from the intestinal problems which forced them out of the Italian stage race Tirreno-Adriatico. Team MILRAM will be strengthened on the 298 kilometers from the city of Milan to San Remo on the Mediterranean coast by German riders Christian Knees, Markus Fothen and Paul Voß, Australian Luke Roberts, Dutchman Niki Terpstra and Belgian Roy Sentjens.

„Linus could be a surprise here,“ said Christian Henn, who together with Vittorio Algeri will serve as Directeur Sportif in the SKODA team car at the race. „He won a stage with a similar profile at Tirreno-Adriatico, even if the stage was only half as long as here. And Luke Roberts is also in good form. When everything works out, he can be near the front of such a long and challenging race. Basically, we have a team that is good for a surprise, and we have no pressure on us because of all the riders missing due to injuries.“

This coming Saturday Team MILRAM will have to do without two key riders. Allrounder Fabian Wegmann must miss the race due to a broken collarbone, while MILRAM captain Gerald Ciolek is recovering from a shoulder operation. He is currently in an altitude training camp with physio Christian Neitzert doing cross-country skiing and rehabilitation exercises.

Milan-San Remo is the longest one-day race in professional cycling, with nearly 300 kilometers. The race, affectionately known as „La classicissima“, has been organized by the Gazetta dello Sport since 1907. The course has not changed much over the years. The riders go from Milan over Turchino Pass. Especially spectacular and usually decisive are the small climbs near the end of the otherwise generally flat race, including the Cipressa (about 20 km before the finish) and the Poggio de San Remo (about 6 km before the finish). Despite these two climbs, known as „Capi“, the race has always come down to a mass sprint.

The record champion at La Primavera with seven wins is the Belgian “Cannibal”, Eddy Merckx (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976). Ex-MILRAM captain Erik Zabel with four victories (1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001) is tied for third place on the all-time list with Gino Bartali and behind Constante Girardengo.

Team MILRAM at Mailand-Sanremo:
Markus Fothen (GER/Kaarst) (BEL/Turnhout), Johannes Fröhlinger (Freiburg im Breisgau), Linus Gerdemann (GER/ Kreuzlingen,SUI), Christian Knees (GER/Euskirchen), Luke Roberts (AUS/Kerpen, GER), Roy Sentjens (BEL/Nerpeelt), Niki Terpstra (NED/Haarlem), Paul Voß (GER/Bielefeld)
Directeur Sportif: Vittorio Algeri (ITA), Christian Henn (GER)