Written by: Colin Batchelor

Team Milram was launched today, great riders great bikes, but more to the point great flavored curds.
But I’m sure you don’t want to hear about flavored curds, so more about them later, for now lets talk bike racers.

Milrams tilt at glory in the 2010 season falls pretty much on the shoulders of the same guys that shouldered the burden in 2009, Ciolek, Gerderman and Wegmann. Last year they managed 9 wins as a team, this year I suspect that hitting double figures will be seen as a step up. So who will be providing the podiums? At the top of the list of big names who will be encouraging us to eat more milk derived product sits Gerald Ciolek. On his day Ciolek is fast, indeed very fast, a grand tour stage winner fast, the problem for Gerald is that quite often that day involves racing against Cavendish and when it does Gerald is one of many sprinters fighting for the wheel. He’s got the speed there’s no doubting it, but if he’s going to push Cav all the way, as he’s well capable of, Milram will need to focus on delivering him to the line more effectively and consistently than in previous seasons, with that in mind the signing of Luke Roberts is a good move, the former Olympic pursuit champion will be able to maintain the pace required for Ciolek to shine. Roberts should have no trouble fitting in and as a bonus is more than capable of going for a win should the situation arise.

Gerderman was once the next big hope for German cycling, what would you expect after he took the yellow jersey at the 2007 Tour? Since then he’s produced a series of decent rides, but never quite lived up to the hype that surrounded his time in yellow. Like Ciolek he is a rider that needs to take the step up this season and deliver that podium potential he clearly has. Gerderman will I guess be aiming at shorter stage races rather than GTs, but even there you have to have doubts, has he got the support? Have the team got the plan?

Sprints and stage races aside there’s Wegmann for the classics, and whilst Wegmann has the ability to make top 10’s in the spring, has he’s got the class to make the podium in anything other than semi classics?
Roberts aside the new arrivals look a little light on potential, whilst the loss of ex U23 world champ – Peter Velits could prove a big blow, Velits is off to Columbia, where undoubtedly he will shine, much to the annoyance of his former employers.

The bikes are provided by Focus and there is little you can say other than yes please. Finished off with a little SRAM, a sprinkling of Speedplay, a splash of Lightweight and dusting of 3T. They look beautiful, but as you know it’s not about the bike. Well OK for you and me it’s all about the bike, the bike, the bling and the wow. For the pros it’s all about riding whatever they’re paid to ride and whilst the equipment counts it only goes so far. Preparation, preparation and preparation are the way to success and nothing says preparation like a team launch. You can tell a lot about intention and preparation form a team launch, in a few short hours the ethos of the team is summed up and presented to the press, the hopes, the dreams, the plans and THE PRODUCT. Go to the launch of any team and there is a fair sprinkling of sponsors product around the room, wooden floors, satellite dishes, radios, shacks and even the odd Bbox (what exactly is a Bbox?).

All of this you can take in your stride, but walk into a room and have someone hand you a flavoured curd and a packet of grated cheese is slightly off putting, I mean what do you do whilst the riders are being presented and some guy you can’t remember the name of is telling you that the team will be ‘trying hard’ all season? Open your curd and start smearing it on face? Open your grated cheese and pour it over the head of the guy in front? Stand up and say ‘It’s all well and good aiming for the Roubaix podium, but do you make a chocolate mousse?’

To be honest you can get jaded at team launches, ‘we’ll win this and we’ll try for that, blah, blah, blah’. The only reason anyone goes is for rider autographs to sell on eBay, free bike stuff to sell on eBay or sponsors product. Me? I like cheese, sliced, grated, on the head of the guy in front I don’t really care, I am a big fan of cheese, and so dear reader should you be.

Cheese isn’t glamorous like jam, cheese isn’t sexy like croissants, cheese isn’t tough like nut butter, no cheese just gets the job done, cheese is reliable and cheese is somehow the most amazingly appropriate sponsor for team Milram.