Former winner looks to end favorite race through „the hell of the north“ for the 16th time

Dortmund, 08. April 2010. Team MILRAM is looking forward to the start of the Spring Classic Paris-Roubaix this coming Sunday (April 11 / UCI HIS). At the head of the German ProTour team for the „Queen of the Classics“ will be MILRAM veteran Servais Knaven. The winner of the race in 2001 is looking to set an historical record. If the 39-year-old Dutchman finishes the ride through „the hell of the north“, he wlll be the only active rider to have started and ended the race 16 times, setting a new record in the history of the race. Former winner Raymond Impanis also finished the race 16 times. Howver, the Belgian, born in 1925, started more often and did not finish the race each time.

“Of course I want to cross the finish line in the velodrome of Roubaix. I would be very proud. But that is not the most important thing,“ said Servais Knaven about his 16th appearance in his favorite race. „It is more important that we have a good performance as a team and that one of our riders finishes as far forward as possible.“

Team MILRAM’s directeur sportif Ralf Grabsch was also looking forward to the race: „We have done well in our last races and all of our Classics riders are really looking forward to this important race. The day’s form is decisive in this race. You need to give 120 percent and have an iron will. Plus you need the luck to come through without a mechanical problem.“

In addition to veteran Knaven, Ralf Grabsch will look in the „hell of the north“ to Classics specialists Niki Terpstra and Wim de Vocht. The MILRAM line-up by the three Germans, Markus Eichler, Roger Kluge and Paul Voß, as well as Austrian Peter „Paco“ Wrolich. Grabsch will have to do without Classics expert Roy Sentjens, who had to pass with an intestinal infection. His place will be taken by Australian Luke Roberts.

The race, which has been carried out since 1896, is one of the five so-called Monuments of Cycling. The „La Reine des Classics“ (Queen of the Classics) has its own unique character due to the approximately 50 kilometers of cobbelstone passages. On the 259 kilometers between Compiegne and the velodrome in Roubaix, any rider can have a chance to win, depending on weather and how the race goes. The solo flight over many hours by MILRAM’s Ralf Grabsch in 2007 is unforgettable. The current Directeur Sportif for Team MILRAM make his mark on the one-day race and ended up 15th overall. In the 107 runnings of the race to day, only one German has been able to win, Josef Fischer who won the premiere race in 1896.

Team MILRAM at Paris-Roubaix: Wim de Vocht (BEL/Turnhout), Markus Eichler (GER/Jülich), Roger Kluge (GER/Eisenhüttenstadt), Servais Knaven (NED/Herwen en Aerdt), Niki Terpstra (NED/Krommenie); Paul Voß (GER/Bielefeld), Peter Wrolich (AUT/Klagenfurt), Luke Roberts (AUS/Kerpen,GER)
Directeur Sportif: Ralf Grabsch (GER)