MILRAM captain Ciolek to be out about two months after shoulder surgery

Dortmund, 10. February 2010. MILRAM newcomer Roger Kluge once again showed his strong condition with another Top Ten finish in the fourth stage of the Tour of Qatar (February 7-12 / UCI 2.1). In the mass sprint after 146 kilometers from The Pearl to Al Khor Corniche, the 24-year old finished sixth and defended his best young rider’s jersey. The stage win went to Italian Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas-Doimo) ahead of Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo TestTeam) and Juan Jose Haedo (Saxo Bank). The overal leader is still Dutch rider Wouter Mol (Vacansoliel). MILRAM newcomer Kluge is in a promising fourth place.

„We have recovered well from the bad news yesterday,“ said Ralf Grabsch, Team MILRAM’s Directeur Sportif. „We were always attentive and rode aggressively and offensively, just as we had planned. I was particularly happy to see how the team bounced back after having lost our top rider Gerald Ciolek the day before. We can build on this performance. Our goal is now to bring Roger Kluge into the top three. The team will continue to work as hard as it did today to do this.“

Separated shoulder and broken scaphoid for Gerald Ciolek

MILRAM captain Gerald Ciolek will have to sit out about two months after yesterday’s crash. Doctors today diagnosed a separated right shoulder and a fractured scaphoid bone in his right hand for the 23-year-old. After surgery tomorrow in the Vinzenz Pallotti Hospital in Bergish Gladbach, it is expected that Ciolek can begin again with light training in three weeks at the earliest.

„That was the worst thing that could have happened to us at the beginning of the season,“ said Gerry van Gerwen, Team MILRAM’s general manager. „It means a major change of plans for not only Gerald but also for the rest of the team, since he was to be one of our major riders for the spring. We have to change now, and that means that other riders will have to take his place. Gerald’s main task is to get well again, to train in peace and quiet, and to build up his form again, and then think about racing. We all wish that he gets well soon.“