Captain Gerald Ciolek leds the squad at the traditional stage race

Captain Gerald Ciolek will lead Team MILRAM as of this coming Thursday in the four-day stage race Circuit Franco-Belge (September 30 – October 3 / UCI 2.1). He will be supported by a strong team. In addition to Ciolek, Directeur Sportif Servais Knaven will look to Wim de Vocht, Markus Eichler, Thomas Fothen, Artur Gajek and Roger Kluge in the French-Belgian race which in the past has been dominated by sprinters. In addition, the MILRAM squad will feature the two stagiaires Stefan Schäfer and Michael Weicht.

This race is only part of a very full weeekend. While their teamates take to the roads in Belgium and France as of Thursday, the other MILRAM riders face two other highlights. Germans Fabian Wegmann and Christian are representing their country at the World Championships in Australia, as are Netherlander Niki Terpstra and Austrian Peter Wrolich. Sunday is the German season finale of international cycling with the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro, plus the final stage of the Circuit Franco-Belge.

The Circuit Franco-Belge is one of the most traditional cycling events in Belgium and has been carried out as a stage race since 1980. The start is in Templeuve, France. The race ends after four stages and a total of 687.5 kilometers in Tournai. The only German to have won the race is Sven Teutenberg in 1993.

The stages 2010:
30.09. Stage 1 Templeuve (France) – Mouscron (187,3 km)
01.10. Stage 2 Lessines – Poperinge (181,5 km)
02.10. Stage 3 Hazelbrouck – Ichtgem (158 km)
03.10. Stage 4 Mons – Tournai (160.7 km)
Total distance: 687,5 Kilometer

Team MILRAM at the 70. Circuit Franco-Belge: Gerald Ciolek (GER/Kreuzlingen, SUI), Markus Eichler (GER/Jülich), Wim De Vocht (BEL/Turnhout), Thomas Fothen (GER/Kaarst), Artur Gajek (GER/Bergisch Gladbach), Roger Kluge (GER/Eisenhüttenstadt), Stefan Schäfer (GER/Cottbus; Stagiaire), Michael Weicht (GER/Leipzig; Staigiaire)
Directeur Sportif: Servais Knaven (NED)