Pressemelding fra Team Milram:
Team MILRAM  in „hometown“ race in Bochum

German ProTour Team starts in Sparkassen Giro near the new Dortmund headquarters

The German ProTour team MILRAM is facing another „hometown“ race this season.  After the team participated in the German national championship in the same city the end of June, Erik Zabel and Co.will ride in the Sparkassen Giro Bochum (UCI 1.1) on Sunday, August 3, only a few weeks after the opening of the new team headquarters.  In addition to the seven German riders on Team MILRAM, Mitja Schlüter of Münster from the Continental Team MILRAM will have his first test as a „stagiaire“ with the pro team.

„The course is very similar to that of the German championships.  So we will try, as we did in June, to bring Erik Zabel into position in the finale,“ said Jochen Hahn, MILRAM's Directeur Sportif.  „With Christian Knees as a further option, we are in a good position and will be able to react to different race situations.  Mitja Schlüter gets his chance from our team to present himself in pro cycling as a stagiere – we can't wait to see what he will do.“

Team MILRAM will be led by Tour de France Captain Christian Knees and local rider Erik Zabel.  The MILRAM sprinter, who lives in nearby Unna, starts with Tour de France rider Björn Schröder on Saturday evening, August 2, in the Derny Rennen.  On Sunday, Team MILRAM will also look to Ralf Grabsch, Sebastian Schwäger, Artur Gajek, Christian Kux and stagiaire Mitja Schlüter.

The Sparkassen Giro is one of the largest one-day races in Germany and annually brings out lots of spectators to the Bochum downtown.   In this 11^th edition, the pros must ride 12 laps of a 15 kilometer round course, for a total distance of 180 kilometers.  Erik Zabel was able to win this local race in 1999.

The MILRAM Line-Up for Bochum: Erik Zabel (GER / Unna), Artur Gajek (GER / Bergisch Gladbach), Christian Knees (GER / Euskirchen), Björn Schröder (GER / Berlin), Ralf Grabsch (GER / Hürth), Sebastian Schwager (GER / Neusäß), Christian Kux (GER / Chemnitz) Stagiere: Mitja Schlüter (GER / Münster / Continental Team MILRAM)

Directeur Sportif:  Jochen Hahn (GER / Berlin)