Team Milram's wheels grind to a halt
Team Milram will not continue into the 2011 season. Dutch team manager Gerry van Gerwen has been one of the handful of team leaders who encountered severe difficult in finding financial support for the
next year. Bbox managed to be saved at the last minute, but Milram did not.
"It's never fun to do. We talked to a number of sponsors for a long time. Also, we were even close to a contract, but it fell through at the last minute," said van Gerwen to Dutch newspaper
De Telegraaf. “We have even applied for a ProTour license for 2011, but we have to give up.”
The team was formed in Italy into 2006 by Gianluigi Stanga. Van Gerwen was the business manager from the beginning but took over the team in 2008 and moved it to Germany. On Monday, the UCI published the
list of ProTour and Pro Continental teams for 2011, so it’s too late for Milram, but van Gerwen intends to rebuild the team in 2012.
“In 2011 we won't have a team, but we have invested in different contacts for later. We don't know whether it will succeed, but in 2012 the intention is to come back with a new cycling team,” he said.
“I've noticed that several companies might yet be interested. It takes time, but I am confident that it will manage to have one year to set a new team.”
Most of the top riders have already signed with other teams. Christian Knees, Luke Roberts and Thomas Rohregger will be riding for Australian team Pegasus Sports next year, which was notably absent from
the list released by the UCI, an error which has not yet been explained. Pegasus sports is built by Chris White, on the foundations of Fly V Australia, and in its application for ProTour status has already fulfilled the requirements for a Pro Continental license.
“It must be a mistake because I know the team applied for a ProTour licence,” said new Pegasus signing Robbie McEwen. “Someone accompanied the whole application dossier from Brisbane to Switzerland last
week.”
Milram’s Gerald Ciolek and Niki Terpstra have signed with QuickStep. 26-year-old Terpstra is the Dutch national champion and a Track World Championships medalist.
"I'm very glad to be able to race next year in a top team like team Quick Step,” said Terpstra. “Personally this is a great opportunity and I hope to repay the faith Patrick Lefevere has shown in me with
performances that will measure up to his expectations.”
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