Zabel to lead Milram team at Gent

Erik Zabel leads Team MILRAM in Gent-Wevelgem

Last-minute line-up change after poor showing in Hel van Het Mergelland

This coming Wednesday, April 9, Team MILRAM will be at the start of the second big Belgian one-day classic, Gent-Wevelgem (UCI ProTour). The team management has made a last-minute change in the line-up of the German ProTour team for the 70th running of this race through West Flanders. After a poor showing by the team last Saturday in Hel van Het Mergelland, Directeurs Sportif Antonio Bevilaqua and Raoul Liebregts have decided to go with their Flanders-experienced riders around captain Erik Zabel.

“When riders present themselves in a race as part of our team did Saturday in the Netherlands, then they need to re-think not only their own performance but also their whole attitude toward their profession,“ said Gerry van Gerwen, Team MILRAM’s general manager. “We are happy to give one or the other of them time now to do that. After all, Gent-Wevelgem is a big race in which we want to present ourselves in the best way.“

The Spring Classic has been run in the western Belgian province since 1934. In contrast to most of the Belgian one-day races, the course is relatively flat, giving the sprinters a chance to take the win. Only two Germans have won the race in its long history. Current Team High Road riders Andreas Klier and Marcus Burghardt won the race in 2003 and 2007, respectively. MILRAM sprinter Alessandro Petacchi took his team’s best finish ever there with a third place in 2006.

The MILRAM line-up: Artur Gajek (GER/Bergisch Gladbach), Christian Knees (GER/Euskirchen), Enrico Poitschke (GER/Gera), Erik Zabel (GER/Unna), Fabio Sabatini (ITA/(ITA/Monsummano Terme), Luca Barla (ITA/Imperia), Markus Eichler (GER/Mönchengladbach), Martin Müller (GER/Berlin)

Directeurs Sportif: Antonio Bevilaqua (ITA), Raoul Liebregts (NED)