Linus Gerdemann leads Team Milram in Andalucia

Led by captain Linus Gerdemann, Team MILRAM will take on the 55th Vuelta a Andalucia (February 15-19/UCI 2.1) this coming Sunday.  The race was carried out in southern Spain for the first time in 1925, and belongs to the traditional race classics on the Iberian peninsula.  For this year's race, the riders of the German ProTour team will put in 669 kilometers in the saddle over five stages.

„I am in a very good form for this early in the season and was satisifed with my first race,“ said MILRAM captain Linus Gerdemann.  „We worked very well together as a team on Mallorca.  In Andalucia we will try to make another step forward.“

Under the direction of Ralf Grabsch, a total of seven MILRAM riders will be at the start of of the Spanish race.  Newcomer Paul Voß, third in the Geman cyclo-cross championships, will put in his first racing kilometers on the road for the 2009 season in southern Spain.  The team for the Ruta del Sol, in addition to Gerdemann and Voß, contains Luca Barla, Servais Knaven, Martin Müller, Wim Stroetinga, and Martin Velits.

The opener for the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol, to give it its official name, is a 7.3 kilometer long prologue through the city of Jaen.  A look at the profile of the race shows clearly that most of the riders will face their first large climbs and mountains of the season in Andalucia.  In the long tradition of this classic race, only four Germans have been able to win.  In 1964, Rudi Altig was the first to win, followed by „Didi“ Thurau 1979, Rolf Götz 1985 and 1987, and Erik Zabel 1997.

Team MILRAM at the Vuelta a Andalucia:
Linus Gerdemann (GER/Kreuzlingen,SUI), Luca Barla (ITA/Sanremo-Imperia), Servais Knaven (BEL/Meerlen), Martin Müller (GER/Berlin), Wim Stroetinga (NED/DC Oldeberkoop), Martin Velits (SVK/Riemst,BEL), Paul Voß (GER/Bielefeld)
Directeur Sportif:  Ralf Grabsch (GER)

The Stages 2009:
15. February, Prologue:   Jaén - Jaén 7,3 Km
16. February, 1st  Stage: La Guardia de Jaén - Humilladero 169,2 Km
17. February, 2nd Stage: Vegas del Genil - Córdoba 164,2 Km
18. February, 3rd Stage: Marbella – Benahavis 162,5 Km
19. February, 4th Stage: Torrox Costa - Antequera 165,8 Km
Total length: 669 km

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