Team milram

[horizon27]

Just a matter of interest what are your views on milram.Just recently got a bike after a long time a focus cayo.I got it because I thought it was great value and team milram were using them.

Anyway I have been keeping an eye on them all year.I have only seen 1 victory on the tv.I have heard that a few years ago milram were quite good.I know they were based in Italy now its Germany.I think they have started over so to speck,but they dont seem to be much good.

Is it the bike or is it just that they are not much good.I am very satisfayed with my focus bike.Could the bike really be the problem or are they just a bit crap as a team?

P.S I know team milram use a focus Izalco not a cayo

 

[rgmerk]

Bikes = much of a muchness

Assuming it's the right size, you could give Alberto Contador your Focus Cayo, and he still would have won the Tour by pretty much the same margin as he did.

If Milram aren't performing as well as they should, it's the engines, not the bikes.

 

[issoisso]

According to pretty much everyone who's left the team recently, the team is stuck in the stone age.

They give the riders leeway to train whichever way they want, but don't offer any advice or help.

Riders ask for training help. They get none. They ask for trainers. They don't get any. They ask for nutritionists. They don't get any. They ask for wind tunnel testing. They get none. They ask for bike fits. They get none.

And so on.

No wonder they get no results.

Martin Velits had an interview a few weeks back where he said the guys at Columbia were shocked when he and his brother showed up to do some track testing a while back. Apparently they commented on the two of them's "awful pedalling style" and how that couldn't possibly be efficient.

According to Martin, the riders were aware they had a problem, but the team wouldn't hear of any requests for help.

"Just get on with it and get results".

Ronny Scholz complained the team doesn't care in the slightest about most races. The riders are just instructed to ride the vast majority of races for training miles, not encouraged to try anything in the slightest unless it's a big race.

It saddens me to see the talent go to waste. Ciolek especially. Most fans haven't yet realized how uniquely talented he is. He has elite sprinting speed....but so much more. He's extremely well rounded and it's sad to see go to waste the talent of a guy who could be winning all types of races.

 

[Psalmon]

According to pretty much everyone who's left the team recently, the team is stuck in the stone age.

Interesting insights. Outside looking in it seems that way, almost like an institutional team rather than competitive, almost invisible in the 09 Tour.

The company who sponsors them isn't much better in terms of performance. Nordmilch is the largest German diary company, one of top 10 in the EU, and only clears 40 M Euro in earnings on 2.5 B in sales. Must be the cows fault.

At this point they are the last German PT sponsor, but only renewed their license for one year, 2010 (commitment? ). Zabel and Petacchi had some wins in 06-07 (basically their only threats then/ever), but 08 was weak due to the latter's Salbutamol mess and Zabel's age.

Linus (pronounced Leeenus) Gerdemann has moved there now. You may remember he won a Tour stage and held the MJ for a day in 2007 by soloing away on the Colombiere to Grand Bournand (the same stage finish where Contador attacked and isolated himself in 09). Everyone thought he was the next Jan until the next day's climb to Tignes. It would be nice to see him develop into a contender, but based on what IssoIsso says, unlikely.

German cycling is really in the dumps. T-mobile left for 08, Gerolsteiner for 09 along with the German TV live Tour broadcasts, all due to doping revelations. I'm wondering if these guys (Nordmilch) are just trying to keep it alive for a while until some new German sponsors can be brought back in. That may explain the results and approach there.

 

[fatandfast]

I assumed that Milram would drop the team and sponsor a German Tour, Lots of the beer companies ducked out and I don't think the fit is right for the brand.

 

[joy118118]

Martin Velits had an interview a few weeks back where he said the guys at Columbia were shocked when he and his brother showed up to do some track testing a while back.

Any link about the story?

 

[issoisso]

Any link about the story?

I honestly can't remember where I saw it, sorry.

But I'm told the latest issue of procycling magazine also has similar comments from Columbia staff (I can't guarantee, I don't actually have it,)

 

[Parcours]

I honestly can't remember where I saw it, sorry.

But I'm told the latest issue of procycling magazine also has similar comments from Columbia staff (I can't guarantee, I don't actually have it,)

The new procycling magazine has a piece on all of the new recruits at columbia and interviews with them all. The Velits brothers mention in there that the Columbia staff are shocked at their awful riding positions etc.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Just a matter of interest what are your views on milram.Just recently got a bike after a long time a focus cayo.I got it because I thought it was great value and team milram were using them.

Anyway I have been keeping an eye on them all year.I have only seen 1 victory on the tv.I have heard that a few years ago milram were quite good.I know they were based in Italy now its Germany.I think they have started over so to speck,but they dont seem to be much good.

Is it the bike or is it just that they are not much good.I am very satisfayed with my focus bike.Could the bike really be the problem or are they just a bit crap as a team?

P.S I know team milram use a focus Izalco not a cayo

A team mate of Eddy's once said(that's Eddy Merckx), " Eddy can win on my bike, I can't win on his."

It's not about the bike. (where have I heard that before?)

 

[horizon27]

So milram are run by a bunch of muppets.They appeared at least from the outside,to be run by experts now I know they are not.Its a shame because It would be fun to know how good is the focus Izalco.

I mean compared the the trek madone or the giant tcr sl and so forth.It seems the milram cyclists are badly trained and badly prepared for the pro circuit.

 

[leftover pie]

best thing about milram are their jerseys.



milram.