Sports Betting Blog

By Emeli Dean

Since the Team Gerolsteiner announced its breakup in August last year we have been fearing for the German cycling, as there is only one team left. The remaining professional cycling squad, existent since 2006, is sponsored by Milram a brand of the German dairy company Nordmilch. The Team Milram was planning to take this chance to have a fresh start with the best German cyclists and even team manager Gerry van Gerwen said proudly: “This will be a team which will lie at my heart”.

A few months after those firm words, the world for Milram seemed to fall apart as the sponsor did want to back out of the contract which is supposed to apply until 2010. According to a press release the reasons for this decision were the “different opinions about the business policy”. How much of truth there is on this rumor, we don’t know. But it is certain that the Team Milram will participate in all tours of the 2009 season; what will happen in the next one is still unsure.

Another reason for the retreat of sponsors in the German cycling world is the doping crisis and the subsequent declining amount of supporters such as fans and broadcasting companies. The two German television stations ARD and ZDF have not yet clearly declare a pro or contra about the reporting of several races. The fear to take a wrong decision is big.

During last year’s October, ARD announced his back out of the live broadcast of the 2009 Tour de France and the possibility of neither broadcast the Deutschland-Tour. Despite it, in the last days we were able to read in the newspapers that the TV station is considering a live broadcast of the Tour –at least partially. The ARD spokesman Peter Meyer said in an interview: “Of course we will report about the tour, just the way and the dimension is up in the air. If there will be live parts will be decided from the ARD director.”

Milram wants to start with the slogan ‘Everything will be new – everything will be different’ in the new season and hopes for improvement. Since the retirement of the German cycling star Erik Zabel, the team is now led by the 26-year-old Linus Gerdemann winner of the 2008 Deutschland-Tour and the sprinter Gerald Ciolek, both formerly partners from the Team Columbia. The team hopes for more success this year and wants to participate in every race with higher offensive.

Van Gerwen is happy for another year and even though he knows that it could be the last one, he is positive and ready for the new challenge: “We have selected our members as in a football team. We have sprinters, climbers and all-rounders. Every position has its own quality. We want to show everybody that the cycling sport is worthy to be shown in the TV.”

The Team Milram is participating in the 2009 UCI Pro Tour that started on January 20th with the Tour Down Under; this race of six stages summed a total distance of 802 kilometers and finished on January 25th with the Australian Allan Davis as its new winner.

About the Author

Emeli Dean is a high-ranking writer on sports for the football betting industry. You can also find more of his work at http: www.instantactionsports.com

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