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STAGE 11: TEAM OF THE DAY: MILRAM
June 25, 2008
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Milram
Registered Nation: Germany
Bicycles: Colnago
Components: Shimano
Key Riders: Erik Zabel, Andrei Grivko, Christian Knees
Title Sponsors: Milram: Nordmilch Dairy
Milram was formed at the beginning of 2006 from the ashes of the Domina Vacanze team. The team was designed around top sprinters Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel with a mix of German and Italian support riders. 2006 was rough with sprinter Alessandro Petacchi crashing out of the Giro d'Italia, while Erik Zabel did his best to fill the void by winning the sprinter's jersey at the Tour of Germany, took two stages of the Vuelta a Espana and was second at the 2006 World Championships.
In 2007 Alessandro Petacchi came back and won five stages of the Giro d'Italia and Paris-Tours. The team suffered another major setback during the 2007 Giro, when Petacchi tested positive for the drug salbutamol. Petacchi had a TUE certificate to use salbutamol in the treatment of asthma, but his level was above the UCI's limit. Petacchi was then absolved by the FCI when they deemed that overuse of Salbutamol was simple human error. The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) then argued that Petacchi should be suspended and sent the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On May 6, 2008 the Court of Arbitration for Sport banned Petacchi until the end of August and as a result of his suspension Team Milram released Petacchi on May 16, 2008.
For 2008 Team Milram has become a German registered team focused on the Tour de France and the development of young riders. In the 2008 season the team has won nine races with eight of the team's victories coming from Petacchi before his termination. Watch for Zabel to mix it up once again in the Tour sprints, while talented Ukranian Grivko will be looking for stage wins and a possible top-twenty performance
on gc.
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