Liège

23-04-2009 13:56:05

Lüttich–Bastogne–Lüttich (UCI-Category  HIS) this coming Sunday, April 26, marks the end of the Ardennes Week for Team Milram.  At the start of this so-called Monument of Cycling will be both Fabian Wegmann and captain Linus Gerdemann.  In addition Christian Henn, Directeur Sportif, will look to Germans Johannes Fröhlinger, Christian Knees, Matthias Ruß and Björn Schröder, Slovakian Peter Velits and Austrian Peter Wrolich on the 250 kilometers with start and finish in Lüttich.

„That is a very special race on Sunday,“ according to team captain Linus Gerdemann.  „Because of the race profile, it is better for me than the Amstel Gold Race last weekend.  I feel very well right now and have prepared myself especially for Lüttich-Bastogne-Lüttich.“

Lüttich–Bastogne–Lüttich is one of the oldest one-day races in the world which is still being held.  It has been run since 1892 and therefore is nicknamed „La Doyenne“ (The Oldest).  Because of the hilly nature of the race through the Wallonian Ardennes, the Classic is considered to be one of the most challenging races in the world.  The second half of the 250 kilometer race is especially difficult.   In the last 80 kilometers there are nine of the short but extremely steep climbs, the so-called Cötes, plus the final climb to the finish line.

Eddy Merckx has the most wins of the „Doyenne“ with a total of five between 1969 and 1975.  The only German winners have been Hermann Busse in 1930 and Dietrich Thurau in 1979.

The Milram line-up: Johannes Fröhlinger (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau), Linus Gerdemann (GER/Kreuzlingen,SUI), Christian Knees (GER/Euskirchen), Matthias Ruß (GER/Oberried), Björn Schröder (GER/Berlin), Peter Velits (SVK/Riemst,BEL), Fabian Wegmann (GER/Freiburg im Breisgau), Peter Wrolich (AUT/Klagenfurt)

Directeur Sportif: Christian Henn (GER)