Team Milram earlier today confirmed the signing of the Gerolsteiner duo Robert Förster and Ronny Scholz for the coming season.  The two German riders have each signed a one-year contract.  The Dortmund-based team has now hired eight riders from Team Gerolsteiner – the team that is set to fold at the end of 2008, with a total of twelve new riders coming for next season.

“We have won two experienced riders in Ronny Scholz and Robert Förster, who will strengthen our team“, said Gerry van Gerwen, General Manager of Team MILRAM. He added that “Ronny Scholz is very experienced and a good helper.  Robert Förster will surely bring us a few wins.“

Robert Förster strengthens Team MILRAM sprinter arsenal.  The 30-year-old rider has won stages in the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a Espana and the Deutschland Tour.  The runner-up German champion from 2005 this year won the one-day Dutch Food Valley Classic, two stages in the Volta ao Algarve and a stage in the Tour of Poland this past Fall.

“I am looking forward to the new season“, said Förster, who is currently on vacation.  “It was enormously important to me, to ride for another German team.“

Ronny Scholz comes to Team MILRAM as an experienced helper.  The 30-year-old German can look to five Tour de France participations (2004-2008) and has also ridden the Giro d'Italia twice (2003 and 2006).  The allrounder was born in the town of Forst and currently lives with his family in the city of Herrenberg.  Despite his role as a helper the rider, who owns his own brand of coffee, has also been able to bring in wins.  Scholz won the Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt in 2002 and Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt in 2005.  He also brought in stage wins at the Niedersachsen Rundfahrt and the Regio Tour in 2003.

“I am very much looking forward to the new team and the new challenges“, Ronny Scholz said and added that “as a German rider, it is of course something special to ride on a German team.  I rode for Team Gerolsteiner for eight years and can't wait to see how I make the change from water to milk.“

Tour Captain Christian Knees, Markus Eichler and Dutch rider Niki Terpstra have all extended their contracts with Team Milram through 2010.  27-year-old Björn Schröder signed a one-year contract at the Vattenfall Cyclassics for the coming season.  The Dortmund team has hired ten other new riders for the next two years:  Germans Paul Voss (Team 3C-Gruppe), Johannes Fröhlinger, Matthias Russ, Thomas and Markus Fothen and Fabian Wegmann from Team Gerolsteiner, the two Dutch riders Wim Stroetinga (Ubbink-Syntec) and Servais Knaven (Team Columbia), as well as the two Austrians, Thomas Rohregger (Elk Haus-Simplon) and Peter Wrolich (previously Team Gerolsteiner).