Gerolsteiner is hoping that the omens will be in its favour this year in the Circuit Cycliste de la Sarthe, which starts on Tuesday. Ronny Scholz finished third there in 2004, and Markus Fothen 2nd in 2005. Which Gerolsteiner rider does team manager Hans-Michael Holczer hope to see standing on top of the podium at the end of the race?
"Maybe Stefan Schumacher could play a role in the GC," Holczer said. The team has enough candidates for possible wins: Paris-Nice stage winner Markus Zberg, for example, or Tour de France stage winner Georg Totschnig, of whom Holczer says, "In looking forward to the Tour, he will probably want to prove how his condition is now."
The team also has two top candidates for stage wins: Michael Rich will carry the team's hopes in the 8.8 km time trial Wednesday, while sprinter Robert Förster is eager to show that he has recovered from the concussion he suffered last week in a training crash.
Gerolsteiner for Sarthe: Robert Förster, Volker Ordowski, Michael Rich, Stefan Schumacher, Georg Totschnig, Markus Zberg.
Kopp and Haussler lead in Gent-Wevelgem
The team is looking to David Kopp and Heinrich Haussler to bring in top results in Wednesday's Gent-Wevelgem. "A place in the top ten is possible and would be great," said directeur sportif Christian Henn. "Above all, we can't let ourselves be dropped." As a key point he named the Kemmelberg, which is climbed twice shortly before the end of the race. If his riders are still in the leading group, then they should have good chances to win. Sprinters have often won Gent-Wevelgem, he noted, and both Kopp and Haussler are not only good classics riders but also good sprinters: "maybe the combination will bring success!"
Gerolsteiner for Gent-Wevelgem: Thomas Fothen, Rene Haselbacher, Heinrich Haussler, Frank Hoj, David Kopp, Sebastian Lang, and Peter Wrolich.
