Team Milram happy with season so far

Team Milram is happy with the balance the first part of the 2007 season. With six stage wins, a tour victory, ten second places, and two third places, the German-Italian team said it was off to "a perfect start."

After a long break due to injury, top sprinter Alessandro Petacchi seems back on track. After three second places in the Tour of Qatar, he scored his first win since last year. The win came as a relief to Petacchi on his road to recovery and opened the door to further successes. At the upcoming Milan-Sanremo, Petacchi will be joined by teammate, another favourite sprinter, Erik Zabel.

Already in 2007, Petacchi has won a stage at the Gran Premio Costa degli Etruschi, a stage and overall at the Volta ao Algarve, and a stage win in the Valencia Tour. The team takes Petacchi's performances as a good sign. They noted that two years ago, he won Milan-San Remo after winning the same stage of the Valencia.

"So far the season has passed very well for us. I am pleased particularly for Alessandro that he found his way back to his old form," said Team Manager Gianluigi Stanga optimistically,

Italian Mirco Lorenzetto brought the team a final stage win at the Mediterranean Tour, and new acquisition Marcel Sieberg took second at the Belgian Kuurne Brussels Kuurne. "It's nice to see how well our new signings like Marcel Sieberg have slotted into the team," said Stanga.

After a long six-day season, Zabel is taking a slower approach to the beginning of the road season, but Stanga expects he will find his form later in the season.