Zabel and Klöden make preliminary Worlds team for Germany

By Susan Westemeyer

Erik Zabel and Andreas Klöden have been named to the preliminary World Championship team, the German cycling federation announced Wednesday evening. The participation of both riders had been in question in light of Zabel's doping confession and the doping problems of Klöden's team, Team Astana. Organizers had said earlier this month they did not want Zabel to participate in the race. Zabel's team Milram stood behind the rider's participation and sent a letter on his behalf.

"The presidium of the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, after intensive discussion and consideration of not just athletic aspects, has agreed with a clear majority to nominate Erik Zabel. An important aspect was Erik Zabel's behavior following his doping confession," said BDR vice president Harald Pfab.

The BDR will name its final nominations for the men's races no later than September 18, for the U23 after the Tour de l'Avenir (September 6-15) and for the women after the Rund um deie Nürnberger Altstadt World Cup Race on September 16.

Men (2 starters time trial, nine starters road)
Burghardt, Marcus (T-Mobile)
Ciolek, Gerald (T-Mobile)
Fothen, Markus (Gerolsteiner)
Gerdemann, Linus (T-Mobile)
Grabsch, Bert (T-Mobile)
Haussler, Heinrich (Gerolsteiner)
Klier, Andreas (T-Mobile)
Klöden, Andreas (Team Astana)
Knees, Christian (Milram)
Kopp, David (Gerolsteiner)
Lang, Sebastian (Gerolsteiner)
Martens, Paul (Skil-Shimano)
Niermann, Grischa (Rabobank)
Scholz, Ronny (Gerolsteiner)
Schreck, Stephan (T-Mobile)
Schröder, Björn (Milram)
Schumacher, Stefan (Gerolsteiner)
Sieberg, Marcel (Milram)
Voigt, Jens (CSC)
Wegmann, Fabian (Gerolsteiner)
Zabel, Erik (Milram)

Women (2 starters time trial, 6 starters road)
Arndt, Judith (T-Mobile)
Becker, Charlotte (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)
Brodtka, Angela (Team Getränke Hoffmann)
Häusler, Claudia (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)
Keller, Luise (Team Flexpoint)
Kupfernagel, Hanka (Focus-Worldsportstar)
Lutz, Eva (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
Schleicher, Regina (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)
Teutenberg, Ina Yoko (T-Mobile)
Worrack, Trixi (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)

Men's U23 (2 starters time trial, 5 starters road)
Belka, Mathias ( RK Endspurt 09 Cottbus)
Fischer, Marcel (Frankfurter RC ´90)
Franzl, Michael (VfR Ansbach)
Geschke, Simon (Berliner TSC)
Gottfried, Alexander (Team Sparkasse)
Graf, Nico (Thüringer Energie Team)
Kittel, Marcel (Thüringer Energie Team)
Klemme, Dominik (Team 3C Lamonta)
Kux, Christian (Continental Team Milram)
Lehmann, Jörg (Frankfurter RC ´90)
Martin, Tony (Thüringer Energie Team)
Pfingsten, Christoph (Berliner TSC)
Roels, Dominik (Akud Rose)
Schäfer, Stefan (RK Endspurt 09 Cottbus)
Voss, Paul (Team 3C Lamonta)