Milram around the world

Milram riders are currently spread out over three continents to prepare for the season and depending on their locale they face different weather patterns. The faction of the team currently in Australia to prepare for the Tour Down Under is suffering from a heat wave. The riders in Mallorca complain about the cold weather and the rain. For Linus Gerdeman it was too much, so he flew to South Africa, where it is sunny and warm.

Gerdemann left Mallorca last weekend and flew to Cape Town, South Africa, the team confirmed. The 26-year-old was forced to miss training last month due to an intestinal infection, and is not yet in form for the season. He will stay in the sunshine and warm temperatures he found in South Africa to keep working on his preparations.

The hard winter that has swept much of Europe hit Mallorca, too, requiring the riders to test out their new winter clothing. But it didn't stop them from training. Directeur Sportif Christian Henn noted that the team rented a Vespa for day two and three, "and did some intensive training with the Qatar squad plus Gerald Ciolek."

The "very hot" category belongs to the seven riders currently in Adelaide, Australia, where they face temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit). "This must be what it feels like to ride a bike in a sauna," captain Christian Knees said on the team's website, team-milram.com. The good news is that the temperatures are supposed to drop over the next few days.(SW)