Van Gerwen optimistic about Milram continuing beyond 2010

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Team Milram Team Manager Gerry van Gerwen has not given up hope for the future of the Germany's only ProTour team. says that the search for a new backer is going “better than expected”.

Dairy company Nordmilch AG has been title sponsor for five years but their contract expires the end of this year. The company has said it does not wish to renew the contract, although it has indicated it may stay as minor sponsor.

“I can't imagine, that the team will end,” van Gerwen told the German news agency dpa. “II don't want it to stop. It will not stop.”

He revealed there has been interest from potential sponsors: “A few sponsors have come to us” and opened discussions, the Dutchman said. “That surprised me. But I don't want to give a status update, I can only say: Things are going better than expected.”

Van Gerwen hopes to know his future by July 21. “No later than the second rest day at the Tour de France, I want to say whether we will continue or not.”

van Gerwen refuses to give up hope for the future of the team and neither will his Tour de France captain Linus Gerdemann. “I think that German cycling is improving again, step by step,” he said, knowing that the team's future may partially depend on his performance in July. “I'm hungry for success. We want to show that it is worthwhile to invest in us.”

The 27-year-old added that doping controls were no problem. “We are glad that we are often controlled, because then our credibility increases.”