Milram injuries adding up

Team Milram's new motto must be "one step forward and two steps back". Artur Gajak has recovered from his injury, but two other riders have been put on the injured list. The two Italian riders Luca Barla and Fabio Sabatini will take an enforced break from racing, following crashes.

Barla dislocated his shoulder in a crash in the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya. The doctors popped it back in, but he has to wear a support bandage for two weeks and will be unable to race for at least a month. Fabio Sabatini hurt his knee in a crash in the Giro d'Italia. He continued to ride for several stages, but the pain caused him to pull out on Friday. Team manager Marlies van Gerwen said that he had a cartilage problem and would rest from training for a week.

The team is still without Martin Velits, who broke his wrist in the Ronde van Vlaanderen and isn't expected to race again until the end of August.

Gajek will return to racing in the Bayern Rundfahrt, which starts on Wednesday, for the first time, after suffering a serious bruise to his buttocks in a crash at the Tour of Turkey last month.(SW)