Milram sends allrounders to Paris-Nice

Team Milram sends its all-rounder to Paris-Nice from March 8 to 15, with the hope of winning a stage. The squad has no clear captain, but several strong riders. Christian Knees, Markus Fothen, Thomas Rohregger, Niki Terpstra and Martin Velits will be supported by domestiques Martin Müller, Matthias Ruß and Thomas Fothen.

Knees said that "Our goal is that someone from the team wins a stage. It is only a question of time until one of us is the first over the finish line. The team makes a very strong and cohesive impression. My personal goal for Paris-Nice is quite simple: I want to ride a good race and be at the front in one stage."

Markus Fothen debuts in the race to the sun, as it is known for making its way from the winterly capital to the Mediterranean sunny south. "I am really excited, since I have already heard so much about the race," said Fothen. "I have a lot of respect for the weather and hope that it gets better every day."

Rohregger has already looked closely at the profile. "The first three flat stages will be decisive, since the wind and weather can often play a strong role here. The profile of the last three days is good for climbers like me. I am really looking forward to my first participation in Paris-Nice and think that we will place a deciding role in this race."

Both Knees and Terpstra have already raced in Paris-Nice last year. Then-teammate Andriy Grivko (now ISD) wore the leader's white jersey for two days.

The race will start with a prologue in Amilly, before heading south. Cyclingnews has the full preview.