"We deeply regret the exit of the public broadcast stations ARD and ZDF regarding the live-coverage of the Tour de France. Some incorrigible persons succeeded in enforcing a cutback of the media coverage. Million of cycling fans will have to suffer from this.

For us as the sponsor of the single professional cycling team Team MILRAM in Germany, we need to reassess the value of our sponsorship. This will be possible by the end of this year after we estimated the complete impact on the advertising effect regarding our brand MILRAM for 2009.

Cycling is again at a turning point. We will paricipate actively in all discussions regarding a new way of cycling in Germany".