Dortmund, Germany  - Germany's Milram cycling team Wednesday presented its new line-up vowing to make a fresh start for the 2009 season as the country's last major team in the sport.

"The focus is on us. It is an opportunity but also a great responsibility," team manager Gerry van Gerwen said.

Milram has chosen a young team with 17 of its 25 riders from Germany, led by two captains in Linus Gerdemann and Gerald Ciolek.

The team's future had been in doubt, but dairy products company Nordmilch agreed in December to remain team sponsor until the end of 2010.

Nordmilch had reviewed its engagement after cycling continued to make negative headlines with doping cases, prompting German state networks ARD and ZDF to decide that they woould not be broadcasting the 2009 Tour de France.

"Whoever is caught doping will be out," said Claus Peter Fischer, member of the Nordmilch board.

"We are reviewing our budget every year and find ourselves in a difficult position. We need heroes again in cycling."

Milram is the last major German team in the sport. Deutsche Telekom quit as sponsor last year over several doping cases. Gerolsteiner ends its engagement on December 31, with team principle Hans-Michael Holczer unable to find a new sponsor.

Milram is starting the year under the motto, "Everything new - Everything different" and has pledged "maximum transparency" on doping. Last year it cancelled contracts with former world champion Igor Astarloa and sprinter Alessandro Petacchi as a result of doping suspicions.

Van Gerwen said the team had all-round quality and would be riding every race to win.

"The mixture of young riders and experienced pros is a good one and the combination of team unity and individual class will enable us to perform at the highest level," he said. (dpa)