in july 2005, during the 2005 tour, vinokourov's contract was running out and people wondered if he was to stay with t-mobile. with four days left of the 2005 tour, he made an announcement that he would leave the team to pursue his own chances of winning the tour de france as a team captain and after the tour he joined the liberty seguros team. after 13 years with team telekom and t-mobile team, erik zabel also left in 2005 to ride for the newly formed team milram. before the 2006 season, walter godefroot stepped down and olaf ludwig became the new t-mobile team manager.