Management

BMC RACING TEAM (BMC) - USA

The UCI WorldTour consists of the best 18 team in men’s professional cycling and the BMC Racing Team is rightly known as one of the sports super teams.

The USA-registered, Swiss-based squad includes 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, the world’s number one ranked rider and multiple classics winner Philippe Gilbert and 2010 world road race champion Thor Hushovd.

Evans became the first Australian to ever win the Tour de France, completing a long and often difficult transformation from a cross-country mountain biker that began in 2001. The multi-talented rider has overcome major crashes and disappointed to win in France and will naturally focus on a second win in 2012.

Gilbert had a difficult start to 2012 but he is also hoping to again impress in the hilly classics thanks to his tactical skills and fast finish. He must be the number-one favourite for the 2012 world road race title that ends on the Cauberg climb, not for from his home in Belgian Ardennes.

Hushovd was deeply disappointed not to win Paris-Roubaix while wearing the world champion’s rainbow jersey in 2011 and will again target the cobbled roads of northern France this year. As he proved during the Tour de France, he is also a prolific stage winner and so should never be overlooked, even if the terrain does not initially suit his powerful build.

BMC is also building for the future with a mix of experienced veteran and talented young riders. The USA’s Tejay Van Garderen has joined compatriot Taylor Phinney at the BMC Racing Team and British sprinter Adam Blythe continues to progress and pick up speed. Van Garderen impressed in stage races last year and is tipped as a possible future American Tour de France winner. He showed his potential in this year’s Paris-Nice by winning the best young rider’s white jersey.

Mentoring this plethora of young talent are George Hincapie –who will be hoping to set a new record of finishing his 17th Tour de France, and Italian role model and Giro d’Italia contender Marco Pinotti. Other riders that ensure the red and black BMC Racing Team jersey is also in the thick of racing action include Manuel Quinziato, Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt, new-signing Stephen Cummings and Greg Van Avermaet.