UCI decision enables team to build towards the future
The BMC Racing Team has, as might be expected, expressed satisfaction with the news that it has been awarded a ProTeam licence for 2011. The squad of 2009 world champion Cadel Evans, 2008 champ Alessandro Ballan and top American riders George Hincapie and Taylor Phinney should have the automatic right to participation in cycling’s biggest events next season, joining 17 other teams in that regard.
“I’m very happy because we have had a vision to always be one of the top teams and this confirm it,” team owner Andy Rihs said in response to the news. “It also reflects well on what we have accomplished to date and it fits perfectly together with our program as a race team and with BMC bicycles as the title sponsor.”
BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz commented on the rights of participation, saying that was a big plus for the team and one which will enable a clear structuring of the race programme.
“What this means is that we can certainly prepare the team better and have more opportunities for success throughout the year,” he said. “We are proud to be included as members in this prestigious group and thank the UCI for their confidence.”
The team moved up a level last winter when it signed major names such as Evans, the rainbow jersey wearer, Ballan and Hincapie, who was the reigning US champion at the time. The latter was the first rider to give a reaction, and was both brief and upbeat. “I am very proud to be part of this organization and look forward to a successful 2011 season.”
Today’s news continues the growth of a team which set out a few years ago as a much smaller squad. Directeur Sportif John Lelangue said that gaining ProTeam status was a very important step in its development. World under 23 time trial champion Taylor Phinney is the highest profile new signing, being an investment for the future, and Lelangue said that today’s news meant that the team can continue that long range approach.
“We can bring in young riders, for example, and build with them for the future – already looking forward to Paris-Roubaix or the Classics – in two or three years,” he explained. Still, he knows that the team has to keep achieving in the short term too, given that the UCI now keeps a tighter annual control on the licences. “We still have to race well to preserve this level and be sure at the end of the year we can stay ProTeam for the upcoming years,” he said.
The team will now continue preparing for its first race of the 2011 season, the Santos Tour Down Under. It begins on January 16th. Before then, the rider and management will get together shortly for its first training camp, introducing the new riders to the team and getting in some important pre-season workouts.