The expanded rider roster that includes current and previous World champions Cadel Evans and Alessandro Ballan is already paying dividends for the BMC Racing Team, as it has announced invitations to more of next year’s early season races. Having already been confirmed for the Santos Tour Down Under, BMC Racing has now been invited to two of the more prestigious warm up races, both situated in the Middle East.
“We are extremely happy that the organizers for the Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Oman have invited us to their races for the 2010 season,” said Director Sportif John Lelangue. “These are two perfect stage races with which to begin our assault on the new season.”
The Tour of Qatar will run from February 7th to 12th and the Tour of Oman from February 14th to 19th and should both provide good training for riders as they prepare for the cobbled and Ardennes classics.
“The team for Qatar will most likely be led by riders Alessandro Ballan and Marcus Burghardt,” savd Lelengue. “And with John Murphy, we will have an excellent sprinter present,”
“The Oman parcours is substantially more selective than Qatar,” he continued, “and the final time trial is particularly suited for Brent [Bookwalter].”
“Within six weeks our team will be present on four continents. The January training camp takes place in California. In the same month we will participate at the Tour Down Under in Australia. In February we will find ourselves on the Asian continent for Qatar and Oman, as well as start our first races in Europe.”