The leaders of the BMC Racing Team will get their seasons underway on Sunday, with Tour de France champion Cadel Evans lining out in the Trofeo Palma de Mallorca in Spain, and Philippe Gilbert and Thor Hushovd heading a separate squad in the Tour of Qatar.
Each of those recently fine-tuned their form at the team training camp in Denia, Spain, and are now ready to start clocking up the racing kilometres as they build towards their first goals of the season.
The Mallorca Challenge series of races will be held over four rather than the usual five days this year; Evans will do two of those, thus easing him into competition. “I'm not changing very much this season when it comes to my preparation,” he said. “Of course, I always look to improve wherever possible. But after 16 years of doing it, the improvements may not be that great that I can make. But if there's any way we can improve, we will.”
Evans followed a precise training and racing schedule last year to ensure that he was in top condition for the Tour de France. He’d finished second twice in the past but went one better in July, beating Andy and Frank Schleck in Paris.
He’ll follow a very similar programme this season in order to ensure that he is in prime shape for both the Tour and the Olympic Games, his two main ambitions for the year.
The nature of the Challenge Mallorca races means that riders can dip in and out where they wish. Although there is an overall classification awarded, that is calculated on those riders who do all four days of racing; others can elect to do one stage, skip the next, then line out again. It’s easier on the system than starting with a more typical stage race, and syncs well with the training the riders may have been doing on the island.
“The first day is a sprinter's race, the second is more of a transitional, rolling course and the last two are very mountainous,” explained the BMC Racing Team assistant directeur sportif Michael Sayers. “For the guys who will be doing the Volta ao Algarve, the last day will be a good one for them to test themselves.”
A total of 13 BMC Racing Team riders will compete during the four days. Also starting their seasons there are the American Tejay Van Garderen, who this week was said by George Hincapie to be a future Tour de France contender, and the multiple Italian TT champion Marco Pinotti. The squad can enter up to nine riders on each day of competition.
Meanwhile Hushovd, Gilbert and another talented young American, Taylor Phinney, are getting their own seasons underway in Qatar. Also set to compete there are the Briton Adam Blythe, the Belgian Klaas Lodewijk and the Swiss trio Martin Kohler, Michael Schär and Danilo Wyss.
Gilbert is building up for what he aims to be another dominant showing in the Classics and short stage races. He’s happy to compete in Qatar. “I like this race because it's put on by Eddy Merckx, meaning it's well organized,” he said, referring to his compatriot and cycling’s top rider in history. “It's also good preparation for the wind and to get a good feeling of racing with my new teammates.”
BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue names three riders that he thinks could perform particularly well there. “We know we have a few guys who can make some good results,” he said. “In the sprints we'll be counting on Adam Blythe, Thor Hushovd and Taylor Phinney.”
BMC Racing Team selections:
Trofeo Palma de Mallorca (Feb. 5-8):
Marcus Burghardt (GER), Stephen Cummings (GBR), Yannick Eijssen (BEL), Cadel Evans (AUS), Mathias Frank (SUI), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Steve Morabito (SUI), Marco Pinotti (ITA), Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Mauro Santambrogio (ITA), Johann Tschopp (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA).
Sport Directors: Michael Sayers (USA) and Max Sciandri (ITA/GBR)
Tour of Qatar (Feb. 5-10):
Adam Blythe (GBR), Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Thor Hushovd (NOR), Martin Kohler (SUI), Klaas Lodewijk (BEL), Taylor Phinney (USA), Michael Schär (SUI), Danilo Wyss (SUI).
Directeur Sportif: John Lelangue (BEL)