Taylor Phinney hopes to capitalise on his top form - and bounce back from the disappointment of just missing out on an Olympic medal, with fourth place in both the road race and time trial - as he leads the BMC Racing Team to the Eneco Tour. The seven day race begins on Monday, August 6th, and features a variety of stages, including a team time trial, which will give teams pointers towards the first ever event of its kind at the World championships in September.
Phinney also finished fourth in last year’s race but has stepped up this season, with his victory in the Giro d’Italia’s opening time trial, and finished just 1’58” behind Bradley Wiggins in the British rider’s home Olympics.
"Last year I was on a level that I would consider a lot lower than where I am now," said Phinney. "I'd like to go back this time and win the team time trial and the short time trial and I think we have a shot to win the race overall."
Phinney isn't the only one enjoying good form, according to the team’s assistant director Max Sciandri.
"Klaas Lodewyck is going well, as is Greg Van Avermaet and Adam Blythe won earlier this week in Paris-Corrèze," he said. "So we're definitely motivated to go for the overall."
Last year’s race was won by Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen, ahead of BMC Racing’s Philippe Gilbert, when he was an OmegaPharma-Lotto rider, although the former Belgian champion will not be part of the team’s line up this year.
BMC Racing Team for the Eneco Tour
Alessandro Ballan, Adam Blythe, Marcus Burghardt, Martin Kohler, Klaas Lodewyck, Taylor Phinney, Manuel Quinziato and Greg Van Avermaet