Previously considered a very likely signing for Team RadioShack, highly promising young American rider Taylor Phinney is reportedly considering other pro teams.
The 20 year old is currently on a trial with the RadioShack team but, according to the usually well-informed website www.cyclismag.com, he won’t put ink to paper for Johan Bruyneel’s squad.
It reports that he is close to sealing a deal with the team of current US champion George Hincapie and world champion Cadel Evans, BMC Racing.
The American squad is, however, playing down such suggestions.
Even if he isn’t heading to the American team, reports that he is considering destinations other that RadioShack are surprising. He has raced for the Trek-Livestrong development team for the past year and a half and it has very close ties to the ProTour squad. He was also made a stagiaire this summer and has been riding well.
In all, 2010 has been a very successful season for the rider, who is still just 20 years of age. He won the Olympias Tour earlier this year, taking the prologue plus four stages. He also won stage 4 of the Tour of the Gila, stage 2b of the Triptyque de Monts et Château, and successfully defended his world individual pursuit title at the track world championships.
He has settled in strongly during his stagiaire trial with Team RadioShack, winning the prologue and time trial of the recent Tour of Utah.
If the rumors prove true, it wouldn't be the first surprise aquisition by the BMC Racing team. Last year they pulled Evans over from the Belgian Omega Pharma-Lotto squad, a move that was part of further expanding their racing program to be competitive on the roads of Europe.