The BMC Racing Team has denied reports that US phenom Taylor Phinney has already signed a deal with the team, contradicting reports circulating in the media this afternoon.
Phinney has also dismissed the claims via Twitter, saying ‘for the record, I have not signed ANYTHING with anyone yet.’
They were responding to reports carried on various websites, which said the rider had sealed a four year deal, running between 2011 and 2014.
However it does looks increasingly probable that the 20 year old is heading to the team of Cadel Evans and George Hincapie, with Trek/Livestrong directeur sportif Axel Merckx telling Sporza that the rider is ‘likely’ to go to the US squad.
Phinney is currently on a trial with Team RadioShack but has reportedly been offered a contract of up to four years with BMC Racing. He recently made it clear that he wanted to secure a long-term contract when turning pro, saying that the likelihood that RadioShack would sponsor Johan Bruyneel’s team for just one year more meant that he was looking elsewhere.
BMC Racing Team has described today’s reports of his signing as being premature. Efforts to reach his agent to determine the exact status of negotiations have not yet been successful. It is thought that several teams are interested in him.
2010 has been a very successful season for Phinney, 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.
Several weeks ago he began a stagiaire trial with Team RadioShack and has settled in strongly, winning the prologue and time trial of the recent Tour of Utah.
The son of former Tour de France stage winner Davis Phinney and Olympic gold medallist Connie Carpenter Phinney, he is regarded as perhaps the most exciting young talent in many years in US cycling. Should he seal the deal to race with the BMC Racing Team, he will line out alongside world champion Cadel Evans, former champ Alessandro Ballan and current US national champion George Hincapie.