The BMC Racing Team heads to the Tour of Qatar, which starts on Sunday, February 3rd, with a number of options in its line up. The American team has selected a number of it’s strongest Classics specialists to take advantage of the windy conditions, as well as a sprinter and its top time triallist.
The team’s riders have recently spent two weeks at in Spain, training in windy conditions, which assistant directeur sportif Jackson Stewart hopes will stand them in good stead for the usually windswept desert race.
"I think we have a very strong team for a number of scenarios, especially making the selections created by the wind," he explained. "I will be looking for riders like Marcus Burghardt, Michael Schär and Greg Van Avermaet to make those smaller selections when they appear."
The team’s sprinter will be British rider Adam Blythe, who finished second to Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Tom Boonen in the first stage of last year’s race - his debut in Qatar - and finished tenth overall to the Belgian. American time trial specialist Taylor Phinney will be making his third appearance in the race, which he sees as the best way to start the season.
"Personally, I love the Tour of Qatar," he said. "The hotel where we stay is the best of the year and the organisation of the race is fantastic.
“I am especially looking forward to it this time around because for the first time in my career I am coming off of a problem-free winter,” he explained. “I am very strong and confident after last season and can't wait to be in sunny and windy Qatar mixing it up with my BMC Racing Team boys and our competitors."
BMC Racing Team for the Tour of Qatar
Adam Blythe, Brent Bookwalter, Marcus Burghardt, Yannick Eijssen, Taylor Phinney, Michael Schär, Greg Van Avermaet, Larry Warbasse