American to lead BMC Racing in sponsors home race as final Tour de France preparation
Tejay van Garderen will lead the BMC Racing Team at the Tour de Suisse, one of the team sponsor’s two home WorldTour races, as he looks to carry on his California winning form. The 24-year-old form Washington, whose victory in the Tour of California came after his win in the tough, technical time trial stage, is likely to head into the Tour de France with the same protected status as 2011 winner Cadel Evans and will make his last preparation in the nine-day race, which starts on June 8th.
“It will be a good final preparation for the Tour de France,” van Garderen confirmed. “Coming off the good legs I had in California, it's another good chance for a result.”
With Evans sitting out both Suisse and the Critérium du Dauphiné after his Giro d’Italia third place, van Garderen will be fully supported by the BMC Racing Team in his Tour de Suisse campaign. World champion Philippe Gilbert will be part of the American's team again after his third place in last week's Tour of Belgium.
“We have confidence in Tejay coming out of California in good shape and we have four riders who helped him there who will be in Switzerland: Philippe Gilbert, Mathias Frank, Amaël Moinard and Michael Schär,” said BMC Racing general manager John Lelangue. “We know the whole race is pretty difficult and surely the last time trial, which finishes with a climb.”
As well as powerful rouleurs Marcus Burghardt and Greg Van Avermaet, van Garderen will also be supported by Martin Kohler, who was originally named this morning in BMC Racing’s Dauphiné line up. The Swiss champion will wear his national jersey in his home country one final time before he has to defend it at the end of the month, and his place will be taken in France by Italian Marco Pinotti.
BMC Racing Team for the Tour de Suisse
Marcus Burghardt, Mathias Frank, Philippe Gilbert, Martin Kohler, Amaël Moinard, Michael Schär, Greg Van Avermaet, Tejay van Garderen.