Phinney signs with BMC-Racing
Newly-crowned US national time-trial champion Taylor Phinney has announced today that he has signed a contract to ride the 2011 season with BMC-Racing team. The length of the contract remains unknown, but it can be presumed that it is at least two years,
since the short length of the contract available from Team RadioShack was a motivating factor in Phinney’s decision to look at other options.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to work with one of the world's most celebrated and gifted cyclists," said Jim Ochowicz, president of BMC-Racing.
The American has been riding for RadioShack’s feeder team, Trek-Livestrong, and was serving as a stagiaire for the parent team during the summer, but they’re sponsorship is only confirmed until the end of 2011 and so they are unable to offer a two-year contract.
"When Jim Ochowicz first sold my family and me on the program, we were just blown away with the way he and the BMC-Racing Team organization carried themselves," said Phinney. "They have a team with a lot of younger guys mixed with veteran riders and team
leaders like Evans, Hincapie and Ballan. It seemed like the right fit for me.”
20-year old Phinney, the track world champion in individual pursuit, and 21-year-old Ben King took an unprecedented surprise domination of the US national championships on the weekend by winning the time-trial and road race events respectively. Phinney will
have the freedom with BMC-Racing to continue to race on both the road and the track.
"Taylor will continue with his track racing goals and join the team on the road at events that will allow him to gain the necessary experience in selected professional events,” said Ochowicz. “He will be supported in these efforts by a highly successful
group of teammates all of which are eager to reach out and share their experiences with him."
The young American will be relocating to Lucca, Italy in 2011. Next week, he will be riding for the Under-23 American team in the UCI Road World Championships in Australia as a favourite for the time-trial competition.
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