Tim Roe signs to BMC-Racing
It has been announced that Australian Tim Roe has signed with BMC-Racing. The BMC-Racing Team is the home of defending world champion road cyclist Cadel Evans, who spent the first part of the season as the World Number One-ranked rider.
"Tim is one of the rising young stars of the future," said team president Jim Ochowicz. "He'll fit [in] comfortably with the other neo-pros we've signed."
20-year-old Roe is the second Trek-Livestrong rider to sign with the Switzerland-based (American-registered) team this week, after US national champion Taylor Phinney. Trek-Livestrong is the feeder for Lance Armstrong’s Team RadioShack, but Phinney decided
to look elsewhere when RadioShack was unable to offer anything longer than a one-year contract. The main sponsor could only confirm until the end of 2011, and Phinney preferred to begin his professional career with the stability of the long-term contract offered
by Ochowicz.
"The way the team is growing bigger and bigger every year is exciting," said Roe. "Already it is one of the best teams in the world. It's going to be fantastic to be able to race alongside Cadel and help him out."
21-year-old Yannick Eijssen has also been confirmed on the team, which is applying for a ProTour license for 2011, while they focus on long-term development rather than big wins in the short-term.
"They'll ride without any pressure next season," said Ochowicz. "We will put Tim and Yannick in the one-week stage races where they can learn from our leaders. The results will come in two or three years for those three guys."
Eijssen won the third stage of the Tour de l’Avenir, the same race that Roe and Phinney crashed in (together) and simultaneously had to abandon.
"I was set for a good ride and felt good, but I ended up on the ground there," said Roe. "Unfortunately, that ruined my hopes of competing in the World Championships."
If all goes as planned, the three riders will be competing together next year at the highest level of the sport.
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