Team News – Dennis Joins BMC

2014_June_PictonCycles_Banner.jpg

Commonwealth Games silver medallist from Australia Rohan Dennis set to join BMC

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Team News – Dennis Joins BMC

NOTE: Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Team Garmin-Sharp rider and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Rohan Dennis will begin competing for the BMC Racing Team Monday, Aug. 4, thanks to a rare, mid-season transfer agreement.

Dennis received clearance from Team Garmin-Sharp and approval by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) to join the BMC Racing Team under a contract that extends into the 2015 season. Cooperation from all parties cleared the way for the 24-year-old Australian to make the switch between the two U.S.-registered WorldTour teams. “Rohan is a great athlete, said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Team Garmin-Sharp.

“He has been a solid team member and together we have achieved great success, including a stage win at year’s Tour of California and the overall win of 2013 Tour of Alberta. However, we understood his desire to work again with his former director Allan Peiper, when he was given the opportunity to do so in 2015. Rather than prolong the inevitable, we came up with a rare transfer solution that works best for Rohan and both teams. We view this move as not only a good step for the athlete and teams, but as major progress in the way the sport of cycling handles rider transfers. We wish Rohan luck in his new team.”

Work With Peiper Again
BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said Dennis will make an immediate impact. “This vastly improves our ability to be competitive in races that have prologues and time trials,” Ochowicz said. “Rohan will also play a leadership role in some one-day races and one-week stage races that fit his profile. We expect him to a big asset in grand tours and one-day races, too, where he will have a working role.” Dennis said he was appreciative of Vaughters not only for his time at Garmin-Sharp but also for signing off on the new opportunity. “I want to thank Jonathan Vaughters, my teammates and the staff at Garmin-Sharp for all the opportunities they gave me the past year-and-a-half,”

Dennis said. “I had a lot of success with Garmin-Sharp and I’m very thankful for that.” Dennis said he is looking forward to working with Peiper again. “My first experience with professional teams was with him at the Tour Down Under when I went to Garmin-Sharp,” he said. “I think he is one of the best guys to look after me and I am looking forward to working with him as part of another great team. I am very excited for my future at the BMC Racing Team.” In keeping with BMC Racing Team policy, specific terms of his contract were not revealed.

Greater Ambitions
While riding for Team Garmin-Sharp, Dennis won a stage of the Amgen Tour of California in May on the way to a runner-up finish overall. He was also runner-up overall at the Circuit de la Sarthe and finished second and third in time trials at Critérium International and the Tour de Suisse, respectively. In 2013, he won the inaugural edition of the Tour of Alberta in Canada. The second-year professional said one of his goals is to improve on his runner-up finish at the 2013 national time trial championships. “I would also like to start winning time trials in Europe and hopefully get on the podium for a tour in Europe, not just for a stage or a time trial,” Dennis said. “To get a good overall position at a stage race is a huge goal of mine.”

Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: