Team News – BMC at Vuelta

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Samuel Sánchez leads BMC’s GC hopes at Vuelta a España but priority is to win stages says team

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Team News – BMC at Vuelta

Santa Rosa, California РThe BMC Racing Team will take a day-by-day approach for the Vuelta a Espa̱a, Sport Director Yvon Ledanois said, with a roster that includes two past podium placers and its team leader from the Tour de France.

Samuel Sánchez was runner-up at the Vuelta in 2009, third in 2007 and has won five stages in eight appearances while Peter Velits finished third in 2010. Sánchez was the BMC Racing Team’s top finisher (12th place) at the Tour de France last month after team leader Tejay van Garderen withdrew from the race due to illness.

“We will look at the general classification step-by-step and all riders will have their opportunity,” Ledanois said. “Samuel is our leader, but the priority will be to try to win stages.”

Sánchez noted there will be a high level of competition as he embarks on the Tour-Vuelta double for the first time in his career.

“It will be difficult because the start list is really, really good,” he said. “The first four riders in the Tour de France are here at the Vuelta. I hope to find good results on the general classification and maybe win a stage. It will be difficult but it is possible.”

Van Garderen said he is healthy coming into the race and that his pre-race preparation – which included training at home in Aspen, Colorado, and at his European base in Nice, France, went well.

“I just did a good block of training in Nice and should be ready to go,” van Garderen. “I have studied the profiles and the layout of the race, but I have not had a chance to do any reconnaissance or to prepare the same way we would for the Tour de France. But I feel like I have a good grasp of what lies ahead.”

The three-week race begins Saturday with a 7.4-kilometer team time trial in Porto Banus.

Listen to complete comments from Sánchez on the BMC Racing Team Audio Line.

Roster:
Darwin Atapuma (COL), Marcus Burghardt (GER), Alessandro De Marchi (ITA), Jempy Drucker (LUX), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Joey Rosskopf (USA), Samuel Sánchez (ESP), Tejay van Garderen (USA), Peter Velits (SVK).

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