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BMC Racing signs Tim Roe

By Cycling News

published 25 September 2010

Australian eager to be teammates with compatriot Cadel Evans

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Tim Roe (Uni-SA) in the mountains jersey with the spoils of leading.(Image credit: Mark Gunter)

Tim Roe (Trek-Livestrong) best young rider on a descent(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

The BMC Racing Team has signed Tim Roe for the 2011 season, adding to its growing roster of promising young riders. Roe joins American Taylor Phinney as the second rider to sign with the Pro Continental team this week

Phinney explains decision to sign with BMC Racing Team

The 20-year-old Australian, who spent the 2010 season with the Trek-Livestrong squad alongside Phinney, said several factors contributed to his decision to move to BMC, including the opportunity to be a teammate of compatriot Cadel Evans.

"The way the team is growing bigger and bigger every year is exciting," Roe said. "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."

Jim Ochowicz, team president, said Roe will learn from and mix well with the team's veterans. "Tim is one of the rising young stars of the future," Ochowicz said. "He'll fit comfortably with the other neo-pros we've signed."

Directeur sportif John Lelangue said the acquisitions of Roe, Taylor Phinney and Belgian Yannick Eijssen are long-term investments. "They'll ride without any pressure next season," Lelangue said. "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."

Roe showed his potential this year, wearing the King of the Mountains jersey for two days at the Santos Tour Down Under in January. He finished second overall at the Internationale Thüringen-Rundfahrt in Germany in June and placed 11th overall at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah in August. He targeted this month's Tour de l'Avenir, but crashed on stage 2 and later abandoned.

"I was set for a good ride and felt good, but I ended up on the ground there," Roe said. "Unfortunately, that ruined my hopes of competing in the world championships."