Dennis leads BMC roster for Worlds TTT

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Fresh off his duo of time trial wins at the Vuelta a Espana, Rohan Dennis will lead BMC Racing into the UCI Road World Championships team time trial with hopes of reprising their 2015 victory.

BMC have won the event twice since the UCI revived it in 2012 - in 2014 and 2015 - and the team have been on the podium every year but 2013. With the UCI announcing this is the final year for the trade-team-based event, and with the team in their final year in the BMC configuration, they're extra motivated to go out with a win.

"It is no secret that the team time trial is one of our favorite disciplines and one that we have targeted for many years," said team General manager Jim Ochowicz.

"For us, it is disappointing that this will be the final trade team time trial at the world championships, but this will serve as extra motivation to claim the gold medal for the team, and particularly in memory of Andy Rihs," Ochowicz said, referring to the former team owner who died earlier this year. "Andy gave us, and the sport of cycling, so much, so to win the final team time trial at the world championships in the BMC Racing Team skinsuit would be incredibly special."

Joining Dennis on the start line in Innsbruck on Sunday, September 23, will be Patrick Bevin, Damiano Caruso, Stefan Küng, Greg Van Avermaet and Tejay van Garderen.

Team director Jackson Stewart highlighted the riders' strength in individual time trials and their collective power in the team time trial discipline.

The men's 62.8km course takes a generally downhill tack with a few small bumps along the way, but that profile changes dramatically at 40km, where the course quickly climbs nearly 300 metres over less than 5km. An equally steep descent leads to a final 10km of flat ground to the finish.

Team Sunweb, led by world champion Tom Dumoulin, won the team time trial last year in Bergen ahead of BMC and Team Sky. Last year's BMC team included Dennis, Sylvan Dillier, Küng, Daniel Oss, Miles Scotson and van Garderen.

BMC Racing for UCI Road World Championships team time trial: Patrick Bevin, Damiano Caruso, Rohan Dennis, Stefan Küng, Greg Van Avermaet, Tejay van Garderen